Father's Day wallet card

Well, this weekend I have been both very disorganised and well prepared at the same time.

Sunday was Mike, my youngest's birthday and his girlfriend Laura's. Yes, they are both the same age and have the same birthday, so we have a double celebration. Laura is the artist behind Magmaker's Cards for Children Special edition and a new title which we can't yet reveal. She is also an extremely talented jewellery designer/maker.

Somehow, I was just so busy with life in general - we had just moved Mike back from uni, so the house was, and still is in turmoil, that I just didn't have time to make them cards!

However, I redeemed myself yesterday afternoon, by making my Dad's Father's day card well in advance.
It's a design I've made many times before in one format or another, but I've decided its still worth sharing the instructions with you. It doesn't just have to be for Father's Day - just make it suit whatever purpose you need it for.

If you cut carefully, you can get all the pieces out of one 30x30cm piece of card. (12"x12")

You need to cut the following pieces:

30x10.5cm

29x9.5cm

14x6cm (cut x2)

14x4cm (cut x2)

8x2.5cm

Take the largest piece (the outer wallet) and round the corners. I machine stitiched all around the edges to imitate a bought leather wallet, But if you "don't do needles" this is entirely optional. Score and fold in the middle.

Take the next size down piece and score and fold in the middle. Attach the 14x6cm pieces to either side of the fold line,leaving the tops open, and the bases level. Line them up with the outside edges of the folded piece, not the fold line.

Attach the 14x4 pieces in the same way. level with the base.

Round the corners of one end of the 8x2.5cm strip, and machine stitch around. Fold in half and glue the straight edged section to the inside back of the outer wallet. Glue the pocketed section to the inside of the outer wallet. Hold the wallet in closed position as you do this or it will buckle as you try to close it. I just attached it at the two sides, not along the top or base.

To make the closure I stitched a small plastic pop fastener (the type you would use for dressmaking) to two small circles of brown card and glue them in place.

You could use Velcro circles or the magnetic dots that you get for scrapbooking, instead.

I'm not the greatest fan of peel-off stickers, but I remember my dad having leather wallets and briefcases with his initials embossed in gold across the corner, so for once I felt they were the most suitable item for adding the "Dad" to the front.

Now comes the part where you personalise the inside. Print out your own "treat tokens", or small photos of the family. Design your own sports club membership or video rental cards and pop them into the pockets. Just dream up and print out any type of items to represent the interests of that person. Have fun!