How to surprise your teen with a money gift that’s funny

Inside: 13 funny ways to give your teen a money gift for Christmas with free printables to help you make these hidden money gifts. 

Your teenager asked for money for Christmas, so you tucked some hard-earned cash into a thoughtful greeting card and smiled, anticipating the reaction on their face.

But on Christmas Day when they opened the card and the money fell out? Your teen mumbled, “Oh, thanks.” Or worse, they look at you as confused as P Diddy finding a dollar bill in his wallet.

They asked for money, and you gave them exactly what they wanted. And yet, their lackluster reaction feels like a punch in the gut.

The majority of people (60% in 2018!) have gift cards at the top of their wish list. But how can you make giving money gifts special, surprising, and memorable?

How to make giving cash and gift cards more fun for everyone

What if you could make the gift giving experience:

• fun for everyone
• get them what they want
• and induce side-splitting laughter at the same time?

Below you'll find the best ideas for how to bring the magic back to gift giving for the most challenging audience ever: teens and tweens. These ideas are so good that if they do give you an eye roll, it's gonna be because your money gift idea was clever and funny, not because it was expected.

How to Give Money as a Gift like a BOSS

Money or gift cards tucked inside a greeting card is so basic.

Handing over the gift card or cash without any wrapping? Straight scandalous.

What if you could give them that cash money they want but be entertained at the same time?

That's why I created a set of very “punny” printables to help you give money gifts like a BOSS. [thrive_2step id='27276′]CLICK HERE[/thrive_2step] to snag these FREE printables:

[thrive_2step id='27276′][/thrive_2step]

Once you have the printables, you'll need to put your gift idea together. Read through these 13 creative ideas to find the perfect “punny” gift for your teen or tween:

This post contains affiliate links. That means when you click I might get a bonus from the seller at no additional cost to you. It's really cool!

13 Hilarious ways to give gift cards and money gifts

I've created this bomb list of cool ways to give gift cards and cash to teens. Not only will they think these are cool ideas, they're gonna love the gift AND the funny way you gave it to them. Puns anyone?

Watch this video to see the how-to for all 13 holiday gift pranks … and then scroll down for supply lists and tips to make your gifting experience the most hilarious ever!

1. All I got you was this “gold brick” cash gift idea

Maybe your teen can't eat gold like 2 Chainz but you can get them a “gold brick” for Christmas! (If you don't know who 2 Chainz is, GTS and get caught up).

• Spray paint a brick with gold paint.
• Tape cold hard cash money to the back of the brick.
• You can add a tag on the outside that says “.9999 Real Gold Bar”. [thrive_2step id='27276′]CLICK HERE[/thrive_2step] to get a free printable tag!
• Wrap it all in gold mylar tissue paper like this.

BAM! Gold brick, yo!

2. “I Got You Some Green” Gag Gift Idea

Not the green they were looking for but when they finally get around to cleaning, they'll discover the $20 bill inside. Chores for the win!

You can find packs of green scrubbing pads like this at the dollar store. Grab the free printable label [thrive_2step id='27276′]HERE[/thrive_2step].

3. I Got You Some Gift “Cards” Gift Card Idea

Slip a couple gift cards into a box of playing cards for ultimate laughs! You can snag playing cards cheap at any dollar store.

4. “Make it Rain” Umbrella with Hanging Cash

Give them a useful umbrella … but filled with cash! Everyone can use a good quality umbrella and this one has almost 500 positive reviews, is a great price, and can be here in 2 days.

1. Tape dollar bills to 12-16″ long pieces of string.
2. Open the umbrella and tie the strings to the hardware.
3. Close the umbrella.
4. Add a paper wrapper that says “Make It Rain”.

In [thrive_2step id='27276′]this free printable pack[/thrive_2step] you'll get one Christmas design and one Birthday design of this umbrella wrapper:

[thrive_2step id='27276′][/thrive_2step]

5. You Bet Your Lucky Charms! Cash Gift Idea

What teen doesn't love cereal?

Open a box of Lucky Charms and shove a stack of cash or gift cards on top of the bag. Close it up and wrap.

6. “Gold” Fish

Stow a little “gold” in a pack of goldfish crackers. Wrap the cash or gift cards in a snack sized zip top bag, place inside the bag of crackers, and tape closed.

7. Give a “A Fistful of Dollars”

Clint probably didn't have this in mind when he made a “A Fistful of Dollars” but it's the perfect punny gift idea.

