How to Make a Magic Leather Wallet

The "magic wallet" is the type where you put money inside one set of straps in the wallet, fold it back and forth and suddenly the money has switched to the other set of straps. With some spare leather, cardboard and cloth straps, you can create one of these magic wallets. You're building a two-piece wallet with a set of straight straps on one end and a set of crossing straps on the other. It will also fold together at one end and then open up at the other.

Things You'll Need

• 10-by-10-inch square of leather or vinyl
• 5-by-7-inch rectangle of corrugated cardboard
• Rough woven straps
• Glue

Instructions

1. Cut two pieces of corrugated cardboard (like from a cardboard box) 4 1/2 inches long and three inches wide. Cut two pieces of leather at least 9 1/8 inches long and 3 1/8 inches wide (or larger by any fraction of an an inch if you want more space). Cut rough strapping into four pieces that are eah four inches long.

2. Fold one leather piece in half along its long side. The folded piece will be nearly three inches by 4 1/2 inches. Glue the tips of two straps just inside the fold along one of the 4 1/2 inch sides. The straps need to be sticking out straight and parallel to each other.

3. Insert a cardboard piece inside the folded leather. Glue the leather shut around the cardboard, but don't glue the 4 1/2-inch side that doesn't have the straps sticking out from it.

4. Create the second piece in the same manner with the remaining leather, cardboard and straps. In this case, the straps must criss-cross to form an "X" when they stick out of the leather. Again, the 4 1/2-inch end without the straps sticking out must remain open for now.

5. Lay the two pieces parallel to each other on their long sides with three inches between them. The open (unglued) end of the straight-strap piece needs to touch the free ends of the crossed straps. Both sets of straps will be pointing in the same direction.

6. Insert the crossed straps into the open end of the straight strap piece. Glue that end shut. The pieces are now connected to each other through the crossed straps.

7. Fold the straight-strap piece over towards the crossed-strap piece with the crossed straps on top. Pull the straight straps through the space between the pieces and lay them on top of the crossed-strap piece. Both sets of straps should now be seen over the leather pieces.

8. Tuck the straight straps into the open end of the crossed-strap piece and glue it shut.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use vinyl instead of leather, and you can sew the pieces together instead of gluing.