Making Money Leis
Fold a dollar bill into a fan. Starting from one of the narrow ends, fold your bill like a fan or accordion using ½-inch (1.27-centimeter) folds. Do this for all of the bills that you have. You will need about 30 to 35 bills.
Make some more fans using colored paper, if desired. Cut some colored paper down to the same size as your bills, about 2½ by 6 inches (6.35 by 15.24 centimeters) first. Then, fold them into fans starting from the narrow edge. You will need about 30 to 35 pieces as well. Add school spirit by using one or both of your school's colors. Cardstock or colored printer paper will give you a nicer look, but you can use construction paper if you have nothing else. Expert Answer Q When asked, “How can you make graduation leis?” Claire Donovan-Blackwood Claire Donovan-Blackwood Arts & Crafts Specialist Claire Donovan-Blackwood is an Arts & Crafts Specialist and CEO of Heart Handmade UK, a site dedicated to helping people live a happy, creative life. With over 13 years of experience, Claire uses art as a form of therapy and focuses on mindfulness in the making of art. She makes crafting easy and accessible for those she works with. Claire received her B.A. in Photography & Visual Imagery from The University of Huddersfield. Claire Donovan-Blackwood EXPERT ADVICE Answer from Claire Donovan-Blackwood: Claire Donovan-Blackwood, the owner of Heart Handmade UK, responded: “It depends on the materials you want to use and how fancy you want it to look. You can use string, yarn, or ribbon as a base. Then add whatever you want, like the heads of artificial flowers, beads, or candy.”
Tape the edges of your fan together. Fold your fan in half, widthwise. Tape the two side edges together. When you are done, you should have a half-circle, fan shape. Do this for all of the folded bills and colored pieces of paper. Set them aside when you are done.
Cut a 4-foot (1.2-meter) long piece of ribbon. This will make the base of the lei. The ribbon can be any color you want, but something that matches one of the school's colors would be ideal. Seal the ends of the ribbon with a flame. This will keep it from fraying.
Start taping the folded fans to the ribbon. Place the flat side of your first fan against the ribbon. Fold the two ends together over the ribbon, sandwiching it in between. You should now have something that looks like a disk. Tape the two ends of the paper together to secure the disk. Start from the center of the ribbon and work your way outward.
Continue taping the folded fans to the ribbon. Alternate between money and paper. You can do money-paper-money, or money-money-paper. Stop when you have about 6 inches (15.24 centimeters) of ribbon left on each side.
Tie the ends of the ribbon together. If you have enough ribbon left over, you can tie the ends into a bow. This is not completely necessary, but it will give the lei a nicer touch.
Making Candy Leis
Cut some cellophane about 6 inches (15.24 centimeters) wide. You can use any color you want, even clear. You could also use one of the school's colors to get into the school spirit.
Place a small candy bar on top of the cellophane. Set the cellophane down on a flat surface. Place a small candy bar on top of it, about 3 inches (7.62 centimeters) from one of the narrow ends. Make sure that both are oriented horizontally. It's best if you use wrapped candies so that they don't melt. If the candies are very small, you could fit 3 to 4.
Wrap the cellophane around the candy bar. Starting from the long, top edge, roll the cellophane around the candy, forming a tube. If you need to, secure the cellophane with a piece of tape first.
Tie a piece of curling ribbon to either side of the candy. Cut two 6 to 8-inch (15.24 to 20.32-centimeter) long pieces of curling ribbon in one of the school's colors. Tie each ribbon to either side of the candy bar. You can tie the ribbon into a bow or a simple double-knot. If you use a double-knot, consider curing the ribbon with scissors. Use one of the school's colors for the ribbon, if possible.
Tuck another candy bar into the tube. You will need to tuck, wrap, and adjust the cellophane around the candy bar. Tie another piece of ribbon right above the candy bar.
Continue adding candies until you are close to the end of the cellophane. Tie a piece of curling ribbon around the cellophane around each candy that you add. Consider alternating the ribbon colors for a more interesting lei. Be sure to match them to the school's colors!
Make the lei longer, if necessary. The standard 3-foot (0.91-yard) long piece of cellophane may not be long enough to make a lei. If yours is too short, cut another strip of cellophane, and tape it to the end of your lei. Continue adding candies and ribbons until the cellophane is filled. Something around 4 feet (1.2 meters) would be ideal, so trim off any excess.
Tie the ends together. When you are close to the end of the lei, tie a piece of ribbon around the cellophane, just above the last candy bar. Bring both ends of the lei together, and tie them into a secure, double-knot. For an added touch, tie a piece of ribbon around the knot in a bow.
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