Graduation Money Lei

Graduations, anniversaries and birthdays mark major milestones in our friends' and family's lives. Celebrate them by crafting your own handmade lei. Pictured above are a basic money lei interspersed with fabric colored flowers. The left photograph features 75 one dollar bills, the center one holds 50 one dollar bills and the one on the right has about 65.

An Instructables page provides the basic backbone of a money lei. Although there are many similar tutorials online, I wanted to craft a tutorial that will hopefully benefit those who are craftily challenged, like myself, who need mundane explanations to probably obvious detailing. I would like to share what I learned through trial and error.

Supplies 
Scissor
Tape
Beads
String
Crisp bills
Colorful fabric lei
Free time

Folding the bills

Fold length-wise to create a crease.

Accordion-fold the bills. Tip: use the print on the bill to align the folds consistently.

 Bring the ends together along the initial crease and tape. Then fan out the other half and tape that end as well. 

Prepare as many dollar wheels as you plan to use.

Additional Prep
Cut open the store-bought lei and separate out the pieces.
You will probably need to puncture a larger hole thought the center of the individual flowers. I used a latch hook, but even a pencil or screwdriver will do the trick.

Cut out 2 pieces of sting (about 6' each, for 50 dollars lei).
Bring the 2 strings together and fold in half.
Tie a knot at the folded end to create a loop. This loop can be secured to your toe or any solid object during the crafting. Half the lei will be constructed on each side of the loop. That way, you have less string to maneuver.

Tip: tape the ends of the strings to resemble aglets (shoelace tips) and decrease the potential for fraying. In addition, snip the ends at an angle, to create a point.

Start
Slip the strings into the two openings of a dollar wheel and tightly secure the dollar with a double knot. Important for holding the dollar in place and prevent sagging.

Add a bead. some flowers and another bead. The decorative section does not have to be packed in very tightly. Tie another double-knot at the end. Tip: leave a small gap between the last bead and the end of the knot and make sure it is taut. Add the next dollar, secure it, and repeat.

Continue the pattern on the other half of the string for as long as you want the lei. Before you complete the lei, you can add additional decorative pieces, like a bow, flower, or medallion. Tie the ends together and cut off any excess string.

Make your own patterns and share your creation!