Bi-fold Wallet Tutorial & Pattern ~ DIY Tutorial Ideas!

This is a very beginner friendly wallet tutorial and can be easily made on a domestic sewing machine but you would need a walking foot for this project.

This handy patchwork wallet features lots of slots for holding credit cards, as well as a zippered section for holding cash. The wallet folds over and closes with a magnetic snap to ensure that the contents don’t fall out.

What you'll need:

    1 outer fabric cover rectangle = 22 cm (w) x 20cm (h)
    5 patchwork scraps for outer fabric – total = 5cm (w) x 20cm (h)
    1 inner fabric rectangle = 22 cm (w) x 20cm (h)
    2 interfacing rectangles = 2 x 22 cm (w) x 20cm (h)

    2 x fabric for foldable card storage = 2 x 20cm (w) x 51.5cm (h)
    8 interfacing rectangles for foldable card storage = 8 x 20cm (w) x 6cm (h)

    1 zip pocket fabric = 20cm (w) x 11cm (h)
    1 zip pocket interfacing = 20cm (w) x 10cm (h)

    1 zipper = 7 inch/ 17 cm
    1 magnetic snap

PATCHWORK STRIP

    Cut 5 – 6 scraps of co-ordinating fabric to form a 5cm (w) x 20cm (h) strip.

Sew the edges of the fabric together to form the strip.

The patchwork strip should look like this once all the pieces are sewn together:

OUTER FABRIC COVER

Refer to the picture below

Iron the fabric in half (along the green line)
Cut out a 1 cm strip out of the rectangle; 3.5cm from the right edge.(red rectangle)

Now, fold and iron a 1cm ‘seam allowance’ from the cut edges of the outer fabric rectangle. (refer to diagram)

PATCHWORK

Pin the patchwork fabric to ironed edges of the outer rectangle fabric (refer to diagram) and TOPSTITCH both sides.

    The patchwork strip should now measure 3cm.

     Now iron on one rectangle of interfacing to the wrong side of the outer cover fabric.

INNER FABRIC

    Iron a rectangle of interfacing to the wrong side of the inner fabric.

FOLDABLE CARD SLOT FABRIC

Cut out the 2 foldable card slot rectangles.

Refer to diagram. Fold and iron along the lines to create ‘pockets’ for your cards. It has been bought to my attention that I have posted an incorrect picture for the credit card slots folding!

VERY VERY SORRY. This was my first tutorial and I haven't need to make a wallet since so have not double checked - but will add it to my to do list. The new measurements are 9cm-6cm-5cm-6cm-5cm-6cm-5cm-9cm = 51cm total not 51.5cm.

It should look like the diagram.

OR

Alternatively if you are lazy like me, and do not like/ are not very good at measure straight lines try this version:

Place two cards on the foldable card slot fabric.

Measure 9cm from the top and fold under the cards.
Now grab the fabric below the cards and fold the fabric up until it covers most of the cards.

Now pull the cards out and iron.
    Repeat until you have four rows of card slots.
    Make sure there is 9cm left at the bottom.

    Repeat so that you have two of these.

INTERFACING

    Grab the interfacing for the card slot fabric.
    Slip one piece in between the different card slots (refer to diagram).

Once all the interfacing is ironed on it should look like this at the back.

Now flip the card slot fabrics so they resemble card slots and topstitch across the top of each slot.

Once topstitched it should look like the picture below.

Attach magnetic snaps on each side of the card slot fabric.
Now sew a straight line down the middle of the card slot fabric and down both of the edges (as close to the raw edge as possible as this is just to hold everything in place). Repeat for the other card slot fabric.

ZIPPER POCKET

Grab the zipper pocket fabric. Iron down a 1cm ‘seam line’ from the top edge (long edge).

Flip fabric so the wrong side is facing up. Iron on interfacing (over the folded over ‘hemline’)

Grab the zipper and pin one edge to zipper pocket fabric and the other side of the zipper to one of the card slots fabric.

Now sew along both sides.

Keep zipper closed and iron most of the way up – leaving about 3cm from the end.

Lift up the sewing machine foot and unzip the zip and then continue sewing. (if you were to continue sewing with the zipper closed the foot would get in the way and your sewing machine would make a a horrible crushing gurgling noise that's some kind of awful, and the needle will bend. It will ruin your life - not really but from experience - 3 bent needles (just from zippers) and lots of unpicking - it's easier to lift up the sewing foot - promise)

Now repeat for the other side.

PIN IT ALL TOGETHER

Place the two card slot on top of the inner fabric rectangle. Baste around the card slots onto the inner fabric along 3 sides – as close to the raw edge as possible. This now forms part A.

Grab part A and the outer wallet cover, place the good sides together. Again baste the same 3 sides as before. Making sure to sew inside the previous basting line (so it does not show up when the wallet is turned out)

Turn the wallet out and make sure there are no holes or visible seams.
Now turn it in on itself again and trim all the raw edges to reduce bulk.
Turn it out and press it realllllllly hard to make it 'sit' nicely.