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Money Origami: 30+ Easy Dollar Bill Folding Tutorials

money origami
Updated on 01/01/24

Money Origami, or dollar bill origami, is the art of folding dollars into various shapes and designs. Besides just doing it for fun, there are other great reasons to start folding money into shapes.

Everyone knows money is the best gift, but receiving it as a handmade design shows you care a little more. Creating origami with money is great for those looking to gift money more creatively.

Show someone you really care by turning that 5, 20, 50, or even 100-dollar bill into origami; a unique personal design to spice up your cash gifts. You could fold an animal for an animal lover, make a heart for a loved one, or even make a Christmas star for a stocking stuffer! You can also make a waiter’s day by making their tips into some fantastic art.

Here are 30+ DIY money origami tutorials to get you started. The links will take you to a detailed step-by-step guide that will help you fold the designs.

Money Origami Animals

Dollar Bill Origami Fishorigami dollar fish

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI FISH

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Fold Time: 2 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

This money fish design is a great starter for beginners as it is only six easy folds. This one is simple enough to learn and show off in just a few minutes.

Dollar Bill Origami Elephantorigami money elephant

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI ELEPHANT

Difficulty Rating: Hard

Estimated Time: 25 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

This elephant is designed for those with little experience with origami but is worth the effort. Once you feel up to it, this one is fun to try.

Dollar Bill Origami Catorigami money cat

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI CAT

Difficulty: Easy – Intermediate

Estimated Fold Time: 10 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

This cut little dollar cat is doable for beginners but has its challenges. This would make a thoughtful gift for that cat lover in your life.

Dollar Bill Origami Dog

origami money dog

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI DOG

Difficulty: Advanced

Estimated Time: 30+ Minutes

Bills Required: 1

This more complex design will test your patience, but man, does it look cool! This 23-step guide is not recommended for beginners but will look pretty sweet when you are ready for a challenge.

Dollar Bill Origami Frogorigami money frog

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI FROG

Difficulty: Easy – Intermediate

Estimated Time: 10 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

The butterfly is a 14-step design that will result in a working jumping frog. This would make a great gift for a young animal lover!

Dollar Bill Origami Butterflyorigami money butterfly

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI BUTTERFLY

Difficulty: Intermediate

Estimated Time: 15 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

This butterfly is an intermediate-level project put into a 12-step guide. You can always try it to make it your own, and remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect!

Dollar Bill Origami Bat

origami money bat

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI BAT

Difficulty Rating: Beginner – Intermediate

Estimated Time: 10 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

An awesome-looking bat that can be made in 10 steps and is perfect for Halloween.

Money Origami Clothing

Dollar Bill Origami Shirt

origami money shirt

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI SHIRT

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Time to Fold: 10 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

The dollar bill shirt is a classic design with only a few tough folds. This one is fun because it looks great and can be made quickly with some practice.

Dollar Bill Origami Shirt and Tie

origami money shirt and tie

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI SHIRT AND TIE

Difficulty Rating: Easy – Intermediate

Estimated Time: 12 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

This flashy design is slightly more complex than the original shirt and requires beginner to intermediate skills. We prefer the fat tie, but we will also show you how to make it skinny in the guide.

Dollar Bill Origami Pants

origami money pants

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THESE MONEY ORIGAMI PANTS

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Time: 6 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

With a pretty simple guide, these pants are made for walking! This would make a great gift with the dollar bill shirt above to that sharp-dressed person you know.

Dollar Bill Origami Dress

origami money dress

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI DRESS

Difficulty Rating: Intermediate

Estimated Time: 12 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

A challenging but beautiful design, this dress would be a unique present for a special girl in your life.

Dollar Bill Origami Bow Tie

origami money bow tie

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI BOW TIE

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Time: 5 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

This sweet bow tie has a few challenging parts but is mostly easy. Throw some rubber bands on this baby and wear it!

Dollar Bill Origami Hat

origami money hat

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI HAT

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Time: 3 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

This is the traditional origami hat design you may have seen before but now made with a dollar! This super simple design can be made quickly.

