Grad Gift Idea | DIY Money Cake - Spot of Tea Designs

To help offset the costs of college books and supplies, create a DIY money cake as a graduation gift with rolled up dollars. See how to make this easy and welcomed graduation gift that will surely put a smile on the recipient’s face!

Grad Gift Idea - DIY Money Cake tutorial | spotofteadesigns.com

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Graduating high school is a big accomplishment, but it’s just the first stepping stone in the adventure of life, which is an expensive step. You can use dollars in any amount to make your DIY money cake for any value. and swap out the décor details to match your school colors!

DIY Money Cake Supplies:

(2) Foam discs – I used (1) 8” and (1) 10”
Paper dollars – I used (100) dollar bills
(100) Pearl tipped straight pins
Tissue paper – Pink
Beaded necklace or trim
Toothpicks
Gluestick
Gold charger plate (found at the dollar store)
Ribbon
Optional: Decorative pieces, like photo props, bowtie, cake topper or artificial flowers

First create the base of the cake by covering your discs with pink tissue paper and a glue stick to hold.

Stack the discs one on top of another, using toothpicks to help secure them together. Place on the gold charger plate.

Next roll a paper bill and use a straight pin to insert it into the foam disc using these tips:

Make sure the pin goes through the end of the bill in the back before securing to the disc. This will help make sure it doesn’t unroll.
The tighter you roll your bills, the more you’ll need for coverage!
This cake used 100 one-dollar bills. Simple math tells you, if you increase the value of each bill, you increase the value of the cake!

Use the eraser end of a pencil to help push the straight pin into the foam disc.
Wrap a piece of ribbon around the cake and rolled bills as you add them to the cake. Make sure to include lots of slack so you can keep tying and loosening it up as you add more. This ribbon technique will help keep all the bills tight against the cake as you work.

Once you’ve added all the bills around the cake, tie the ribbon tight to secure everything together. Wrap the beaded necklace or trim around for decoration. You may want to use hot glue to secure the beads in the back onto the charger plate. DON’T use hot glue on the paper bills!