Money Origami, by Michael LaFosse and Richard Alexander

Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd. 

www.tuttlepublishin g.com 

Copyright @ 2009 Michael LaFosse and Richard Alexander. 

All rights reseryed. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any 

form or by any means, electronic or mechanica[, including photocopying, recording, 

or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission 

from the publisher., 

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data 

LaFosse, Michael G, 

Money origami : make the most of your dollar! / Michael G. LaFosse, 

Richard L. Alexander. -- 1st ed. 

P.cm. 

lncludes bibliographical references and index. 

ISBN 978-0-8048-4026-2 (kit : alk. paper) 

1. Origami.2. Money in art. l. Alexander; Richard L., 1953- ll. Title. 

rr870.L234245 2009 

736'.982--dc22 

2048043s21 

tsBN 978-0-8048-4026-2 

Distributed by 

North America, Latin America & Europe 

Tuttle Publishing 

364 lnnovation Drive 

North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436 U.S.A. 

Tel: 1 (802) 773-8930 

Fax: 1 (8OZ) 773-6993 

i nfo@tuttlepu blish in g. com 

www.tuttlepubl ish i n g. com 

First edition 

14131211 109876 

Printed in Hong Kong 

Diagrams by Michael G. LaFosse 

Photography by Richard L. Alexander 

Asia Pacific 

Berkeley Books Pte. Ltd. 

61 Tai Seng Avenue, #02-12 

Singapore 534167 

Tel: (65) 6280-1330 

Fax: (65) 6280-6290 

inqu iries@periplus.com.sg 

www.periplus.com 

Video instructicins for folding many other origami projects are available on DVD 

from the Origamido Studio website, www.origamido.com. 

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lntrod u ction 

X-Wa llet 

"Eye" Ring 

Stand-Up Shirt 

Angel Ornament 

Four-Dollar Tall Box 

Haverhill High-Top Shoe 

Five-Pointed, Five-Dollar Star 

Dollar Bill Butterfly 

Cube Box With Lid 

Monkey Face Ring 

Jumping Frog (With Eyes) 

George Napkin Ring 

Business Card Holder 

Paper Airplane 

Rectangular Box With Lid 

Lightning Bolt Favor 

Chinese Dragon/Sea Serpent 

Th istle 

Three-Dollar Step Pyramid 

Wheel Of Fortune 

Mr. Bi!! Green 

TUTTLE PUBLISH ING@ is a registered trademark of Tuttle Publishing, 

a division of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

i Symbols Key 

trodrrction 

Obverse (Front) 

- 

Fold in Front 

^ 

>>tu 

Move or Push 

- 

Fan Fold 

Fold & Unfold 

Reverse (Back) 

- Mountain Fold 

Fold to the back 

For over ten years, the Origamido 

Studio in Haverhill, Massachusetts 

played host to many who stopped by 

to see the origami works on display. 

There was a modest collection of 

folded dollar bills on display, mostly 

gifts from friends, and the regulars 

would bring in their friends and relatives 

specifically to see that case. 

For several years, we also demonstrated 

origami at the Topsfield Fair, 

just north of Boston, and despite 

magnificent origami works on display, 

there would be an inordinate fascination 

with origaml from dollar bllls. 

There are sevcral reasons dollar bill 

origami modcls are so popular: 

o Folding ths durable paper is nondcetructlve, 

and even if you don't 

give it as a gift or tip, you can reuse 

it or spend it. 

. The engraving patterns and 

symbols are intricate, beautiful and 

interesting, and can be incorporated 

cleverly into hundreds of 

designs. 

. Of all the paper money in use 

around the world, the US Dollar 

bills are relatively inexpensive, and 

are readily available. 

. Often when you have time to kill, 

unexpectedly waiting for something 

or someone, there is no other folding 

paper available. 

o Every project has guaranteed value! 

For many people, dollar bill models 

were some of the first origami they 

learned, thanks to the early work of 

Florence Temko, a prolific origami 

designer, author, teacher, performer, 

and mentor to many other origami 

professionals in Great Britain and the 

USA. ln fact, this book began as an 

idea for a collection of early models 

chosen by Joyce Saler, a dear friend, 

and an advanced origami enthusiast 

from Concord, Massachusetts, who 

confided that she found the most 

enjoyment from a few, simple origami 

models she learned many years 

ago-models that children could 

remember easily. 

