• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Carla Schauer Designs
  • Crafts & DIY
    • Rock Painting
      • Rock Painting Ideas
      • Rock Painting Supplies
      • Rock Painting Techniques
    • Craft Tutorials
    • Teens and Tweens
    • Holiday and Seasonal
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • Patriotic
      • Halloween
      • Christmas
    • DIY Decor
    • Technique Guides
  • Printables
  • Creative Life
  • Supplies
  • About
    • Work With Me
      • Art for Licensing
      • Surface Design Gallery
      • Craft Industry Services
      • Published work
      • Testimonials
    • Contact
  • Shop
    • Etsy
    • Zazzle
    • About my Products

Make a Slim Leather Wallet–Easy DIY Gift for Men

by Carla Schauer 5 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet

I’m 99.62% certain my husband wants the same gifts for Father’s Day that I wanted for Mother’s Day:

  • cold beer,
  • afternoon alone in hammock, and
  • zero responsibilities.

But since I’m trying not to raise a flock of wild heathen children, I want to make sure the kids understand thoughtful gift giving along with the need to show their dad how appreciated he is.   We decided to make a slim leather wallet that is easy to carry.  Slim wallets hold all the essentials (driver’s license, credit card, cash) and are great for short adventures where a big bulky wallet isn’t necessary or convenient.

 

Leather slim wallet tutorial from Carla Schauer Designs. An easy and elegant gift for men, make in 15 minutes or less!

Leather slim wallet tutorial from Carla Schauer Designs

 

Plus, they are a gift that will actually get used on a regular basis and can be made in less than 15 minutes start to finish.  Yay!  You only need 2 leather pieces, coordinating thread, pen, scissors, and a monogram if you choose to add one. (Optional: leather punch if hand sewing the wallet.)

 

Use leather pieces to make a slim wallet. An easy 15 minute DIY gift for men.|Carla Schauer Designs

Use leather to make a slim wallet. |Carla Schauer Designs

 

To Make a Slim Leather Wallet:

Cut two pieces of leather.  The first piece will become the main wallet pocket and should be cut to 2.625″ x 7.75″  (2 5/8″ x 7 3/4″).  The second piece will form the outside pocket and will be cut to 2.625″ x 3″ (2 5/8″ x 3″).  The leather can match or be contrasting colors, depending on your preference.

 

Cut 2 leather pieces and make a slim wallet in less than 15 minutes. Such an easy gift for men for Father's Day or Graduation. Tutorial from Carla Schauer Designs.

Cut notch in front panel for easy access to cards. |Carla Schauer Designs

 

Use a dark pen to trace a half-circle in the center of one of the short ends of the longer leather piece.  Draw on the reverse side of the leather to hide any stray pen marks when the wallet is sewn together.  Cut along the line to create a thumb notch in the wallet.  Fold the strip in half, matching short sides together, right sides out.

 

Make an extra leather wallet pocket to tuck cash or business cards. |Carla Schauer Designs

Make an extra leather wallet pocket. |Carla Schauer Designs

 

Cut the second leather rectangle at an angle to create the front pocket shape.  This doesn’t have to be a certain size or shape, you can cut to whatever you like.  I used a straight cut from approximately 2.5″ on the left side to approximately 1″ on the right side to add a good size pocket for holding some cash or business cards.  Layer the cut piece on top of the pocket, aligning the bottom with the folded edge.

 

Sew leather scraps together to make a slim wallet. |Carla Schauer Designs

Sew leather layers together to make a wallet. |Carla Schauer Designs

 

Sew the leather layers together on 3 sides, leaving the notched end open at the top.  If machine sewing, a heavy-duty needle can help with this step if the leather is thick or stiff.  The slim leather wallet can also be hand sewn together using leather lace, heavy duty thread, or a similar product.  Simply punch holes along the sides and bottom using a leather punch, and whipstitch around the edges.

 

Leather slim wallet tutorial from Carla Schauer Designs. Make in 15 minutes? Wow!

Add a monogram using alphabet stamps and permanent ink, leather stamping tools, or vinyl. |Carla Schauer Designs

 

To Embellish a Handmade Men’s Wallet:

Technically, the wallet is finished, but I can never resist the opportunity to embellish.  I added a matching monogram in the bottom corner to personalize the gift, and give it another style element.  You can add a monogram or other design using alphabet stamps and permanent ink, leather stamping or burning tools, or even iron-on vinyl.

