bébé's "noisy wallet"- a tutorial

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finally, i can upload photos! let's get right to it, shall we? this is how i made elfling his very own noisy wallet. for this project you'll need: fabric, felt, 1 empty package of wipes, 6 inch ribbon, & 3.5 inch velcro strip.

* cut your fabric & felt each into 2 rectangles, measuring 9 x 5.5. i don't recommend wool felt for this. you'll want to wash & dry it regularly, so opt for bamboo, or ecofelt. something that won't shrink.
* cut the wipes package open, then into 1 rectangle, slightly smaller than the others. you know i mean the refill package, right, not the hard box? this makes the crinkley noise when you wee one plays with it.
* cut your ribbon in half.

* make a sammich: fabric (right side down), felt, wipes package, felt, fabric (right side up). we aren't turning any edges, so you want to make sure your fabric isn't the wrong way. i am lazy didn't have a problem with my layers sliding about, so i didn't pin. do so, if you want.

* on each short side, insert a piece of ribbon that has been folded. make sure enough is on the inside of your sammich. the ribbon isn't a must-have, by the way, unless your bébé is mad for tags like elfling.

*zigzag around all four edges of your sammich, reinforcing at the ribbons. if you want a neater look, feel free to turn down the edges, etc. my way isn't for everyone, but works perfectly well.

* straight stitch your rectangle in half, shortwise. this will be where you wallet folds. i then stitched each half in half again, but you needn't - i was going for a quilted look, then changed my mind.

important note :: if you are bothered by crooked lines, yet not good at paying attention, do not use a plaid fabric! the photo above illustrates why.

* zigzag your strip of velcro to what you have chosen to be the inside of your wallet. this is the closure, so sew it near the two shorter edges. it's also another fun noise feature, so don't opt for a button instead.

that's all there is to it! i don't have a photo of the wallet folded, as a certain someone would not give it back once i handed it over for testing. you can see that the tag is thus far his favorite feature. if you make you own noisy wallet, send me a photo, so i can see! the dreaded blahblahblah bit: please, please, please make this only for yourself & friends - not for resale. i am sure you would never do such a thing, but i felt i had to say it. thanks, for understanding. now, go make one!

~peace.

if sewing is not your thing, let me know! i am currently making noisy wallets for theshop.