Too Cute Card Keeper with clear vinyl pockets Tutorial

This project was born because I wanted to make something for the young women I work with at church.

I thought a small wallet for them to keep their ID in and a pocket version of a pamphlet that reminds them of their standards and values would be nice.

After I finished sewing 20 of them I decided they would work perfectly to carry business cards in as well

and/or

gift cards

credit cards

club cards

So many options....so little time!

And they are so so simple to make. 

Seriously,

I sewed 20 in a little over an hour!

No Joke!

Really the only tricky part is sewing on vinyl but I have a super secret technique to share that makes it simple as can be.

Would you like to make one too?

Or possibly 20?

Lets get started.

Supplies

• Fabric scraps - 2,  6" x 4 1/2" pieces
• Clear vinyl - 2,    3 3/4" x 2 1/2" pieces
• Thread (coordinating)
• Scissors
• chalk pencil or something to mark fabric (optional)
• scotch tape (not optional)
• blind hem pressure foot (for sewing machine)
• pins
• iron
• chopstick or blunt pencil

Pin fabric right sides together
Sew all the way around the perimeter using a 1/4 seam allowance.
Leave a 2 inch opening near the middle of one of the long sides.
Trim excess fabric from corners.

Turn right side out.
Use a chopstick to push out corners.

Press with an Iron, making sure opening edges are turned in and even.

With the outside of your card keeper facing up find the center of the rectangle (should be about 2 3/4" in) and draw a line across using your chalk or pen. 

Top stitch over the center line you drew (lengthen your stitch for a cleaner looking top stitch).
Fold the rectangle in half along the center stitch line and press.

Now for my Super Secret, Super Tricky Vinyl Sewing Technique!

Scotch Tape.

Yes you heard me.

Scotch Tape.

Sewing on vinyl can be hard because it sticks to your pressure foot and then your fabric tries to go through normally but the vinyl stays were it was and you have a big ol' uneven mess.

But

if

you

put scotch tape on the bottom of your pressure foot covering the metal the vinyl won't stick to it.

I've read that a Teflon pressure foot will do the same thing but this works for me and is much less expensive.

So in the following picture I cut a small piece of tape and lined it up and stuck it to one side of the pressure foot and then trimmed off the excess. Then I did the same thing to the other side.

I made sure to leave  an opening where the needle could go through without having to go through the tape.

This pressure foot is my Blind Hem Foot (which I love for top, edge stitching).

To sew the vinyl pockets on you simply line up the edges of the vinyl with the edges of your fabric rectangle. 

Use the metal bar in the center of your pressure foot as a guide. 

Move your needle all the way over to the left position.

 Lengthen your stitch and top stitch the vinyl into place.

Each piece of vinyl will be stitched down on three sides leaving the center sides open to insert your cards.

Voila'! 

You're done!

Not too bad. Right?

I also made another version.

It's an all vinyl card holder with a fabric slipcover.

I'm going to try and have a tutorial up for this one in a day or two.

Happy Sewing!

Update!

The second tutorial is up and running.

Check it out here.