How to Make a Duct Tape Wallet
Duct tape wallets are so fun and easy to make! I'll be showing you how to make one with card slots!
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Duct Tape Wallets Make Great Gifts
A couple years ago I made duct tape wallets for all my nieces and nephews for Christmas, and they were a big hit.
Running through Home Depot the other day, I spotted this super cute flamingo duct tape and thought it would be a good opportunity to share my tutorial with you. If your HD doesn't have it, you can also find it here.
Crafting with duct tape is both rewarding and frustrating! Rewarding because of how sticky it is - no glue required. Frustrating because of how sticky it is - if you're not careful, you'll wind up with a mess on your hands! ๐๐๐
Let's start this tutorial off, and I'll share my helpful tips for working with duct tape along the way.
Supplies:
- duct tape for body of wallet
- contrasting duct tape for trim OR a roll of decorative packing tape (about 1/2 the width of regular duct tape) which is what I found at Walmart and used
- scissors
- craft knife (this is my favorite craft knife for detail work)
- straight edge or ruler
- self-healing cutting mat with measuring surface (not a necessity but super helpful)
STEP ONE:
Make a sheet of duct tape 10" wide and 7.5" tall
The best way to do this is by using the grids on your cutting mat to not only lay the duct tape straight, but to easily measure what you need. Secure your first strip and cut using the ruler and craft knife. Leave the duct tape stuck to the cutting mat. Now, stretch out another piece and lay it on top of the first, overlapping by about 1/4". Cut it off. Repeat this about 5 times until your 'sheet' is 7.5" tall.
STEP TWO:
Create a double-sided sheet of duct tapeCarefully flip the 10" x 7.5" sheet of duct tape that you made in STEP ONE over so the sticky side is on top. Cover this with 5 more strips, same size (see pics below).
Insider Tip: I found the easiest way to do this so your tape lays down smoothly and in place is to stretch out more than you need (still attached to roll). Using your pinkies, hold down the bottom sheet while you carefully line up the strip with the edge and slowly lay it down.
Repeat until the entire sticky 'sheet' is covered.
Note: you may need to overlap the last piece by more than 1/4" for it to fit flush.
You should now have a 10" x 7.5" sheet of double-sided duct tape and we're ready to move on.
STEP THREE:
Fold wallet and trim excess
Fold the sheet of duct tape you just made horizontally in half (bottom to top) and then vertically in half again (right to left) until it resembles a wallet and press folds firmly.
(if you're super anal about math, you'll notice that my pre-trimmed wallet is measuring 5-1/4" wide above, which means that my sheet was 10.5" wide and I told you to make it only 10". The reason is I started measuring my duct tape strips at the far left line instead of at '0', so it ended up being wider than I wanted. Don't worry, I simply trimmed more off my sides than you're going to! It's always better to make it slightly bigger because we can trim off but we can't add on!!) ๐
STEP FOUR:
Trim the top and bottom with contrasting duct tapeOpen the wallet back up and add a strip of contrasting tape along the top and bottom edges. If you're using regular sized duct tape (2" wide), you'll need to cut it down the middle lengthwise so it's only an inch wide.
The green packing tape I used came on a narrow roll so it was just the right size.
Add contrasting tape only the top and bottom of the wallet and fold the excess tape over to the back side. Press down to secure.
Your duct tape wallet should now look like the one below.
STEP FIVE:
Create the pockets for the wallet
Cut 4 strips of duct tape 8" long. Using your ruler and knife, cut each one in half at the 4" mark so you've now got 8 separate pieces.
Flip four pieces over so the sticky side is up (one at a time) and adhere the remaining pieces on top (using your pinkies to help hold the bottom piece in place as you position the top piece).
You should now have four 4" long pieces of double-sided tape. These will be our 4 pockets.
Using your contrasting duct tape, add it to the top of each pocket piece and secure it on the back (we want to cover our cut edges and make it all pretty!)
STEP SIX:
Attach the pockets to the wallet
Have your credit card handy to make sure you leave enough space for it to easily slide in and out.
Cut one 4" piece of duct tape and slice it down the middle lengthwise (unless you're using a narrow trim). This will be used to secure the first pocket. See pics below (I've whited out the pieces I'm referring to so you can see what I'm talking about). Detailed directions are under the pictures (read these carefully before proceeding as this part was tricky to describe).
There will be 2 pockets on each side; position the top pocket piece first. Lay it down on the open wallet, with the side flush to the outside edge of the wallet. The bottom of this piece should be about 1" above the bottom of the wallet. Tape just the bottom closed using a 4" strip of narrow duct tape.
Position the next piece directly on top of the first so the side is flush with the edge of the wallet and the bottom is flush with the bottom of the wallet. Lay a 4-1/4" strip of narrow trim tape down the center of the wallet, catching the sides of the two pockets you just positioned. Fold the excess tape over the top (just the front section so you don't tape the wallet closed!) and the bottom. Repeat with other two pockets on the left side.
Whew, you still with me?! It's really not as hard as I'm making it sound...I'm just trying to give you the nitty gritty details.
Are you ready for the last step? I know I am!
Whew, you still with me?! It's really not as hard as I'm making it sound...I'm just trying to give you the nitty gritty details.
Are you ready for the last step? I know I am!
STEP SEVEN:
Add remaining trim piecesThe hard work is done. I promise!
The last step is simply closing off the sides and bottom with trim. Cut a 4"piece of coordinating duct tape (cut it in half lengthwise first) and secure each side, cutting off any excess. Now cut a 9.5" piece of duct tape, cut it in half lengthwise, and secure the bottom, again...trimming off the excess that protrudes off the sides.
That's it. You're done!! You made a FUNctional, super cute, waterproof duct tape wallet!
You are going to want to make a bunch more wallets and give them away as gifts! Trust me, the first one is the hardest. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be knocking them out in no time!
This wallet is going to be a gift for a special niece of mine, along with some other goodies that I'll be sharing next week.
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This blog's content is for entertainment purposes only and is not professional advice. By reading this blog and attempting to recreate any content shared on it, you assume all responsibility for any injuries or damages incurred. Read my full disclaimer here.
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