Your local bank is the source for 

crisp, clean, new dollar bills-if you 

ask. For hygiene's sake, you will want 

to use brand new bills whenever 

using money to decorate your table 

(napkin rings, place holders, etc.). 

Since most paper currency is made 

from long, strong fibers, you often 

can wash, dry, and gently iron circulated 

bills to make them crisp and 

cJean, but they will never look quite 

as nice as newly printed currency. 

To delve deeper into the world of 

money origami, explore the works 

of Stephen Weiss of Florida, John 

Montroll of Maryland, Marc Sky of 

New Jersey, and Won Park, and Jodi 

Fukumoto of Hawaii. 

We trust that this book will help 

you to more thoroughly enjoy the 

contents of your wallet. These tokens 

have inherent value, and whether 

the recipient cherishes the gift, or 

simply unfolds and spends it, you 

know it won't be thrown away!

x 

." Begin obverse side up. Fold 

the right edge up to match the top 

edge and the left edge down to the 

bottom edge. 

Fold in half. Look ahead 

at figure three for the shape. 

Designed by Richard L. Alexander, 2006 

This simple, 2-piece design is my handy way to hide the 

majority of a generous cash tip, while making a neat, 

decorative presentation. Despite its simplicity we are 

amazed by the number of people who learn it, only to 

forget how to place the third fold, so do practice this fold! 

You will need two crisp dollar bills for this project. 

Make another so that 

two identical units. 

you 

Assemble by inserting the 

top, back corner of each unit into 

the top front corner of each. 

You can insert 

more cash, a note or 

other small item. 

Close 

completely and turn 

over. 

The X-Wallet.

Begin obverse side up. Fold in 

half, long edge to long edge. 

Unfold. 

Fold the bottom edge up to 

the crease. 

Fold up along the center 

crease. 

Fold in the left side top and 

bottom corners to form a square 

point. 

Based upon a ring design by Ranana Benjamin 

Modified by Richard L. Alexander, 2006 

This design takes advantage of the mysterious eye atop the 

pyramid on the back etching of the dollar. ! adapted this 

ring to use a dollar bill from a ring design I learned from 

Joyce Saler, who learned it from Ranana Benjamin. This general 

design can be used to make belts, interlocked chain 

links, and earring loops. 

Fold the bottom edge up to 

the top. 

Fold the right, square end 

over to the left. Use the letter "1" 

in "lN GOD WE TRUSI" as a guide 

for the position of the crease.

Fold the top edge of the front 

strip down and to the right. Align 

with the short edge at the right to 

form a square corner. 

(1) Fold up a small margin 

at the bottom of the front strip. 

(2) Mountain-fold the front strip 

up and to the back. 

Tuck the folded end of the 

strip into the triangle-shaped 

pocket in front. 

f O rurn over. 

Form the band by bringing 

the pointed end around the back of 

the ring and tucking it into the 

buckle. 

The "Eye" Ring. 

Based upon a design popularized by Florence 

Temko 


This is a modification of a classic that many learned from 

a book by Florence Temko, and is a particularly good way 

to make a distinctive gift ornament When you are giving 

a shirt. You can also use it as a place card, business card 

holder, or as a tip for an outstanding dry cleaner.

Begin reverse side up, upside 2 

down. Fold in half, long edge to 

long edge. Unfold. 

Fold the tong edges in to the 

center crease. 

Fold the wide end up 

to the bottom edges of the collar. 

Your dollar should look like 

this. Fold the top layer down. Use 

George's nose as a guide (see 

figure eight). 

Mountain-fold a small margin 

of the right edge to the back. Fold 

out the free corners at the left. Use 

the letter "N" in "UNITED" as a 

guide. 

4, Fotd the top and bottom risht 

corners to meet ln front at the split, 

Be sure to leave a gap at the middle 

of the rlght edge. Look at figure 

five for the shape. 

Turn over. 

Fold the overlap up. Keep 

the layers tightly together to make 

an even shape. 

Turn over. 

Fold the bottom edge up 

and tuck it under the corners of the 

collar. 

The Stand-Up Shirt. Now 

see if you can invent some stand 

up pants!

Begin with the obverse side 

up. Fold in half, short edge to short 

edge. Unfold. 

on9 

Fold in half, long edge to 

edge. 

