How to Make a Wallet

A wallet is an item that is essential for almost everyone in their daily life. It renders a space for carrying around money and other important valuables safely. The main advantages of making this item yourself are, firstly, you can design the look and pockets of the wallet according to your requirements; and secondly, it will save money. Paper wallets are the most common and inexpensive of all wallets. Better than paper wallets are duct tape wallets that are equally cost-effective, but more durable than paper wallets.

Making a Paper Wallet

1. For this, use good quality chart paper or cardboard paper (not very thick; easily foldable) that is durable. You can stick two chart papers one above the other to make them thick enough, as well as strong to hold heavy coins.
2. Now, based on the size you want your wallet to be, cut the chart paper such that when you fold it into half, it becomes your final size. If you are not sure about the size, you can place a bill over the chart paper, mark and cut along its edges by keeping a half-inch margin.
3. Fold the chart paper into half, length-wise and crease it along the folds.
4. Open the folded paper. Cut a one centimeter edge off the lower fold at the crease, breadth-wise and cut that entire length, such that when the paper is folded again, the edges of the upper fold can be folded over the edges of the lower fold.
5. Seal the side edges of the upper fold over the side edges of the lower fold with a strong glue. Only one side of the wallet will be open now.
6. If you want to add a flap, so that you can fold it over after keeping your bills inside, then cut a one-inch wide paper of the length of the wallet, and stick it to the outer flap from inside.
7. Fold the wallet breadth-wise and make a crease.
8. Now, you will need to make pockets to hold the credit cards and driver's license. You can make pockets on both sides or just one side. Cut a piece of chart paper that is a little less than half the length of the wallet and one centimeter less than the breadth of the wallet. Glue this piece on one side of the wallet to hold one card. You can attach one more piece, that is of the same length as the previous one, and one centimeter shorter than the previous pocket.
9. To make a pocket for coins, follow the previous step; at the end make a flap over the pocket and attach a press button.
10. You can also have a photo frame or mirror frame on the other side. Cut a piece of chart paper with length little less than half the length of the wallet. Draw a one centimeter margin along the edges of this piece and cut along the lines. Remove the central part, so that a frame is formed. Now, glue this frame along three sides, on one side of the wallet. Leave one side unglued to insert a photo or a mirror.

Making a Duct Tape Wallet

1. After deciding on the size of the wallet, cut 4 - 5 same length duct tape pieces, and stick them along the edges such that they form a large square piece of duct tape. Make another piece like that and stick it over the previous piece with the sticky sides facing each other.
2. Now, fold the entire piece in half and stick the sides with suitable sized duct tape pieces, so that three sides appear sealed. The unstuck side is from where you can place your bills in the wallet.
3. To make the pockets, cut a duct tape piece that measures a little less than half the length of the wallet. Then, cut another piece of duct tape that is shorter (length-wise) than the previous piece, and cut half centimeter along its lower edge. Paste this piece over the previous piece such that the previous piece still has the sticky side exposed along the edges of three sides.
4. Paste this combined piece on any one side of the wallet. It will result in a credit card pocket. You can make more of such pockets in a layer pattern to keep more cards.
5. To make a coin pocket, follow the previous step as it is, however, keep this pocket a little slack.
6. To make a flap over this pocket, cut a piece of duct tape into half, length-wise. Make one of the pieces a little smaller breadth-wise and paste it over the other. The part of the duct tape that is exposed, is glued on the wallet, over the pocket.

Since duct tapes and chart papers are available in various colors, you can choose any color for your wallet. Having wallets of different designs to match your entire wardrobe is possible, since making these wallets is an inexpensive process. Also, for making paper wallets you can use printed papers which is even more attractive.