Coffee Bag Wallet

Yet another wallet inspired by theRIAA's paper wallet, but with a bit of a twist I think. I've made mine out of a much more durable 1 pound coffee bag. The material can be a bit finicky, but only one extra step gets you a very durable and stylish wallet. It might not be as simple to make but I've had people freak out over my wallet. One lady even gave me a hug when I gave her an extra one I had.

Materials you will need for this instructable:

Used 1 pound coffee bag
exacto knife or scissors
clear tape
curved needle
thread

First you should tear open your bag of choice down the back seam all the way to the bottom and complete unfold it. Be careful at the bottom as it can tear easily. Once open, clean your bag of any left over coffee debris. I don't use soap. Just a quick blast from my sinks sprayer is enough usually. Dry your bag off and lay it face down to remove the air valve. Just pry it off with your fingers. Be careful here too because it can tear.

Take a piece of paper and fold it to match the one shown in the picture (I'm sure you DIYers can handle that). The square marked front will always be the front of your wallet, so make sure it is positioned over what you want to appear on the outside. I like to cut out the bag about 1/4 of an inch bigger than an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper. I usually eyeball this step but you anal retentive types will surely break out your rulers. Once you've cut out your sheet, set the piece of paper to this side until you make your next wallet.

Fold the bag in half (press firmly for a good crease), open it up and then fold the ends toward the center (PRESS FIRMLY!) Fold the bag on the center fold again, then fold it in half in the other direction.

Enjoy all the folding you just did? Great! Now undo it all and lay the sheet face down. Mark the middle bottom half of the sheet as shown. This will be your inside credit card storage area. Cut the area out with an exacto knife. Next you need to cut about 1/4 on each fold so that you can form the fold that tuck into each other. Fold in the edges that are on the rectangle below your credit card opening, and the edges on the front face of your wallet.

This part is difficult to explain, but it's a pretty simple concept. I think the pictures probably show you better than I can explain. Fold the flaps and tuck them inside the wallet. If this were theRIAA's wallet you'd be done, but mine has just one more step. You're nearly done!

The final step to you coffee bag wallet involves a bit of sewing. Use a thick thread, and I find a curved needle makes this step easier. Starting at the inside bottom, press your needle through close to the edge of your folded wallet, making sure to pierce all four layers of the coffee bag. Pull the thread nearly all the way through, tie a knot in the end and snip off the excess. Now continue to sew the edge of the wallet in a spiral towards the top. Once you reach the top, reverse gears and spiral your way back down the edge for a nice criss cross pattern. At the bottom, loop the needle through your initial hole several time then loop the needle under the thread to finish your knot and cut off the excess. Repeat on the other side and your done!

I hope you enjoyed this instructable, and I hope I was clear on some of the steps. Contact me if you have any questions.