Have the long folded edge 

at the bottom. Fold up the bottom 

left and right corners. Notice that 

the creases span from the center 

of the folded edge to the upper 

outer corners. 

this. 

Your dollar should look 

Unfold. 

like 


Angels are welcome gifts any time of year. lncorporate them 

into a greeting card, or sprinkle them around the curtains in 

a sunny window. They make excellent Christmas tree decorations 

and this little angel design is a perfect way to transform 

a bunch of crisp new bills into a novel gift for your 

other little angels around the holidays. 

Turn over. 

,-O\ 

You are now looking at the 

other side of the folded bill. Use 

the creases to fold up the bottom 

left and right corners. This re-folding 

of the creases bends them the 

other way, making them flexible 

and easy to use in the next step.

Open the layers of each 

folded triangle shape, forming a 

cone, and squash-fold flat to form 

a narrow kite shape. Try to make 

the kites symmetrical. 

B Your dollar should look like 

this. Turn over. 

Fold the topmost layers 

up so that the horizontal bottom 

edge aligns with the top edge. 

Fold out the top corners, 

to the left and right, to form the 

wings. 

Spread the bill open, in the 

middle at "A" and "8." Bring 

together the left and right ends 

and flatten the paper to resemble 

figure ten. 

ro 

down. Use 

a guide. 

Fold the top 

corners "A" 

corner 

and "8" as 

15 lnside-reverse fold the 

top edge as you fold the ange! in 

half. This will form a V-shaped 

separation between the wings. 

the front. 

Open the angel to view 

Fold the 

top corners down 

so that they cross 

in the middle. 

Notice that the 

thick area at the 

top remains visible. Fold up the 

bottom front corners for the feet. 

Your dollar should look 

like this. Turn over. 

Fold out the middle 

corners for hands. Lower the feet. 

The Angel Ornament.

Begin with the 

reverse side up. Fold 

in half, long edge to 


..fJ 

:-' ' Fold the two top 

corners in half. The folds 

should touch the long 

horizontal crease. 

Unfold. 

,,',. 

'\ri\ i i 

"iii Fold the two 

bottom corners up 

to the crease. 

/A.\\\Y'IT;\ 

\J/-L\ rrrr 

,1,, 

Fold the left and 

right edges in. Use the 

vertical edges of the 

lower triangles as 

guides. Unfold. 

Study the creases 

carefully. Form a 

box shape by folding 

the top corners in half 

and setting the top 

and bottom halves of 

the bill at a right 

angle. 

Fold the triangular 

flaps against the 

box sides, left and 

right. Fold the other 

bills in the same manner 

so that you will 

have four units ready 

for assembly. 

Based upon a box designed for rectangles by 

Tomoko Fuse 

Modified for the dollar bill by Richard L. 

Alexander, 2OO5 

This four-piece modular container is based upon a common 

interlocking feature made famous by the boxes designed by 

Tomoko Fuse. The decorative whorls on the dollar bill form 

interesting patterns when the ends are interwoven. This box 

is perfect for little samples of perfume, special candies, and 

other favors. 

The units fit 

together by sliding the 

bottom edge of one 

into the top edge of 

another. The triangle 

flaps weave together 

on the outside. 

You may build 

two halves and put 

them together, or you 

may add successive 

units until all four are 

in place. 

The 

Tall Box. 

Four-Dollar


reverse side up, 

upside down. Fold 



Fold the two 

long edges to meet 

at the center. 

Fold a portion of 

the bottom edge up, 

perpendicular to itself. 

Use the right edge of 

the letter "E" in the 

word "STATES" as a 

guide. 


I derived this design from a simple dollar bill boot that 

Michael and I learned from an Arizona cowboy, during a trip 

to teach origami at a Japanese Festival (Matsuri) in Phoenix. 

lf you leave a pair of these as a tip, you can also roll other 

singles, and insert them into each boot. Holiday versions 

can be hung on the tree as Santa's Elf's Boots. 

t 

Fotd the ansted 

right-side edge to 

match the vertical 

edge. 

Fold the 

bottom left edge to 

match the outermost 

edge on the right. 

Your bill should 

look like this. Unfold 

the last step. 

Fold the 

bottom left edge to 

match the crease you 

made in step five. 

Use the crease 

to fold the left side 

over. 

