Clara has recently developed a fascination with money—not so much spending it, but counting it, stacking it, and tucking it into pockets and purses. I’ve been giving her quarters and small coins for play (she’s thankfully past the stage of putting things in her mouth), but they keep disappearing. So I have to ask: is there a vortex in our house that eats socks and loose change? Or is the dog secretly stashing coins to buy a jar of peanut butter? It’s a small household mystery.
Instead of being out fifteen dollars every few weeks, I decided to try a DIY substitute. Full disclosure: I mostly wanted an excuse to play with metallic markers.
I figured lightweight pretend coins wouldn’t roll under the sofa or sink into couch cushions as easily as real change (those seem to be the most likely hiding places). Clara also loves her play kitchen and dollhouse, so I thought play money would fit right into her imaginative games. With that in mind, I went to the craft store and picked up small wooden pog-style rounds—remember Pogs?
I grabbed two smaller sets (about nickel/dime size) and one larger set of quarter-sized discs. Each small bag was about a dollar, and the larger set contained 22 discs. I used metallic permanent markers I already had (one bronze for pennies and one silver for other coins), but those are easy to find at any craft store. After my coupon, I spent roughly $4.50 total—about $2.25 per set, with roughly 18 discs in each pack—so it was an inexpensive project.
Creating the coins was simple. I sketched designs on each wooden disc: pennies with “1¢” in the center and little rim lines, nickels marked “5¢” with a solid silver band around the edge, quarters labeled “25¢” with more rim detailing, and silver dollars with “$1” and a thick edge band. Quick, easy, and clearly readable for little hands.
We packaged some of the coins as a homemade birthday gift for a friend, along with a few store-bought items. I also included a small orange case for storing the play money. Later we heard back that he liked the gift, which was a fun win.
The whole project took about an hour and honestly felt more fun than it probably should have—metallic markers are admittedly entertaining. Clara has enjoyed playing with the coins, and we only misplaced one nickel (which we eventually found), so the fake money is doing its job: less weight, less disappearing into the couch abyss.
Are you feeling crafty lately? Do loose coins and socks vanish in your home too, or do you have mysterious change-hungry creatures who ignore wooden money? We’re convinced something magical is happening around here.