Another Way to Give Money: Hide it in a Pop-Top Can

Today is my nephew Timothy's 14th birthday. Like most teenagers, all he really wants is money. I get great pleasure out of messing with him, which is why I gave him a "knitting kit" last Christmas that was actually hiding money. I couldn't have been happier with his reaction. It was awesome.

We celebrated his birthday on Saturday during the Pumpkin Party, so I was able to give him his gift then. 

He loves pineapple, but there was definitely some confusion on his face when I handed this to him. He obviously didn't believe that our family would be giving him a single $1.25 can of crushed pineapple for his birthday. He clearly didn't trust me (and my gleeful cackling didn't help). He cautiously pulled the tab on the top of the can, pointing it at me just in case. 

Inside were coins, pieces of candy, and rolled up bills. He was completely impressed and spent quite some time looking carefully at the can to figure out how I got the items inside a seemingly-intact can.

To make your own, start by removing the BOTTOM of a pop-top can, using a safe-cut can opener (ours is by Chefmate).

Carefully pour the food into a different container. Rinse the empty can thoroughly, making sure not to saturate the label. I intentionally chose pineapple both because Timothy loves it and because it would come out of the can cleanly (unlike condensed soup, for example, that could get caught in the ridges of the can). 

When the can is clean, let it dry thoroughly. Roll up dollar bills and insert them vertically into the can. Add candies, such as Smarties and Tootsie Rolls, that will also fit vertically. Add handfuls of coins to fill in all the spaces. If you pack it tight enough, the coins won't rattle around and give away the secret of what's hidden inside too soon.

Use a strong craft glue to reattach the bottom of the can. I used Martha Stewart Glittering Glue, which worked perfectly. Let the glue dry overnight. Gently turn the can right-side-up and add a gift bow to the top. Then give your gift to someone special and do some gleeful cackling of your own.