Fold in half.

trr 

I 

I 

I 

rhe shorter I 

half should be in front. 

Fold the top edge of 

the short half to match 

the left edge, forming 

a pointed end. 

l2 

Fordthetop 

half of the front layer 

to the left so that it 

passes between itself 

and the pointed layer 

behind. Look at step 

1 3 for the shape. 

,-O\ 

Tuck the Turn over. f5 openthe 

shoe at the top and 

push forward, forming 

a crimp at the front of 

the ankle. Separate 

the heel with a small 

dent at the bottom. 

Crimp the end of the 

toe up. 

point flap into the 

pocketed layer in 

front. This will form 

the heel. 

Haverhill 

Shoe. 

The 

High-Top 


When you fold the units, be aware that roughly half of the 

model will show, while the other half will be tucked inside 

an adjacent piece, and not show at all. Since the side that 

will be tucked in must be smaller, pay particular attention 

to stay within the edges and margins as you make the folds 

on the hidden end. 

You will need five crisp dollar bills.


obverse side up. Fold 

the short left-side 

edge up to the top 


Fold the left and 5 

Fold the left cor- 

ner in half, along the 

crease. 

the top edges to meet 

at the crease. 

Use the crease 

to collapse the bill into 

the shape shown in 

figure ten. Notice that 

a crirnp is made at the 

center, where the 

dashed mountain and 

valley lines occur. 

Unfold the 

front left flap. 

m Yourbitt 

should look like this. 

Fold the other bills 

so that you have five 

completed units to 

assemble. 

Mountain-fold 

the larger, right-side 

portion around the 

back. Use the vertical 

edge of paper of the 

top layer as a guide. 

Valley and 

Mountain-fold the 

lower triangular flap to 

make it fit within the 

area of the top flap. 


look like this. Unfold 

the last step. 

Fold in half by 

bringing the left corner 

over to the upper 

right corner. 

Open the paper 

so that it resembles 

figure nine. 

ffi 

Rotate one 

unit so that the open 

flap is at the bottom. 

lnsert the kite-shaped 

half of another unit 

into the pocket of the 

first unit. 

When the 

two units have been 

brought together, fold 

the free flap over the 

point to keep them 

together. 

Pointed, 

Star. 

The Five- 

Five-Dollar 

Your model 


Add the other units in 

the same way. As you 

assemble, be sure to 

collapse and pinch the 

"filled" points, holding 

them completely 

closed, until you connect 

the loose ends to 

close the star. You 

should fold each star 

point in half sharply to 

give the model a crisp 

appearance. Turn over.

Begin obverse 

side up. Fold in half, 

short edge to short 

edge. 

Fold the short 

edge of the top layer 

over to the right edge. 

Unfold. 

(A) Fold up the 

bottom folded edge 

so that the new crease 

is at the level of the 

bottom end of the 

crease formed in the 

last step. Unfold. (B) 

Open the bill. 

Designed by Michael G. LaFosse, 

first diagrammed in 1993 

Michae! LaFosse adapted his Butterfly for Alice Gray to the 

dollar bill in the late 1970s. It makes an excellent gift or tip 

that looks as elegant when folded from either side of the 

bill. The symmetry of the one dollar bill makes it particularly 

satisfying. 

Look carefully 

at the creases in the 

middle of the bill. 

Mountain-fold the 

outermost creases 

and move them to 

meet at the center 

crease. 

Fold in half. 

right 

Squash-fold the 

half . 

Use a single, crisp dollar bill that has the printing well-centered, 

with an even border. 

Your paper 


Turn over. 

Squash-fold. 

Fold the bottom 

corner up along the 

line between the white 

border and the printed 

edge. Unfold.

ffi 

time, squash-fold the 

upper left and right 

halves of the model. 

One side at a Mountain and Wing detail: 

Be sure that the squash 

is firmly made down to 

the crease line formed 

in the previous step. 

valley-fold along the 

indicated lines for 

each wing. The area of 

the bottom wings will 

roll over and upward 

as you do this. 

lnside-reverse fold the 

indicated corner make 

it appear rounded. 

Swivel the 

middle corner over to 

the crease line on the 

lower right wing. 

wing over to match 

the right. 

Fold the teft t 5 Fotd in the 

indicated corners of 

the lower wing to 

make it appear rounded. 

