How to Make a Dollar Bill Bow Tie
Fold the bill in half., Fold the dollar bill in half widthwise., Open the bill up and make triangle folds., Flip over the bill and make triangular folds on the other side., Invert the folds to make a pentagon., Fold the bottom half of the pentagon...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Fold the bill in half.
To begin making this classic, somewhat chunky dollar bill bow tie, place an unfolded dollar bill on a flat surface.
Then fold the bill in half lengthwise so that the two shortest sides meet up together. -
Step 2: Fold the dollar bill in half widthwise.
After the first fold, make another fold, this time folding widthwise or “hot dog style,” so that the longest sides of the dollar bill meet up together. , Open up the fold that you just made, keeping the first fold intact.
You should see a section of the bill sticking up that looks almost like a pocket.
Stick your finger in this “pocket” and push the sides over to flatten it, then use a finger to push the tip of the crease (located near George Washington’s face) to fold the crease inward.
Doing this should make a triangular fold downward. , Once you have made the triangular folds on one side of the dollar bill, flip the dollar bill over.
Then repeat the process of pushing the “pocket” flat and making the triangular fold, just on the side of the bill. , After you make the triangular folds on each side of the bill, flip the top fold over so that instead of seeing the complex fold pattern in the bill, you see a smooth portion of the bill shaped like a pentagon with a crease running down the middle.
Flip the bill over and do the same on the other side.
The pentagon should have the face of George Washington at the top point. , Once you have formed the pentagon, fold up the bottom half of the pentagon so that it touches the very tip of the pentagon.
Then flip the bill over and repeat the same thing on the other side. , The bill should now look rectangular, with the corners of the bill at one side of the rectangle.
Take one of the opposite corners (not a corner at the edge of the bill) and fold it over in a triangle shape.
Do the same for the corner of the same end of the bill, making sure that the triangular folds are the same size and don’t touch at the center. , Take the folded bill and flip it 90 degrees so you are looking at the edge of the folded bill rather than at its face.
You will see a central fold in the bill, with the very corners of the bill (with the $1 sign) visible.
Hold each corner flap with your fingers and pull the folds slowly apart. , You should see that the bowtie is almost made, but the central “tie” of the bowtie is still folded in on itself.
To open it, hold the bowtie on both sides right next to the folded center of the bowtie, then gently pull.
The folds should expand, then open to reveal the face of George Washington right on the center of the bowtie! Push on the center if it is not flattening. -
Step 3: Open the bill up and make triangle folds.
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Step 4: Flip over the bill and make triangular folds on the other side.
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Step 5: Invert the folds to make a pentagon.
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Step 6: Fold the bottom half of the pentagon up.
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Step 7: Fold the inside edges of the bill into a triangle.
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Step 8: Open up the dollar bill.
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Step 9: Pull the center of the bowtie open and flat.
Detailed Guide
To begin making this classic, somewhat chunky dollar bill bow tie, place an unfolded dollar bill on a flat surface.
Then fold the bill in half lengthwise so that the two shortest sides meet up together.
After the first fold, make another fold, this time folding widthwise or “hot dog style,” so that the longest sides of the dollar bill meet up together. , Open up the fold that you just made, keeping the first fold intact.
You should see a section of the bill sticking up that looks almost like a pocket.
Stick your finger in this “pocket” and push the sides over to flatten it, then use a finger to push the tip of the crease (located near George Washington’s face) to fold the crease inward.
Doing this should make a triangular fold downward. , Once you have made the triangular folds on one side of the dollar bill, flip the dollar bill over.
Then repeat the process of pushing the “pocket” flat and making the triangular fold, just on the side of the bill. , After you make the triangular folds on each side of the bill, flip the top fold over so that instead of seeing the complex fold pattern in the bill, you see a smooth portion of the bill shaped like a pentagon with a crease running down the middle.
Flip the bill over and do the same on the other side.
The pentagon should have the face of George Washington at the top point. , Once you have formed the pentagon, fold up the bottom half of the pentagon so that it touches the very tip of the pentagon.
Then flip the bill over and repeat the same thing on the other side. , The bill should now look rectangular, with the corners of the bill at one side of the rectangle.
Take one of the opposite corners (not a corner at the edge of the bill) and fold it over in a triangle shape.
Do the same for the corner of the same end of the bill, making sure that the triangular folds are the same size and don’t touch at the center. , Take the folded bill and flip it 90 degrees so you are looking at the edge of the folded bill rather than at its face.
You will see a central fold in the bill, with the very corners of the bill (with the $1 sign) visible.
Hold each corner flap with your fingers and pull the folds slowly apart. , You should see that the bowtie is almost made, but the central “tie” of the bowtie is still folded in on itself.
To open it, hold the bowtie on both sides right next to the folded center of the bowtie, then gently pull.
The folds should expand, then open to reveal the face of George Washington right on the center of the bowtie! Push on the center if it is not flattening.
About the Author
Kathleen Kim
Experienced content creator specializing in practical skills guides and tutorials.
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