First of all, wow, thank you all so much for those links yesterday! My reader is now full and happy and so am I! So now on to today's post:
Gifting money is tricky. When you’re 18 all you basically want is money. Either towards certain things or just spending money.
Wille has a big summer ahead of him. He’ll be travelling twice with groups of friends so money towards the trip to Spain was high on his wish list as was some cash to spend there and at the music festival. Both grandmothers helped out in the cash department but I know how you always need a little bit more than you think you do (so you can go ahead and buy that second sombrero or that band T-shirt) so I also added a little bit.
It’s kind of boring to just hand over the cash and besides Wille doesn’t really want it in bills but rather on his account so he can use his card instead. So I came up with these two ideas that went into his Friday morning gift bags.
The cash I gave in the shape of a made over sun stick and the money towards the trip to Spain I wrapped around a Swedish-Spanish dictionary.
Super simple to do, I just printed out my words on regular copy paper using white on black and cut according to the sizes of the items. For the sun stick I glued the wrapper on with glue stick and for the dictionary I just folded the sides of the sheet of paper into the book. I had to do a bit of pasting two papers together for the book as you will notice on the finished book, but again, that was just using a glue stick.
As for the real money, I will be paying the invoice for the trip and the spending money was transferred to Wille’s account on the morning of his Birthday.
Oh, it's Friday again! Happy Weekend!
Det är alltid lika roligt att titta in här och inspireras av dig Benita
Posted by: Victoria - Elvira Spekulerar | April 13, 2012 at 08:10 AM
Hoppas inte Märtha ser det här och tycker hennes mamma borde inspirerats mer av dina... :) (var nog inte lika generös, skyller på att jag har två)
Posted by: Anne | April 13, 2012 at 09:43 AM
Dina presenter skulle det stå... Är tydligen snål med orden också :D
Posted by: Anne | April 13, 2012 at 09:44 AM
Another blog you might like Benita(should have put this up yesterday) http://www.yvestown.com/.
Posted by: Jenny | April 13, 2012 at 09:55 AM
I've read Yvonne's blog for years, we're cyber-buddies :)
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | April 13, 2012 at 10:13 AM
I'll definitely have to remember these ideas. Our kids are all at the 'give me money' stage too, and it's hard to think up new and exciting ways to give it.
And, by the way...Goodness gracious what a lot of good blog tips there were yesterday! I've just played hooky from work the entire morning checking them out and adding a whole slew to my reader. I'm almost hoping for rain all weekend so I'll have an excuse to stay inside and read a bunch of them :)
Happy Friday! I believe there's deck building in your very near future?
Posted by: Judith | April 13, 2012 at 10:59 AM
When my son turned 18 we gave him a "cheque" from the Bank of Mum & Dad. I printed the fake cheque on cardstock and he still has it. It was something that I got to wrap in a nice envelope. The money was transferred to his account on his birthday morning!
Teenage boys = cash gifts work!!!!
Posted by: jody | April 13, 2012 at 11:09 AM
I'm a bit bummed because they were supposed to start working on Wednesday but the weather's been too bad so instead of a new deck I have filthy floors and surfaces since Mini and Bonus walk around in the slabless garden and bring all the dirt inside... Hopefully they can start next week instead!
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | April 13, 2012 at 11:19 AM
I'll have to remember the Bank of Mum & Dad for next year :)
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | April 13, 2012 at 11:19 AM
You're a great mother! Wille will remember your "disguises" long after the money is just a memory. Another blog you might like to look at is Attic24, just for the contrast to your own style (Lucy loves colour) she has masses of craft/gardening/home ideas, and lovely photos, which are a must for me.
Happy weekend, Mal
Posted by: Mal | April 13, 2012 at 12:32 PM
Will check it out, thanks!
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | April 13, 2012 at 12:48 PM
Oh that is a bummer! Okay, maybe I'll stop hoping for rain just for your sake :)
Posted by: Judith | April 13, 2012 at 12:51 PM
Hey, someone from Spain here. If you need any tips about how to move, what to do (or not) just ask!
Posted by: Iñigo | April 13, 2012 at 01:15 PM
Cool ideas. Wille, que disfrutes el viaje!
Posted by: homestilo | April 13, 2012 at 02:15 PM
Fun way to give "virtual" money.
You probably know Purple Area blog, but just in case http://purplearea.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Zosia | April 13, 2012 at 03:01 PM
Your son will have a great time here in Spain :) If you want any information or you have any question, please ask!
Posted by: Alicia | April 13, 2012 at 03:50 PM
Wonderfully fun! Cash can seem so impersonal, but not when you put as much thought and cleverness in the presentation as you, Benita!
Posted by: Lisa Flaherty | April 13, 2012 at 04:44 PM
Yes, I know that one!
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | April 13, 2012 at 06:03 PM
For my 30th birthday my parents gave me 1000 dollars - they rolled 10 one hundred dollar bills seperately and tied each one up on a ribbon - so it was a chain of money! I loved it. Even though I took it to the bank to be deposited soon after, there is something about getting the actual cash in hand first!
Love these ideas for Wille. Such a lucky boy!
Posted by: Emily R | April 13, 2012 at 08:23 PM
Hello, sorry for that question, but did you know where in Stockholm I can get a vintage stripey straws?
Thanks.
Posted by: Lin | April 14, 2012 at 11:35 PM
I don't know of a store that sells them but you can find them online here: http://www.leilasgeneralstore.com/sv/search?q=sugr%C3%B6r
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | April 15, 2012 at 10:19 AM
Benita,
My kids, nephews and nieces are all grown now and for years I have gifted them with money in creative ways. Yes, money is what they wanted and I do believe it is a valuable lesson to have some money to spend. I have rolled it tightly and put in the center of a roll of life savers opened carefully and then resealed, I put it in a little clear bag and stuck it in a jello salad which I bought to the party, I put it in a tin and cast it in concrete (foundation being poured that year!), I glued it between the cover and a blank page of a very boring math text book, we screwed it between two pieces of wood with about 200 screws and gifted a screw driver as well, froze it the center of a huge block of ice, put each dollar into a balloon and then inflated the balloons, put them inside Christmas ornaments on a decorated wreath. Those are the ones that come to mind now. And the cousins regularly laugh about it when we all get together. It was making memories!
Happy Belated birthday Will!
Posted by: Marji Roy | April 15, 2012 at 09:43 PM
We call money gifts Anything Vouchers here.
Posted by: Emma | April 16, 2012 at 06:41 AM
Such great ideas! Will remember them!
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | April 16, 2012 at 07:43 AM
Great ideas...I have 2 upcoming b-days...16 and 18 and both want money.I need to buy a good printer for crafts and printables...any tips to give me?
Posted by: Anna | April 19, 2012 at 02:39 AM
I took the liberty to print these at work as I'd run out of ink on our printer at home... I don't have any great advice on a printer. The one we have is a cheapo one from Clas Ohlson as Wille uses it for school work mostly but I saw that there was a test in a recent Råd & Rön issue.
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | April 19, 2012 at 01:39 PM
Thanks for the tip! I'll see if I can find me a copy.
Posted by: Anna | April 23, 2012 at 11:48 PM
I just give them another little gift and stick the money in the card.
Or if I deposit money, I include the deposit receipt.
For my 25th birthday, my mom mailed me a card a day for 25 days and each card had 2 dollars in it! LOL!
Posted by: Michelle | May 02, 2012 at 05:29 PM