Narrow the underside 

of the body by 

folding the corners in. 

Designed by Richard L. Alexander, 2OO5 

By paying attention to the initial orientation, and making 

one slightly larger, two open cubes make an attractive box 

with a telescoping lid. 

Open the 

The Dollar 

Bill Butterfly.

o\ 

Begin with the reverse side 

facing up, upside down. Fold in 

half, long edge to long edge. 

Unfold. 

Fold the long edges to meet 

at the center. 

Repeat the crimps along the 

opposite edge of the bill. Rotate 

the paper, right side up. 

The narrowest of the five 

segments should be on the right 

(highlighted). Use the crimps and 

creases to close the box. Tuck the 

narrow segment into the box. 

With the words "THE UNITED Fold the right edge over, 

STATES OF AMERICA" at the bottom, 

fold the right edg6 up to the crease touches the bottom edge. 

beginning at the point where the 

top edge. Unfold. 

Fold over and over, dividing the bill 

into five segments. The first four 

segments will be squares, the last 

segment will be narrower. 

The Cube Box. 

Push in the top of a 

Cube Box to make an Open Cube. 

Unfold the bill completely. 

Study the creases carefully. 

Crimp the bottom set of creases to 

form overlapping square corners. 

Follow the crease at the red "A" 

to see how it is moved to meet the 

long horizontal crease line nearby. 

Do this to each segment. 

ne Open Cube can fit 

over another, making it a Cube Box 

with Lidl





Fold the long 

edges to meet at the 

middle. 

Turn over. 


This version of the funny face is a crowd pleaser (especially 

if your crowd is very young, and they are getting wise to the 

"l've got your nose!" trick). Use this talking monkey ring to 

practice your ventriloquism. (Hint: The farther you hold the 

ring from your mouth, the more successful your performance 

will be!) 

Mountain-fold 

along the open edge of 

the letter "E" in "ONE." 

Move the folded edge 

up to the level indicated 

by the red line in the 

drawing, just below the 

two eye-like scrolls. 

Form the band by 

tucking the bottom end 

into the top. 

Mountain-fold 

along the midline of the 

letter "O" in "ONE." 




drawing, just up to the 

horizontal line of the 

letter " E. " 

The Monkey Face Ring.

-o-\ 

,-c-\ 

To make best use of the color 

and to end up with eyes on your 

frog, begin with the obverse side 

up. Fold a short edge of the bill up 

to the top, long edge and unfold. 

Fold the same short edge down the 

bottom Iong edge. Unfold. Repeat 

with the other short edge of the 

bill. Turn over. 

Fold in the left and right edges 

by matching corners marked "A" to 

the crease ends at "B." Unfold and 

turn over. 

Designed by Michael G. LaFosse and Richard L. 

Alexander, 2OO5 

This version of the jumping frog is one that Michael and l 

worked out together. We wanted to make a simple frog that 

jumped well, and still sported a pair of distinctive eyes. You 

can continue to refine the shape, folding more details into 

this design to make exquisite renditions that perform better 

than the currency from which it's folded. 

Using the installed creases 

collapse each end of the bill into 

triangle shapes. 

t 

Z-O\ 

Your bill should look like this. 

Turn over. 

,-O-\ 

With the bill positioned 

as shown, fold 

the bottom point up at 

the level of the lower 

left and right corners. 


look like this. Turn 

over. 

Fold the top 

right corner flap over 

to the left.

Fold the right 

edge in to the center. 

Return the top 

flap to the right. 

1 Repeat 

stepsTthrough9on 

the left. 

fold 

ht 

of 

Fold the 

bottom edge up to 

the level indicated 


drawing. 

Georde 

Napkin 

/-C\ 

Fold the indicated 

edge downward, 

but not all the way to 

the bottom edge. Leave 

a small distance between 

these edges. 

Turn over. 

The Jumping 

Frog, with eyes! Press 

on the rump with your 

finger to make him 

jump! 


Use clean new bills to form these easy, secure, napkin rings. 

Place George's face toward your guest's. You'll find many 

other uses for this useful, yet simple fold.

To ensure that George's face 

appears on the outside of the ring, 

begin with the reverse side up. 

Fold the short right edge up to the 

top edge. Fold the left short edge 

down to the bottom edge. 