Christmas Money Origami

Dollar Bill Origami Star

origami money star

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI STAR

Difficulty Rating: Easy – Intermediate

Estimated Time: 12 Minutes

Bills Required: 5 or 6

This star is modular and easier to put together than it looks. After making the first point you just copy the process. Depending on your preference, this can be made to have 5 or 6 points.

Dollar Bill Origami Sock (Christmas Stocking)

origami money sock

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI SOCK

Difficulty Rating: Easy – Intermediate

Estimated Time: 6 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

This dollar bill sock has one or two tough folds, but is fun to make. It could be added to a Christmas card, or stuffed in a stocking for a fun surprise. 

Dollar Bill Origami Tree

origami money tree

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI TREE

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Time: 3 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

This tree is a super easy creation that could be quickly transformed into a Christmas tree with a few stickers.

Dollar Bill Origami Cross

origami money cross

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI CROSS

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Time: 5 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

This cross is a relatively easy model that would be an excellent gift for a faithful friend or just to let somebody know you care.

Money Origami Flowers

Dollar Bill Origami Modular Flower

origami money flower modular

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI FLOWER

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Time: 10 Minutes

Bills Required: 3

The dollar bill flower is pretty simple and easy but will require a twist tie or rubber band. It is made from three one-dollar bills, all folded the same way, that are tied together.

Dollar Bill Origami Rose

origami money rose

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI ROSE

Difficulty Rating: Easy – Intermediate

Estimated Time: 15 Minutes

Bills Required: 4

The dollar bill rose makes for a sweet gift for that special someone. You can use bigger bills to gift more money or keep it simple with 4 ones. The folding is easy on this one but the shaping and assembly offer a little challenge.

Dollar Bill Origami Tulip

origami money tulipLEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI TULIP

Difficulty Rating: Easy – Intermediate

Estimated Time: 15 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

The dollar bill rose makes for a sweet gift for that special someone. You can use bigger bills to gift more money or keep it simple with 4 ones. The folding is easy on this one but the shaping and assembly offer a little challenge.

Dollar Bill Origami Leaf

money origami leaf designLEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI LEAF

Difficulty Rating: Easy – Intermediate

Estimated Time: 5 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

This leaf from a dollar bill makes for a great decoration by itself, or as a companion to one the money origami flowers.

All Letters A-Z

Dollar Bill Origami Letters A-Z

money origami alphabet all letters

 LEARN HOW TO FOLD THESE MONEY ORIGAMI ALPHABET LETTERS

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Time: 5 minutes

Bills Required: 1

Gift the gift of moola folded into a name or special message. The first letter might take 5-10 minutes, but they go much quicker once you figure out the basic technique.

Money Origami Weapons

Dollar Bill Origami Sword

origami money sword

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI SWORD

Difficulty Rating: Intermediate

Estimated Time: 10 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

This sword barely makes the intermediate category of difficulty. With a few tries, most people should be able to get a decent-looking sword. Slip this bad boy in a birthday card for that rambunctious boy you know!

Dollar Bill Origami Ninja Star

origami money ninja star

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI NINJA STAR

 

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Time: 5 Minutes

Bills Required: 2

This ninja star is an easy fold that requires two one-dollar bills. You can figure this one out pretty quickly. Just watch those corners; they’re sharp!

Money Origami Hearts and More

Dollar Bill Origami Heart

origami money heart

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI HEART

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Time: 2 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

A super easy heart craft to learn, this can be created in just six steps. Whether it’s Valentine’s or any day, this would make a great surprise for a loved one.

Dollar Bill Origami Guitar

origami money guitar

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI GUITAR

Difficulty Rating: Advanced

Estimated Time: 30 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

The dollar bill guitar is one of the most complicated designs we have to fold. That being said, why not challenge yourself and make one with your own style?

Dollar Bill Origami Bottle

origami money bottle

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI BOTTLE

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Time: 3 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

Make a bottle from a dollar with this quick and simple tip design. The folding guide has eight steps but this design is easy to learn for fast folding.

