Wrapping Money: 6 Ways to Make Cold, Hard Cash Look Warm and Fuzzy

There's no denying that sometimes money makes the perfect gift -- just ask your teenage family members. But much as we like to receive money, the sight of a stack of envelopes can be anticlimactic.

Instead of simply tucking cash into a greeting card, give careful consideration to its packaging: Perhaps it could masquerade as another gift, such as a CD, a favorite candy, or a wallet. Or you could throw recipients off the trail completely by concealing the bills in take-out containers that sport pretty bows, or in mysteriously tiny shopping bags hung as tree ornaments.

Your intention when giving currency or a gift certificate is to delight: You want your loved one to use it to buy (or save toward) something he or she really desires. When your present is a joy to behold, you convey this spirit, making it as personal and thoughtful as any other.

Related: 65 Quick and Easy Holiday Decorating Ideas from Martha Stewart

Fortune Cookies

These delicious cookies don't have to be confined to Chinese meals; they also make wonderful party favors, place cards, or everyday desserts. The batter used to make these fortune cookies is traditional tuile batter. Tuiles are thin, crisp cookies that are easy to mold into curved shapes while still warm from the oven. Remember, the key to success with these oversize cookies is to shape them quickly.

5 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 large egg whites 1 cup superfine sugar 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted Pinch of salt 3 tablespoons heavy cream 1 teaspoon almond extract Nonstick cooking spray

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet liberally with cooking spray. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat; set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites and sugar, and beat on medium speed, about 30 seconds. Add flour and salt, and beat until combined. Add butter, heavy cream, and almond extract, and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.

3. Pour 1 tablespoon of batter onto half of the baking sheet, and spread with the back of a spoon into a thin 5-inch circle; repeat on the other half of the sheet. Bake until the edges of the cookies turn golden brown, about 8 minutes.

4. Transfer baking sheet to a heat-resistant surface. Working as quickly as possible, slide a spatula (an offset spatula, available at specialty kitchen shops, works best) under one of the cookies. Lift it up, and place it on a clean kitchen towel. Using your fingers, fold the cookie in half, pinching the top together to form a loose semicircle. Hold the cookie with your index fingers inserted at each open end, and slide your thumbs together along the bottom line. Press into the center of the cookie while bending the two open ends together and down to form the shape of a fortune cookie. This whole process should take about 10 seconds. Once the cookie hardens, which begins to happen almost immediately, you cannot fold it. Place the fortune cookie on the kitchen towel to cool, and shape the second cookie. Repeat until all the batter is used up. To speed up the process, bake four cookies at a time, staggering two cookie sheets by 4 minutes to give you time to shape. To avoid wasting batter, practice folding with a circle of paper first.

5. Write your message on a long strip of sturdy art paper, such as Japanese moriki. Thread the fortune through the cookie when it has cooled.

Related: 22 Gift-Wrapping Ideas for Turning Any Gift Into Something Spectacular

Compact-Disc Card

An allowance for concert tickets or for a new CD will charm the music lover on your list.

Materials
CD case with liner notes
Heavy gift wrap
Pencil
Scissors
Money
Ribbon

1. Use a real CD and liner notes as templates. Outline unfolded liner notes on heavy gift wrap; cut out, fold in half, and slide into an empty CD case (available at record stores).

2. Outline CD on heavy card stock, cut out, and add greeting. Fold money into a square; center it atop cardboard disc; with a pencil, mark position of corners. Using marks as a guide, cut four 1/2-inch diagonal slits in the cardboard. Tie a bow around money square, and slip into disc.

Kite-String Envelope

A string of envelopes, like the ones here, looks celebratory and lets an entire group or family chip in for a present -- an ideal way to honor a new graduate, newlyweds, or anyone who happens to be saving up for something special.

Include one envelope for every family member who wishes to contribute, plus one extra; each person writes a note on a small gift card to slip into his or her own envelope.

The pooled money is placed in the final envelope. To attach envelopes to string, use double-sided tape; or cut an extra-long piece of string, and wrap and knot each envelope individually. Hang string from mantelpiece, next to stockings, or as a garland on the tree.

Candy Coins

Quarters come in handy at the newsstand, campus laundries, and video arcades. Cover their utilitarian wrappers with candy cane hues.

Materials
Roll of coins
Striped wrapping paper
Doublesided tape
Yarn
Cellophane

1.Cut a rectangle of striped wrapping paper on the bias, making it large enough to enclose the roll. Wrap roll, secure overlap with double-sided tape, and fold in ends. Or add decorative stripes with quilling paper (available at crafts or stationery stores): Wrap roll first in plain paper, attach quilling strip with doublesided tape, wind tightly around roll in a spiral motion, and tape end.

2. Wrap decorated rolls in cellophane, twist ends, and attach tags with yarn.

Gift Wallet

Fresh bills stay crisp in these wallets that double as gift box and card.

Materials
Standard wallet or billfold
Pencil
Heavyweight paper or card stock
Lightweight decorative or wrapping paper
Scissors
Sewing machine and thread
Craft glue
Elastic ribbon

1. Using a real wallet as a template, outline billfold on two pieces of heavy paper; cut out.

2. With white craft glue, affix pieces back-to-back.

3. For pocket, trace billfold onto lighter-weight paper. Cut out, and trim off top third lengthwise. Affix to wallet with dots of glue; if desired, cut out and affix a side pocket for message card.

4. Topstitch around billfold and pockets with a sewing machine, using a 1/8-inch seam allowance.

5. Wrap elastic ribbon snugly around billfold; cut and staple into a band that holds wallet shut.

Book of Money

Bibliophiles will love spending these pages on a book of their own choosing.

Materials
Lightweight paper (like wrapping paper)
Medium weight paper (like card stock)
Glue
Scissors
String
Grosgrain ribbon

1. To create binding, you'll need two grades of paper: one that is lightweight, such as wrapping paper; and one that is medium weight, such as card stock. With a glue stick, affix together one sheet of each, back-to-back. Once dry, cut out a 6 1/8-by-2 3/4-inch rectangle.

2. Use string to bind money to book, wrapping it around book's spine and across center fold of all the bills, and knotting. Punch one hole in front and back cover, and slip a piece of grosgrain ribbon through to tie book shut.

3. Use string to bind money to book, wrapping it around book's spine and across center fold of all the bills, and knotting. Punch one hole in front and back cover, and slip a piece of grosgrain ribbon through to tie book shut.

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20 Super-Efficient, Super-Effective Ways to Clean All the Things

When it comes to Christmas, personal touches make all the difference.