 

Slim leather wallets also make great handmade gifts for graduation and birthdays, especially with some fun money tucked inside.  Never struggle to find a man-gift again!

Thanks for stopping by!
Carla

 

Enter your email and grab my free easy craft idea list, designed to help you jump start your creativity, and never have to stare at unused supplies again. (Or worse, hear someone else complain about them!)
No spam ever. Unsubscribe anytime. See our privacy policy for more details.

Similiar ideas you'll want to try:

  • Mandala Rock Painting Made Simple-Now Available
    Mandala Rock Painting Made Simple-Now Available
  • 5 Best Places to Find Perfect Stones for Painting
    5 Best Places to Find Perfect Stones for Painting
  • This Cute February Reading Log Makes an Easy Valentine Craft
    This Cute February Reading Log Makes an Easy Valentine Craft
  • Fall Tied Ribbon Wreath with Rustic Accents
    Fall Tied Ribbon Wreath with Rustic Accents
  • Quick Teacher Appreciation Candy Jar Gift
    Quick Teacher Appreciation Candy Jar Gift
  • Share
  • Tweet

Filed Under: crafts, Holiday and Seasonal Tagged With: Father's Day crafts, tutorial

Previous Post: « How to Make a Softball Keychain from Paracord
Next Post: DIY Softball Necklaces and Jewelry »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Angie Holden

    May 11, 2016 at 6:35 am

    Great idea Carla! Thanks for joining!

    Reply
    • Carla Schauer

      May 20, 2016 at 4:03 pm

      Thanks Angie!

      Reply
  2. Sara

    June 13, 2016 at 2:54 pm

    Thanks for letting me include this project in my Father’s Day round up! You can check it out at http://www.biscuitsandburlap.com/2016/06/13/10-diy-fathers-day-gifts/

    Reply
  3. Caden

    September 11, 2022 at 8:38 pm

    What kind of leather did you use, just regular leather or leather fabric

    Reply
    • Carla Schauer

      October 12, 2022 at 1:09 pm

      This is a regular thin craft leather, but you could use leather or leather-look fabric too.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Carla Schauer photo Welcome! I'm Carla, a licensed artist, maker, and creator of quirky art and craft projects. Here, I share DIY crafts and creativity of all kinds, occasional studio updates, and a wee bit of everyday life. New? Start here.
carla schauer on facebook carla schauer on pinterest carla schauer on instagram carla schauer on twittercarla schauer blog rss feed

Shop CSD on Etsy

Get the Creative Jumpstart!

Easy Craft Idea pdf displayed on clipboard, surrounded by gold office supplies

CSDS Favorite Posts

Printable Heart Bookmarks to Color
Travel Scavenger Hunt for Tweens
DIY Softball Hair Bows
Ultimate Guide to Rock Painting
DIY Paracord Water Bottle Holders

Footer

Google
  • About Carla
  • Studio News
  • Work With Me
  • TOU & Privacy
  • All Posts
carla schauer on facebook carla schauer on pinterest carla schauer on instagram carla schauer on twittercarla schauer blog rss feed

art and content © 2009-2023 Carla Schauer · all rights reserved.

If you'd like to share something from my site, please share ONE image and then link back to my post where people can read the full tutorial/content. Please DO NOT alter or copy photos nor copy my work in its entirety to share on your site without my permission. Some posts may contain affiliate links. Carla Schauer Designs is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. See full disclosure.

Copyright © 2023 Carla Schauer Designs on the Foodie Pro Theme

Creative Jumpstart
Enter your email below and get 100 Easy Craft Ideas, designed to help you use up your giant craft stash, and never have to stare at unused supplies again. (Or worse, hear someone else complain about them!)
Spam sucks, we won't send you any. Selling your info is gross. We don't do that either. Unsubscribe anytime, see our privacy policy for more details.
Need a Creative Jumpstart?
Enter your email below and get 100 Easy Craft Ideas, designed to help you use up your giant craft stash, and never have to stare at unused supplies again.
Spam sucks, we don't send it. Unsubscribe anytime, see privacy policy for more details.
Enter your email and grab my free easy craft idea list, designed to help you jump start your creativity, and never have to stare at unused supplies again. (Or worse, hear someone else complain about them!)
No spam ever. Unsubscribe anytime. See our privacy policy for more details.