Big Tassels with Hidden Cash Inside

Three big paper graduation tassels with cash rolled inside for a money graduation gift

Looking for a creative graduation money gift idea for your favorite student? Make my big paper tassels with cash rolled inside for an easy DIY graduation gift idea they’ll love!

Easy cash gift idea to make for graduates

It’s no secret that graduates like cash. My big paper tassels are an easy and creative way to give money as graduation gifts and accommodate a wide range of dollar amounts. Just choose your desired denominations and roll 4 or more bills inside each paper tassel. Voila!

Printable graduation year template for 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030

How to temporarily tape a money gift inside DIY paper graduation tassels

Cash rolled on the top of paper graduation tassels as a DIY graduation gift idea

Creative DIY graduation money gift idea

ASTROBRIGHTS Paper asked me to create a creative graduation gift idea for them using their colorful cardstock paper. This post is sponsored and all opinions are mine. My niece graduates from high school this year, and I wanted to design a fun way to give her money for her graduation gift. When she was younger, I used to make her DIY gifts such as my Kid’s Apron Sewing Pattern, Family Coloring Book and Fabric Memory Game but from middle school and up she’s preferred gift cards and cash. I’ve always wrapped her gift cards and cash creative ways such as my Mitten Gift Cards Holder for Christmas, so I wanted to come up with something clever for her high school graduation gift.

And what’s more iconic for graduation than tassels?? So, I played around trial-and-error with making big tassels using ASTRODESIGNS® 12” x 12” cardstock paper and devised an easy way to roll money inside. Clever, yes?

Three DIY big paper graduation tassels with money rolled inside

Two DIY paper graduation tassels with money rolled inside

Unique way to give cash for graduation

I think my big tassels are a really unique and creative way to give cash for graduation. Start by choosing two sheets of 12″ x 12″ ASTRODESIGNS® cardstock paper. Then follow my step-by-step instructions below to roll the money inside the big paper tassel.

How to roll big paper graduation tassels with a cash money gift surprise inside

Personalize your DIY graduation gift with colors, graduation year, and hidden messages

You can personalize your graduation tassels by choosing paper colors that match your graduate’s school colors.

You can also write a special message inside that graduates will see when they unroll the tassel to retrieve their cash.

Writing a hidden message inside paper tassels that graduates will see when they unroll their money gift

Graduation years 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2023 included for free!

Lucky for you, I planned ahead for this graduation craft, so I designed graduation years 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030. Need another year? Just email me. Which ASTRODESIGNS® paper colors will you choose to make your big graduation tassels?

Supplies for making my Big Tassels DIY Graduation Money Gift Idea

Craft supplies for making a DIY paper graduation tassels with money rolled inside

How to make my Big Tassels DIY Money Gift Idea for Graduation

Step 1: Choose tassel colors and cut fringe

Choose two sheets of ASTRODESIGNS® 12” x 12” cardstock paper that match your graduate’s school colors. For each sheet, cut 9” strips of tassel fringe approximately ¼” wide along the bottom edge of the paper. This will leave an uncut 3” x 12” strip along the top where you’ll affix money in step 5. (NOTE: You can adjust your fringe length to fit currency other than US Dollars).

To cut fringe, you can either use a craft knife and metal ruler with self-healing mat like I did, or download my SVG file for your paper cutting machine, or just use good paper scissors. The fringe takes less time to cut than you think and doesn’t have to be perfect to look cute.

Cutting fringe to make paper graduation tassels with cash bills rolled inside

Step 2: Tape fringe together into one large rectangle

Place the two fringed paper squares on a table so they’re touching side-by-side. Tape them together along the 3” solid paper seam to create one large paper rectangle (there’s no need to tape the 9” fringe section). If you chose two different colors to create your tassel, I recommend first cutting both 12” x 12” cardstock paper sheets in half and alternating colors before taping them together which will create a more mixed-color tassel. The color on the right side will be the outside color of the tassel, so arrange colors accordingly.

Cutting paper fringe in half to create multi-color DIY graduation tassels

Alternating colored paper to create multi-color paper graduation tassels

Step 3 (optional): Write a congratulations message to the graduate inside

You can choose to write a personal congratulations message to the graduate along the 3” uncut edge that they’ll see when they unroll their cash. I used a thin Sharpie marker.

Step 4: Add hanging cord to the tassel

Cut a 20” piece of yellow yarn and fold in half. Using clear tape, tape the yarn’s cut ends onto the far left end of the paper rectangle.

How to make paper graduation tassels in school colors for high school graduates

Step 5: Add money for your graduation gift

Now it’s time to add cash! Flip the rectangle over so the message is touching the table. Then align one bill along the top edge next to the yarn. Using small pieces of removable Washi tape or painter’s tape (it’s important to only use removable tape on money), secure left and right edges of the bill onto the cardstock paper. Repeat for all bills; feel free to overlap the bills as needed based on the amount of money that you’re giving.

Step 6: Roll the money inside the paper tassel

Flip the rectangle over so the taped yellow yarn and message are visible and the bills are touching the table. Starting at the yarn end, tightly roll the cardstock paper and money to create a big tassel, adjusting the bills as needed while you roll. Keep rolling until the tassel is complete, then add removable Washi tape to secure the tassel.

Step 7: Wrap ‘metal band’ around the tassel

Now we’ll add the ‘metal band’ and graduation year in Solar Yellow™. Download my template, either PDF to print and cut or SVG for your paper cutting machine. Wrap the yellow ‘metal band’ around the neck of the tassel and secure it with glue dots, ending at the rolled seam so that it can be easily unrolled in step 8. You can add a yellow piece of removable Washi tape to help hide the seam.

Step 8: Add graduation year (2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030)

I designed all of the graduation years from 2024 to 2030 for you. Download my graduation year template and print your desired graduation year onto Solar Yellow™ and cut out or use my SVG template with a paper cutting machine. Then glue the graduation year to the ‘metal band’ using a glue dot.

Step 9: Give your DIY money gift to the graduate!

Give the big tassel to your graduate so they can unroll their cash!

Be sure to pin my easy DIY graduation money gift idea for later

And see more of my paper crafts for ASTROBRIGHTS paper including my S’mores Campfire Playset, Tent Camping Playset, Paper Bead Jewelry, Geometric Dinosaur birthday party, Upcycled Paper Vases, Family Birthstone Birthmarks, and many more.

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Copyright stuff: You’re more than welcome to use my free project, printable templates, and tutorials for personal use. Contact me for commercial use and Etsy sales. Momma’s gotta pay the bills.