A bifold wallet is a good step up from a keychain. It introduces pattern layout, several layers, pocket gluing and saddle stitching. The steps below follow the order you would normally use: plan the size, cut the layers, glue the pockets, then stitch and finish the edges.
Card and Wallet Size
A standard payment card is 85.6 x 53.98 mm (3.37 x 2.125 in). Plan the wallet around that size:
- A closed bifold is typically about 110-115 x 90 mm (4.25-4.5 x 3.5 in).
- Open, it is about 9 x 3.5 in.
- Make each card slot about 95 mm (3.75 in) wide, so cards fit with room for the stitching.
Choosing Leather
- Outer shell: 2-4 oz.
- Card pockets and liners: 1.5-2.5 oz.
Leather that is too heavy makes a wallet too thick to fold or fit in a pocket. Belt-weight leather is a common mistake for wallets.
Materials and Tools
- Cutting: a utility knife or X-Acto knife, a steel rule and a cutting mat.
- Marking: wing dividers or a stitch groover, an awl and a wax pencil.
- Pricking: diamond chisels in a 3-3.85 mm pitch and a rubber mallet.
- Thread: 0.45-0.55 mm waxed polyester (or waxed linen), with two harness needles.
- Adhesive: contact cement. Rubber cement is not as strong for a wallet.
- Edge finishing: an edge beveler, fine sandpaper, a burnishing gum such as gum tragacanth, and a wood slicker or canvas cloth.
Laying Out the Pockets
- Stagger the card pockets about 12-16 mm (1/2-5/8 in) apart vertically, so each card shows.
- A common layout is two to four card slots per side, plus a full-length cash pocket.
- More slots are not always better. Each one adds bulk at the fold.
- Cut the inner layers slightly shorter than the outer shell. Inner pieces sit a little shorter once folded, and cutting every layer to the same length can cause wrinkles.
Cutting the Layers
Tape your pattern to the flesh side of the leather, or trace around it. Cut with a sharp knife against a steel rule. Skive (thin out) the edges of stacked pockets where they create bulk at the seam.
Gluing the Pockets
Apply contact cement to the glue margins of each pocket, then press the pieces together firmly. Glue and stitch the inner layers while the wallet is folded or curved, so the inside does not buckle.
Marking and Punching the Stitch Line
Score a stitch line about 3-4 mm from the edge. Place the diamond chisels on the line and tap them with a rubber mallet. Overlap the first hole of each strike with the last hole of the previous strike to keep the spacing even.
Saddle Stitching
Cut the thread to about 3.5-4 times the seam length, and thread a needle on each end. Saddle-stitch through the holes. Back-stitch two or three holes at each end of the seam to lock the thread.
Trim the ends close. You can melt them in place with a lighter, working carefully, or secure them with a little glue.
Edge Finishing
Sand all the layers flush, then round the sharp outer edges with an edge beveler. Dampen the edges and burnish them with a wood slicker or canvas cloth until they are smooth and glossy. Finish with a sealer or wax. On chrome-tanned leather, paint the edges instead.
Common Mistakes
- Using belt-weight leather. It makes the wallet too thick.
- Cutting every layer to the same length. It causes wrinkles at the fold.
- Choosing rubber cement. It is weaker than contact cement for this job.
- Adding too many slots. Each one adds bulk and makes the fold harder.
If you want to practice first, a leather keychain is a smaller project that uses the same cutting and punching steps. For more ideas, see the DIY leather projects overview.