Notice the green rectangle in 

the middle of the paper. Fold the 

short, bottom edge of this rectangle 

up to match the left-side long 

edge of the green rectangle. 

Your bill should look like this. 

Fold the long left edge of the paper 

over to match the right long edge. 

,-O\ 

You will have a long, narrow 

strip like this. Bend the lower end 

up toward the opposite end. 


Your business card will stand out on the next banquet table 

at a fundraiser, mixer, or networking event with this simple 

holder folded from a single dollar bill. Combinations of this 

clever fold can be stacked when offset 90 degrees to make 

distinctive, ornamental holders for a variety of favors, such 

as coin or candy holders. 

Tuck the narrower corner into 

the layers of the wider end. Turn 

over to see George's face. 

The George Napkin Ring.


up. Fold in half, edge to edge, each 

of both ways. Unfold after each. 

Fold each of the four corners 

in, matching the short edges to the 

long center crease. 

Fold each of the four folded 

edges to meet at the long center 

Notice the square diamond 

outlined in the center of the bill. 

Valley-fold along each of the four 

edges of the outline. Valley-fold the 

left and right long corners in half 

and form the bill into a diamondshaped 

dish. 

Designed by Michae! G. LaFossG, 1977 

This simple glider by Michael LaFosse is easy to remember 

and fun to fly, that is, if you're comfortable throwing money 

around! There are more detailed planes you can fold from 

money, but this mode! has an interesting shape, and good 

flight characteristics. 

The Business 

Holder. 

For best results, use a crisp bill, and sharpen your creases 

with the back of a spoon.

Begin with either side of the 

bill facing up. Fold the short, right 

side up to the top edge. Unfold. 

Fold the bottom edge up 

to the top edge. 

Fold the left half 

of the squashed flap 

over to the right. 

left half of the model. 

left folded edge the 

center crease. Repeat 

behind. 

side 

end 

Fold a portion of the right 

over to the left. Use the top 

of the crease line as a guide. 

Fold the bottom, folded edge 

of the front flap up to match the 

right edge of the paper. 

10 Rearranse I Fordthetop 12 Fordthe 

tho flaps so that both 

of the shorter ones 

are in the front and 

the longer ones are 

behind. 

edge of the front flap 

down to the level 

indicated by the red 

line in the drawing. 

indicated flap down, 

forming the "Canard" 

or front wings. 

Replace the layer to the 

bottom. 

Squash-fold the top flaP. 

15 Fordinharr, I eFordthe 

lengthwise. 

wing sets down on 

each side of the body 

(fuselage). Set the 

wings out to the side 

to prepare for flight! 

The Paper 

Airplane.

Bill "A" begins 


in half each of both 

ways, unfolding after 

each. 

Fold the top and 

bottom long edges to 

meet at the center of 

the bill. 

Bill "A" will look 

like this. 

Based upon a design popularized by Florence 

Temko 


Alexander, 2006 

This handy box is derived from the popular, simple, twopiece 

design normally folded from rectangular pieces of 

magazine pages, and so is often known as the "Magazine 

Box." Dollar bills make excellent boxes for giving precious 

keepsakes. 

You will need two crisp dollar bills. I have Iabeled the bills A 

(bottom) and B (lid). 

Bill "B" begins 

reverse side up. Fold 



Place bill "A" 

over the center of bill 

"B." Fold the long 

edges of bill "8" over 

the long edges of bill 

U 

4," 

Notice the gap 

between the long 

edges of bill "8." 

Unfold both bills. 

Fold the short edges of bill "A" 

to meet at the vertical center crease. 

Place folded bill "A" over the center 

of bill "B." Fold the short edges of 

bill "B" over to cover bill "A."

Slide bill "A" 

out to separate the 

two. Leave both folded. 

Perform steps 9 

through 13 on both 

bills "A" and "B." 

Fold each of the 

four corners in to 

nearest crease. 

X 

Fotd the 

innermost edges 

outward to match the 

vertical edges of the 

folded triangles. 

Based upon a design by Michael G. LaFosse, 

2003 

indicated 

over. 

Fold the 

corners 

Fold the 

innermost edges over 

to hold the folded 

triangles in place. 

t ; open the 

box by lifting the 

short sides up and 

folding the long sides 

in. Pinch the corners 

square. Box "B" 

should fit neatly over 

box "A." 


