Dana Hinders
Who wouldn't want a money tree? Although you can't give someone a tree that actually grows money, you can do the next best thing and fold an origami dollar bill tree to slip inside a greeting card.
The money tree featured in this tutorial is relatively easy to complete. Even a beginner should be able to fold the tree in about five minutes, which makes this a great choice for a last-minute gift.
You can fold the money origami tree from a bill in the denomination of your choice, but keep in mind that this tutorial uses a one-dollar bill, so you will need to adjust your reference points if you're using a bill with a higher value.
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Fold to the Right Side
Dana Hinders
Begin folding your origami dollar bill tree with George Washington's face up. Fold the top left-hand corner of the bill over so it is flush with the right side. The corner of the bill should touch the point that is right after the second "L" in "ONE DOLLAR." Crease firmly, then unfold.
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Collapse the Folds
Dana Hinders
Using your horizontal crease as a guide, collapse the folds as shown. The process of collapsing the folds is the same as what is used in the first two steps of the origami jumping frog.
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Complete Your Origami Dollar Bill Tree
Dana Hinders
Flip your bill over. Fold a second dollar bill into a small thin strip and tuck it into the flap of the top triangle to create a trunk for your tree.
If you're giving your money tree as a gift, you can use a small amount of poster putty to adhere it to a greeting card. This will also help keep the model from coming apart in transit.
Money origami is fun to give as a gift throughout the year, but this money origami tree is especially appropriate for Christmas.