Slip a hundred dollar bill (or more) in the case of the Blu-Ray of “A Fistful of Dollars” movie. Wrap and give!

Go retro by snagging a VHS tape of the movie from a thrift shop. I got this one for 50 cents!

8. Don't “Blow” It All In One Place

Grab a 3 pack of travel tissue packs, wrap some cash around them, and cover with one of the free printable tissue wrappers in [thrive_2step id='27276′]this free printable pack[/thrive_2step]. Easy peasy done.

9. We All Got Bills Money Gift Idea

Everyone can use toilet paper. But this TP has a surprise inside … cash money!

Unroll about 2 yards of toilet paper from the roll. Place dollar bills on top of the paper and roll it back up with the money inside. Wrap with any one of these silly [thrive_2step id='27276′]printable wrappers[/thrive_2step]:

• “Bills Bills Bills” by Destiny's Child
• Dolla Dolla Bill [Clinton] Y'all
• All About the Benjamins [Franklin]

I gave the “All About the Benjamins [Franklin]” roll to my 13 year old nephew for Christmas and he literally fell out laughing!

You can wrap these loaded TP rolls in the same gold mylar tissue used for the gold brick idea above.

10. Stay Ballin' Hidden Money Gift Idea

Got a wannabe gangsta in your crew? Sports fanatic? Get yourself over to the dollar store right quick and get a foam ball. Yup, it's only a dollar.

1. Slice the ball open with a steak knife. Cut a slit inside with a craft knife.
2. Slip a gift card inside the slot.
3. Apply ink to the top edge of the gift card with a marker or inkpad. Quickly match up the two sides of the ball and press. The ink will “stamp” the impression of the card into the other side of the ball so you'll know exactly where to make the slit for the card.
4. Cut a slit in the other side of the ball following the ink line, with a steak knife or craft knife.
5. Cut out a label (grab 3 different styles in this [thrive_2step id='27276′]free printable pack[/thrive_2step]) and secure to the inside of one of the ball halves with a sticky glue dot.
6. Slip money or a gift card in the slot and fit the two sides of the ball together.

Watch this how-to video to see how to get the ball to go back together once you've put the money or gift card inside.

BAM! Straight ballin'!

11. “All I Got You Was This Corny Gift” Hidden Money Gift Idea

Everyone loves popcorn for Christmas, right? I have a weakness for these flavored popcorn tubes from Target. They're so yummy!

We made a printable label you can put on these tubes of deluxe popcorn. Cut out the [thrive_2step id='27276′]label[/thrive_2step], tape money or a gift card to the back, and wrap it around the popcorn tube.

Corny gift: CHECK!

12. “Fat Stack o' Chedda” Cash Gift Idea

For a totally different kind of “Liquid Gold”, wrap a Velveeta box with our free printable wrapper ([thrive_2step id='27276′]grab it HERE[/thrive_2step]).

Remove the block of cheese inside and fill the box with a fat stack of cash!

Don't let all that Liquid Gold go to waste … this quick & easy cheese log will use up that block of Velveeta and be a hit at your next party. It's like cheese crack!

13. “Yo, Dawg I heard you like bread” Hidden Money Gift Idea

Get them some “bread” for their bread.

1. Buy a loaf of plain white bread
2. Slip a few twenties or a gift card inside a sandwich baggie and place in the middle of the loaf
3. Print the free printable meme of Xzibit from our [thrive_2step id='27276′]printable pack [/thrive_2step] and tape it to the front of the loaf

Everybody loves bread, right?

Watch this how-to video for making these gift card and cash gift ideas

Before you go, don't forget this:

Survive the teen years without falling on your face, earn some mega bonus points, and give them the “green” they want with these very punny money gift ideas. I tested these ideas with my family and their friends and got jaw-dropping results, with loads of rosy-cheeked giggling!

My 20 year old nephew loved this money gift idea so much that he carefully peeled off the printable to keep on his wall. He was genuinely surprised when he discovered the $100 bill hidden in the loaf of bread!

Best. Reaction. Ever!

Be sure to grab the [thrive_2step id='27276′]free printables[/thrive_2step] to make these money gift ideas before you go …

[thrive_2step id='27276′][/thrive_2step]

And for even more creative ways to give gift cards and cash, check out these posts:

• 120 Creative Ways to Give Gift Cards and Cash
• 12 Unique Ways to Give Gift Cards
• 8 Unique Experience Gift Ideas
• 12 Tips for SAVING money on gift cards and cash gifts

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