Dollar Bill Origami Flag

money origami flag design

 

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI FLAG

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Time: 5 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

Make a flag in just 6 steps for a fun 4th of July gift or decoration with this tutorial that shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes to follow.

Dollar Bill Origami Pyramid

origami money pyramid

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI PYRAMID

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Time: 7 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

This dollar pyramid design is foldable and squashable so you can easily store it in a wallet or purse. You can leave it as a tip to show your appreciation, and maybe even slip a few more dollars inside.

Dollar Bill Origami Ring

origami money ringLEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI RING

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Time: 5 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

This ring is as easy as it looks and is more fun to make. How can you flex harder than wearing actual money as an accessory?

Dollar Bill Origami Box

origami money box

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI BOX

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Time: 12 Minutes

Bills Required: 2

The dollar bill box is a basic beginner design. This is one of the examples of easy ways to fold money for gifts. You could put something inside and wrap it in a bow for a unique and fun gift idea.

Dollar Bill Origami House

origami money house

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI HOUSE

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Time: 3 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

The house design is a great starter for beginners. It makes for a creative housewarming gift, but maybe in a bigger bill if you’re not too cheap.

Dollar Bill Origami Sailboat

origami money sailboat

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI SAILBOAT

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Time: 5 Minutes

Bills required: 1

This sailboat is a simple and fun little project that will provide you with a creative gift or tip for someone.

Dollar Bill Origami Boat

origami money boat

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI BOAT

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Estimated Time: 5 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

Made after the traditional origami boat design, this dollar boat is a simple one that is easy for beginners to make.

Dollar Bill Origami Skull

origami money skull

LEARN HOW TO FOLD THIS MONEY ORIGAMI SKULL

Difficulty Rating: Beginner – Intermediate

Estimated Time: 8 Minutes

Bills Required: 1

Make a dollar bill skull for that spooky friend who likes a creepy present once in while. Although I wouldn’t know what to think if someone left this as a tip.
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money origami pinterest

Money Folding Ideas

1. Find a good guide

The basic way to get started in money origami is to find a good guide, like the ones above, to show you exactly how to make each fold on the bill.

There are many easy designs that beginners can learn in just a few minutes. Once you get the hang of the really basic folds, you can move on to some more challenging designs.

Our guides have step-by-step instructions with pictures that will help you along the way. For even more designs be sure to check out and support original doll bill origami artists like John Montroll or Won Park.

2. Practice with fake money

The one real downside to folding money origami is that you may not want to spend the dollars you folded when creating something beautiful.

This means it can get a little spendy, especially if you are practicing challenging designs or folding with more expensive bills.

The good news is you can get fake dollar bills to practice with that are the same size as real ones.

You can also use paper if you cut them to U.S. dollar dimensions, which are 156.1mm x 66.3mm or 2.61 inches x 6.14 inches. Standard origami paper is just barely short in length(at 6 inches) but could be made into two bill-sized sheets for practice.

Plus, real money is dirty, so why touch it more than you have to?

3. Use some tools besides your fingers

There are a few tools that can make your folding experience a bit easier.

A pen or mechanical pencil can come in handy when dealing with tucking little pockets or corners.

Sometimes your finger is just too big to fit, and you’ll need something smaller to open a pesky pocket or to hold part of the bill down.

A pair of tweezers can also help in this regard but will come in extra handy when making small folds or shaping.

Last but not least, a ruler can aid those who are looking for extreme precision in their folds.

Is it Legal to Make Origami Out of Money?

Some may wonder about the legality of folding money into shapes as there are laws concerning what you can physically do to money.

Folding money is not illegal as long as you don’t perforate, cut, cement, or mutilate it. This is all according to Title 18, Section 333 of the United States Code.

So basically, if you don’t put holes in it, cut it, or destroy it, there is no problem with folding money. While this is a valid question, if it was illegal to fold money, we would be in trouble for just putting it in our wallets.

Final Thoughts

With the detailed tutorials linked in this post, anyone can get started folding their own unique money origami. Follow the step-by-step instructions and you’ll be amazed at the intricate shapes and figures you can create out of simple paper currency.