Give the gift of money for graduation this year.
Graduation Gift with dollar diplomas
Give your grad the gift they want most…money! We have a few good friends and family graduating from High School this week. We all know that grads love the money, so put together a few simple graduation gifts that any grad would love: a mason jar filled with…money! Actually they are dollar bill “diplomas” and the jar is topped with a paper graduation cap and tassel.
We recently made a quick video for this easy grad gift, and you can watch it here:
We love using mason jars for gifts, and they especially worked perfect for this.
What you need to make this Graduation Gift Money Jar
The How-To is simple. To make one, you’ll need:
– a low temp hot glue gun
– a 3 inch square piece of black card stock
– a 1×10 inch strip of black card stock
– a pint sized mason jar with ring and lid
– embroidery thread (yellow or orange)
– a brass brad
– a long reach hole punch
How to make a Graduation Gift Mason Money Jar
To start, you’ll need to make the tassel with embroidery thread. We used this simple tassel tutorial to make them. Then you will punch a small hole in the center of the square piece of black card stock. First pull the long piece of the tassel through the center hole, then push the ends of the brad through the hole. Wrap the long piece of embroidery thread around the brad and secure it down with a piece of tape.
Now you’re ready to hot glue the ring of the mason jar to the square piece of black card stock. Add hot glue to the flat top of the ring and press it upside down centered onto the black card stock. Now hot glue the long black strip of card stock around the mason jar ring. That’s it! Super simple!
To make the dollar diplomas, you can use a sharpie to roll each dollar up. We also used inexpensive plastic balloon string to tie each one up.
The rolling of the bills was the longest part. Grab a friend to help and it will go quick. Once you’re finished, just screw the lid and ring on tight and you’re good to go!
Are you celebrating a big graduation this year?
MORE GRADUATION GIFT and Party Ideas:
–Graduation gift with dollar diplomas (you are here)
–Graduation gum ball party favors
–free printable graduation card
–a bright future graduation party ideas
–How to make a Butterfly Money Lei
–Globe with quote gift + printable
–25+ Graduation Gift Ideas
–25+ Creative Ways to Give Money
–25+ MORE Creative Ways to give money
such a fun idea!! I think I’ll do this for my niece!
Thanks Cheryl! She will love it!
I love this idea and would love to make some. I don’t know what “plastic balloon string” is, though. Can you tell me where I might buy some? Thanks!!
You know the plastic ribbon that they tie to the end of a balloon? that’s what I’m referring to.
I hate to admit thus, but I’m not familiar with it. Can you suggest where I’d buy it?
It’s also called “curling ribbon”.
This is a great idea. I was looking for something for this weekends graduation and you hit the mark. Thanks for the info!!!
Love this idea! I have a few kids graduating this year, about how many singe bills fit in the jar?
I was wondering this, too. Did you ever find out?
I fit 20 bills in comfortably in a pint jar. You could use dollar bills, $5’s, $10’s, etc, depending on what you want to spend.
Cool! Thanks for sharing!
What an absolutely perfect idea! I love creative gift wrapping.
I love this and I am making two for twins! How many dollar bills fit in the jar?
Sorry for a late reply…I guess it depending on how much you’d like to spend per graduate.
Hi Kami!
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Love this idea! Very unique !
How many “diplomas” are you able to fit in the jar?
Hi! It depends on how big your jar is, or how loosely you roll the bills. It’s best to choose a dollar amount and just roll them wider or smaller depending on how you’d like them to fit in the jar.
Regardless of the dollar amount, any idea how many “dipolmas” fit into a quart size mason jar??
Hi Christy! I’m not sure. possibly double the amount used in the size I used. You could always try rolling them more loosely to make it look more full.
This was a super idea! We have quite a few close friends with graduates this year and I loved this idea.
They turned out great and were a big hit!
Instructions were spot on.