Everything seems to have a surprise inside, so I thought I would try my hand at a surprise inside ornament.  Our annual holiday office party includes an ornament exchange.  This year I thought I would try something different.  I took an amaryllis bulb and a surprise inside ornament.

The amaryllis bulb went over like a lead balloon, but the ornament was a hit!

The surprise inside this ornament was cash, specifically a bill of unknown denomination.  I mixed it with some green shred and a red bow, and it was good to go!

To make a surprise inside ornament you will need:

Clear plastic ornaments. I purchased the ones I have at Walmart for $.88 each.  They need to have a pretty wide mouth.

Shredded paper.  Green, red and/or white would be perfect.

Holiday ribbon.

To make this simple little craft start by taking the cap off the ornament.  Fill the ornament with some shredded paper.

Roll your bill.  The roll needs to be tight.  If you want the amount of money to be a surprise, then roll from both short ends to make a scroll.  Then tie it together with a small ribbon.  I tied a knot, then a bow.  Leave one tail of the ribbon very long so that it can hang out under the cap.  This allows the recipient to easily remove the money from the ornament.

Carefully add your money scroll to the ornament.  I keep the long tail in place with my left thumb as I slowly lower the money into the ornament.

Add a bit more shred, if needed.  The color of the shredded paper makes it pretty, but you also want the cushion of the shred to hold the money in place.

Now put the cap back on, keep the tail out.  I tied a ribbon around the cap, just to add more red to the ornament.

Another option would be to let the money dangle suspended in the ornament from the long tail.  I think that would look nice as well.

Wouldn’t this be a fun way to decorate a money tree?  Or something fun for the grandkids at Christmas.  Sort of like an Easter egg hunt; let them each choose an ornament.  Some receive $1, some $5, some $10 and the big winner could receive a $20!  This would even be a fun game at a school carnival!

There you have it folks!  A surprise inside ornament!