Project Handmade Christmas Presents: Child's Wallet

At Christmas time I like to make a handful of gifts. Nothing too major.

One year I thought, "Hey why don't I make all the gifts!"

Hahahaha...that idea was quickly put to rest. There is absolutely no way that is going to happen ever. However, I realized I could simply pick a couple of people to make presents for.

Last year I shared a couple of handmade Christmas present ideas with you in my Project Handmade Christmas Presents.

I had so much fun last year that I decided to give it another go this year.

So welcome to the tutorial for the first Handmade Christmas Present of 2012.

A handmade child's wallet.

My Little Men love wallets...well let's face it they love what is inside the wallet.

They love having a place to put their own small amount of cash. They also love having a place to slip a gift card, or even a pretend credit card. Middle even likes slipping in a business card or two. Yeah he is legit like that.

In our family we do a cousins gift exchange every year. Two of the cousins we need to get a gift for are two cute little boys 4 and 2. I thought that making them a wallet all their own and then loading it with ones would be fun gift.

The wallets came together quickly (that is after I worked out the kinks and turned on my brain). I was able to make the wallets out of fabric scraps. I didn't have to go to the fabric store for a single thing...for which Hubby is grateful. I am lethal at the fabric store.

I really like how they turned out and I am excited to stuff them with cash and send them to these adorable boys.

Do you have a tiny money bags in your life?

I am pretty sure they would like a wallet all their own.

Here is a quick and easy how-to for this little wallet.

You will need:

2 pieces for outside and inside (can be same or different patterns), measuring 7 1/2" by 4 1/2".
1 piece of stabilizer, measuring 7 1/2" by 4 1/2" (I used a piece of white felt)
1 piece for long inside pocket, measuring 7 1/2" by 3 3/4"
2 pieces for small inside pockets, measuring, 3 3/4" by 2 3/4"
fabric strip for inside biased tape, measuring 2" by 15"
fabric strip for outside biased tape, measuring 2" by 26"
velcro, cut into 2" strip
thread

I used two different fabrics for this wallet.

The inside pocket matched the yellow for the inside. Then I used a coordinating print for the little inside pockets.

I used the yellow for the biased tape for the outside of the wallet and the print for the inside pockets.

To start, make your biased tape (or you can always just buy biased tape).

For the inside pockets you will need two strips measuring 3 3/4" and one measuring 7 1/2".

Pin the smaller strips to an outside edge of each smaller pocket.

Sew them in place.

I did this next step out of order on the pirate wallet so I am showing you with the batman wallet.

Face the pockets with biased edges by each other. Place and sew in the velcro 1" in from the raw edge.

Pretend that you see velcro from now on...

Pin the small pockets to the longer pocket. Base stitch the smaller pockets to the longer pockets by sewing with a long length along the top and bottom raw edge.

Next take the longer biased tape and pin in place along one of the raw edges.

Sew in place with a normal stitch length.

Then pin the completed pocket piece to the inside fabric piece. Base stitch the two pieces together.

Now you are going to layer the pieces together. Place the outside piece print side down, making sure the top of the print is at the top.

Layer the stabilizer piece on top of the upside down print piece. Then layer the inside pocket piece, right side up, on top of the stabilizer.

Baste everything together on the outside edges.

Now prepare the biased tape for the outside.

Pin the biased tape in place around the edges.

When the edges meet, fold over one of the edges and pin in place.

Your wallet should look like this all pin-arrific.

Stitch it all in place.

Now the whole wallet is put together and finished.

So cute.

Before you wrap it up and send it off, slip some cash or a gift card inside.

A present perfect for any tiny money bags!

Stay tuned for other handmade gift ideas.