Alexander, 2006 

Mlchael developed this party favor from four squares several 

yearr 690, for an Origami Puzzles book for kids, but this 

adaptatlon, folded from three dollar bills, makes kids' eyes 

light up even before they discover candy inside. 

You will need three crisp dollar bills. 

Rectangular Box 

with Lid.

Begin with the obverse side up in the orientation 

shown. Fold in half by matching the bottom 

left and the top right corners of the bill. lt is 

important that you use these same two corners 

each time for each of the three bills. Otherwise, 

you will not be able to assemble the project. 

Fold the other bills in the 

same manner so that you will have 

three units ready to assemble. 

Notice the two "Blank" edges 

and the two "Fan" edges. The Fan 

edges of one unit will overlap the 

Blank edges of another. 

Contrasting, solid colored 

papers are used here for the assembly 

demonstration. Hold two of the 

folded units together so that the 

fan-folded edges are overlapping 

the blank edges and are displayed 

on the outside of the model. 

z-C\ 

Fold the left 

corner of the back 

layer over the front. 

Fan-fold the 

right edge of the 

front flap. 

Your bill will 


over. 

I O 

Turn the construction over in your hand so that it resembles a 

boat hull, Hold carefully to keep the two pieces together. You may add 

gmall ltemc lnto the favor at this stage. lnsert the third piece to close the 

box. Be cure that all of the fan-folded edges show outside of the box. 

Fold the left 



right 

flap. 

Fan-fold the 

edge of the front 

Open the bill. 

The Lightning Bolt Favor.





Fold the top 

and bottom right-side 

corners to the crease. 

Fold the square 

corner of each triangle 

to touch the middle of 

its opposite edge. 

Designed by Michael G. LaFosse, 2OO2 

One of the twelve characters in the Chinese zodiac is the 

dragon. Michael LaFosse designed this cute little dollar bill 

baby dragon for the Origami Activities book by Tuttle. Too 

small to be scary, they look great on greeting cards, place 

cards, and can make a distinctive tip without a great investment 

in time or money. 

l; 

t, rii 

Fold the tip of 

the right corner over 

for a nose. 



over, top to bottom. 

Fold the top 

and bottom corners 

of the left edge to 

the crease. 

, Fold the long 


middle. 

Fold the left 

edges in to meet at 

the middle, making 

the corner narrow. 

Fold in half, 

lengthwise.

lnside-reverse fold 

the entire length of paper 

behind the head. 

11 Usins a series 

of inside-reverse folds, 

form an undulating 

body and tail. 


This centerpiece decoration is a fun way to give a bunch of 

bills. The cone is structurally rigid, and sports several layers 

and slits for inserting name cards, other bills (folded or not), 

etc. 

Brins up the Fold up the lt You may 

two triangle flaps for 

horns. 

bottom edges of the 

jaw-line for whiskers. 

adjust the angle of 

the head and form 

other details, such 

as sharper horns. 

You will need six do!!ar bills for this project. New, crisp bills 

stay together nicely, and the tips can be curled to form wild, 

funky, almost otherworldly plant blossoms. 

Serpent. 

The Chinese Dragon / Sea

Begin with the reverse 

side up, with the dollar 

oriented as shown in the 

illustration. Fold in half by 

matching the bottom left 

and the top right corners of 

the bill. lt is important that 

you use these same two 

corners each time for each 

of the six bills. Otherwise, 

you will not be able to 

assemble the project. 

Fold the left 



Pull open the 

bft and right flaps. 

IO Fordthe 

other five bills so that 

you have a total of six 

folded units ready for 

assembly. Open one 

unit and orient it vertically. 

11 Ptace another 

unit over the upper half 

of the first. Be sure that 

the proper ceases are 

aligned before you close 

the bottom layer of the 

first unit over the new 

unit. 

Fold the right 

edge of the front flap 

to match the left, 

folded edge. 

,-C\ 

Fold the indicated 

right edge to match 

the left side of the 

model. 

Fold the left 

edge of the top layer 

to match the right 

edge of the model. 

Notice the 

layer marked with an "X" 

in the diagram. Cover 

this corner area with 

layer "A" by swapping 

them in place. Look at 

flgure 13 for the result. 

Layer "A" 

covers the corner area 

marked "X." Add new 

units, one at a time, in 

the same manner until 

all six bills are in place. 

