Thursday 11 July 2013

Plastic Stamp Wallets

A while ago I made some storage wallets for my PAPERARTSY stamps, I didn't take photos of the process at the time and I was asked to write up a tutorial. So I made some more.

This would work for any stamp sets, but these sizes are specifically for PaperArtsy sizes. 

It is fairly easy to find plastic wallets for the larger sets,A5. I bought mine in Asda for 45p each, but when I started searching I just could not find any at C6 size nor tiny ones for the PaperArtsy minis. So this tutorial is for the 2 smaller sizes. 

first I bought these . A pack of 5 plastic files was 60 pence. Each one measures 31cm x 22cm. If yours are a different size then alter your measurements accordingly.


You will also need nylon thread and some self adhesive velcro.


Each folder is already folded down the left side and is sealed along the bottom. 


With the folder facing you this way, mark a line across, 19.5cm up from the bottom. 



Thread up your machine with the clear nylon thread in both top and bottom bobbins. 
Stitch small stitches along the marked line. Once you have your first one lined up, then put a piece of masking tape onto the machine bed just at the edge of the folder. That way you don't need to measure the other folders, you can just butt them up against the masking tape and then stitch. 


Cut along the outside of the stitches, quite closely. You are left with a large pocket and a smaller folded piece. Put the smaller one aside for now. 


Take the larger one. It has one folded edge, and 2 sealed/stitched edges. The folded edge is now the bottom, measure 12cm up from this. Fold over at this point. 


Cut down the side to just past the fold, then cut across. this effectively removes just the top layer of the folded section. 


Now make a template. take scrap paper or card the same size as your folded flap, fold the card in half and cut your half moon shape. open it out and tape it to the wallet using masking tape. 



Cut around the template.  Discard the small rounded bit that is cut  off.


Cut velcro into small squares and then round off. 


Attach to the inside of the wallet. This is the C6 size finished. 




Now go back to the smaller folded piece from earlier. It is folded on one side and open on the other 3 sides. 


From the folded edge, mark a line at 12.5 cm. 



Now stitch close to the top edge and down your marked line.  Cut on the outside of the line. You now have a small squarish pocket. It has one folded edge, 2 stitched edges and one open edge. 


From the folded edge, measure a line at 7.5cm, fold over then trim away the top layer. 


Cut a smaller template and use it to cut the half moon of your flap.  Add the velcro as before. 


From one packet , 60 pence, you will get 5 C6 wallets and 5 mini wallets. 


You will also be left with odd pieces of plastic..Some long pieces and some small squares. Use these pieces to cut stencils, or paint on them and stitch into them and add to cards. Use them to make gift card wallets, die cut them.....there are all sorts you can do with them so don't throw them out. 


Finally pop your stamp sets into the wallets..These are especially useful if you take stamps to crops/art days/demos etc. 


Hope you find this useful, let me know if you make them. 



7 comments:

  1. They look just great, Darcy! What a brilliant idea... though, being me I would probably get annoyed at having to put each stamp away separately... but that's just me! Thanks for sharing this, and being so clever to do it in the first place!!

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  2. Gosh they look so professional Darcy...can't believe no one has marketed these in set sizes. Brilliant! :D XXX

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  3. These are great. I recently made an envelope to hold word scraps out of a plastic sheet protector, the kind you clip into a 3 ring binder. Cut the bit with the holes off (though you could heave it on to store in a binder) then trimmed the top for a flap and covered all the edges with Washi Tape.

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  4. They are terrific, such a great idea! I can see I'm going to have to get a sewing machine at some point.........

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  5. Sounds like a great idea and an inexpensive one to boot cool! Dxx

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