How to Make a Dollar Bill Rose

Last Updated: August 10, 2021

When it's gift-giving time for younger relatives, you may not know what to give them, and money is always appreciated! While you can certainly stick a dollar bill or a check in a card, a more fun way to give money to either a child or a friend is to transform that real money into a little curio that will be appreciated for its own beauty before the money can be spent. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to turn a dollar bill into rose that can either top a wrapped gift or be given on its own.

Steps

1
Create the bud for the dollar bill rose. Fold the first dollar bill in half and then curl the top corners, as shown. Only curl the edges—not the entire bill.
- Curl one edge of the folded bill inward and the other edge outward. The curls allow the bud to begin taking shape.
- Hold the bill between the edges of your fingertips to get the right angle on the curl. Holding the bill between your thumb, index and middle fingers will help you get the right look.
2
Design the rose petals. Fold the bill in half on an angle (so the money looks like a “V”). Then curl the edges.
- Instead of folding directly in half, fold the bill in half but with each side coming up on an angle (so it looks like the letter “V”). You should be able to see the backside of the bill.
- Curl the bottom part of the bill edges inward using your fingertips. Use the same technique you used to create the curls for your bud.
- Curl the top part of the bill edges outward using your fingertips. Be sure you don’t go too far outward––just a subtle curl is adequate.
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3
Join the bud to the stem by slipping the floral wire or pipe cleaner through the fold of the bud. This will help your flower take shape.
- Open the bud bill and place the floral wire inside the fold. Make sure the wire is even on both sides so the bud bill is in the middle.
- Gently bend the wire so that it snugly holds the bud in the middle. You should end up with the bud being held in the middle and wire now basically folded in half.
- Twist the wire ends to join the two pieces as one (this forms the stem). Hold the flower by the bud and then twist and wind the wire downward.
- Fluff the bud by exaggerating the curls. Slip your finger between the layers of the folded bud and try to round out the bill so it looks more like a bud.
4
Add petals. Use the same technique you used with the bud. Use individual wires or pipe cleaners to wrap through and around dollar bill petals. Make sure the wire is the same length you used for the bud.
- Use floral wire or pipe cleaners to encase each petal inside the wire. Approach wrapping the bills the same way you wrapped the bud by sliding the wire through the bill fold and bending the wire downward.
- Fluff the petals and reshape to look more like actual rose petals using your finger. Curl round the outward edges—try to make each bill petal unique (like an actual rose).
5
Assemble the rose. Hold the bud in one hand and then arrange the petals around the bud. Hold the flower close to the bills so you have a good handle on how the flower will appear. Arrange and rearrange until the flower resembles a rose.
- Twist and wind all floral wires together so they form one large wire. Hold the top of the flower and twist the wires in a downward until you reach the bottom/end.
- If you didn't use pipe cleaners, wind floral tape around the wires and cut the wire to an appropriate length using wire cutters (if necessary). Begin by wrapping the floral wire around the top of the wire, toward the top of the flower and work your way downward.
6
Add artificial leaves to the wire using a hot glue gun. Look at the dollar bill rose the same way you might a real flower and add leaves so that they look natural.
7
Finished!

Community Q&A

Question

How many dollars does it take to make this rose?

Community Answer

You will need five (5) crisp U.S. dollar bills. They can be of any denomination.
Question

Can this be made from foil?

Community Answer

Yes, but foil is more likely to tear and is not as sturdy. Use heavy duty foil for the petals and maybe the leaves, but you need something stronger for the stem.
Question

Doesn't this mean I can't use the dollar again?

Community Answer

Yes, cutting this dollar bill rose means you won't be able to use the dollar again.

Things You'll Need

5 or more crisp bills of any denomination. If you're feeling really creative, use U.S. currency for the green parts, and foreign currency for the rose itself.
Floral tape
Artificial rose leaves
Floral wire (pipe cleaner)