Everybody likes a big roll of bills in their pocket, but, really, who actually carries that kind of cash around with them?

This is a neat way of getting that big-roll feel, whilst preventing Crumpled Bill Syndrome, curse of the cash-short Maker.

Step 1: Materials:

> A length of dowel, slightly longer than the width of a typical bill. Any dowel will do, or maybe a sawn-off pen or a piece of plastic conduit.

> A rectangular piece of fabric. The exact dimensions depend on the fabric and your dowel. It should be as long as a typical bill, plus about half an inch, plus three times the diameter of the dowel. If you are using a fray-proof fabric, such as felt or tyvec, then the rectangle should be as tall as the length of the dowel. If the fabric is woven, and prone to unravelling, then add half an inch to the width for hems.

> Glue to match your materials. PVA will glue most fabrics to wood.

> About an inch of elastic (colour to suit your fabric if possible).

Step 2: Hems

If your fabric requires hems, you need to make three.

Fold one narrow edge over by about half an inch and glue it down.

Fold both long edges over by about quarter of an inch and glue them down.

Leave your fabric under something flat and heavy until the glue is dry.

Step 3: Onto the Roll

Glue all over the dowel, and roll the fabric tightly around it at the end without a hem, just far enough to cover the dowel.

Leave it to dry, possibly wrapped in lots of rubber bands to keep it in place.

Step 4: OK, So I Lied About the Sewing

If you can think of a no-sew version of this step, feel free. Be warned, though, that staples can tear your cash.

Make a loop of the elastic, and sew it to the outside of the fabric, at the end away from the dowel, in the middle of the hem.

Bill-roll complete!

Lay your precious cash on the fabric, roll it up from the dowel end, and then loop the elatic over to keep everything together.

Shove it in your pocket, and watch your friends turn green with envy at the size of your roll...