Form a 

closed umbrella shape 

by joining the ends at 

the gap. Look ahead 

at figure 15. The 

model will be tall and 

conical. This is the 

closed thistle. 


over. 

Open and vtew 

the front again. 

Gently 

pull out the indicated 

layers one 

at a time to make 

the thistle bloom. 

Thistle.


reverse side up, 

upslde down. Fold 

in half, short edge to 

short edge. Unfold. 

2 Fotd the teft and 5 Fotd the top 

right halves of the botup 

to the 

:il::'" 

remnant edges down, 

flush with the edge 

behind. 

Turn over. Fold up the bot- Turn over. 

tom edge. Use the rectangle 

at the back as a 

guide. 

Based upon a design by Ethan Plaut, 1998 


A taller step pyramid from three squares, developed by 

Ethan Plaut, inspired this three-piece, modular construction. 

The resulting equilatera! triangles can be joined with others 

to make interesting tetrahedra, pyramids, and other more 

complex polygons. 

You will need three crisp dollar bills for this project. 

Fold up. 

Turn over.

Fold the top edge down to 

the level of the top edge of the 

rectangle, behind. The red line 

indicates the correct level in the 

drawing. 

Unfold completely. 

Study the creases carefully. 

Mountain and valley fold, as 

indicated in the drawing, to form 

a fan-pleated unit. Some of the 

creases will need to be reversed. 

. This is a finished unit. 

Notice that it has been adjusted 

to approximate one third of an 

equilateral triangle. Fold the 

remaining bills so that you will have 

three units ready to assemble. 


The three units must be 

woven together to complete the 

puzzle. Notice that the left half of 

each unit will overlap the right half 

of another. 

Pyramid. 

The Three-Dollar Step 

This shape is familiar to thousands of students of our popular 

Classic Cardinal DVD. The flat origami multi-piece rings 

designed by Mette Peterson formed the inspiration for a 

three-dimensional "water wheel" experiment by Paulo 

Basceta, carried to extremes by Michael LaFosse, Satoshi 

Kamiya, and Christine Clement at the Origamido Studio. 

You will need eight crisp dollar bills for this project.

--\- 

,,.O\ 


up. Fold the bottom edge up to 

George Washington's mouth. 

Turn over. 

Fold in the top corners of 

thc back layer as far as they will 

go. Look at figure seven for the 

shape. 

Mountain-fold the left and 

right sides to stand perpendicular 

to the rectangular area that 

displays George's face. 

,,-O\ 

Fold the bottom, folded edge 4 

up to the filigree design above the 

word "ONE." 

Turn over. 

This is a finished unit. Fold 

the other bills so that you have 

eight units ready to assemble. 

Units are joined by inserting 

the rectangular tabs on one piece 

into the pockets of another. 

Fold the indicated portions 

the bottom edge up so that each 

frames the word "STATES." 

of 

t 

Two units joined. Eight 

units form a nice wheel. You may 

use as many as ten units.

,t1l 

,iT 





Fold the long 


middle. 

Turn over. 


This face jumped out at me from the symmetry of the 

letters when I held the bill sideways. There are many 

permutations and combinations, and even an action 

version that appears to talk! These funny faces liven up 

mundane items, such as pencil erasers. Slip its mouth 

under the rubber band whenever you give something 

rolled. 

,, Mountain-fold 

along the open edge 

of the letter "E" in 

"ONE." Move the 

loleled edge up to the 

Iovol indicated by the 

red line in the drawing, 

just below the two 

eye-like scrolls. 

along the midline of 

the letter "O" in "ONE." 



by the red line in 

the drawing, just up to 

the horizontal line of 

the letter "E." 

':. . l:il I 

';,-..:il Unfo d 

comp etely. 

,'i1: -.5.,,r.

Re-fold along the 

horizontal creases. 

Re-fold along 

the vertical creases. 

Fold up the 

bottom edge to the 

bottom of the "smile." 

Fold the two top 

corners down to form 

a single point at the 

top of the head. 

Fold the tip 

of the head point to 

the back. Fold the two 

free corners of Bill's 

shirt down to form 

the collar. 

Fold up the 

two free corners at 

the top of the head 

(optional). Try different 

"hair styles!" 

Green! 

Meet Mr. Bill

Money Origami, by Michael LaFosse and Richard Alexander

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