https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/comicbook-wallet-from-an-envelope • Posted by OllieOdd
Both a cute conversation starter and a flat wallet that won't bulge out your pocket too much! Obscure or old comics can be bought as cheap as 50c at most comic books stores (and the more obscure it is, the more fun you can have explaining it to people!) Essential tools are scissors, an exacto knife, a pencil, glue and some spare bits of cardboard. This tutorial is based on my second time making one, so the technique can still use some streamlining ;)
Both a cute conversation starter and a flat wallet that won't bulge out your pocket too much! Obscure or old comics can be bought as cheap as 50c at most comic books stores (and the more obscure it is, the more fun you can have explaining it to people!) Essential tools are scissors, an exacto knife, a pencil, glue and some spare bits of cardboard. This tutorial is based on my second time making one, so the technique can still use some streamlining ;)
Take a plain envelope and stick down the flap down (licking or glue - either is fine), then carefully slit open the top to avoid any rips or folded bits on either side.
Find a nice big panel in your comic book and cut out a rough outline of your envelope. Glue it on (doesn't matter which side), careful to avoid air bubbles. Then cut off the excess bits.
With the plain side on the inside, fold your envelope into three equal sections. Then find three panels you like in your comic book, and stick a separate one on each of the three sections of the envelope.
Take a card and measure where you'd like the lower card slit to be (card should be a couple milimetres away from the bottom of the wallet). Then mark where you'd like the top slit to be (usually no more than half a centimetre above the lower one, equidistant to the top of the wallet). With a piece of cardboard inside the envelope (to avoid cutting the other side open), slice the slits open with an exacto knife. Repeat for all three sections.
Take some plain paper (thicker is better than thinner!) and cut out a rectangle a few milimetres thinner than one section, and a few milimetres taller than the lower slit. Cut out another with the same width, as tall as the wallet. Place the taller rectangle inside the envelope and with your pencil mark the slits on it by sticking your pencil through (marks visible in the next step). Repeat for all three sections.
Paint the taller rectangle's bottom two centimetres with glue, stick the shorter rectangle onto it. Staple, rather than glue, the edges of the two rectangles together to preserve width (visible in next step).
Paint the shorter rectangle's bottom centimeter, and the now-stapled edges of the paper with glue (keep to the edges as much as possible - the face of the shorter rectangle is the inside of your first card pocket). Stick the paper inside the envelope, making sure to line up the bottom of the paper with the inside of the envelope. Repeat for all three sections.
Tricky part! Glue the top of the shorter rectangle to the middle strip of the envelope (in between the two slits). The glue the top of the taller rectangle to the top strip of the envelope. Stick cards through each slit to make sure you haven't glued them closed (if you have, don't worry! Just tear the paper away, ripping it rather than the envelope, and try again). Then tape yo shit! Cover EVERYTHING with clear tape. Even tape over the slits, then just re open them with the exacto knife! In this image I've stuck a bit of tape inside the slit, sticky side out, and folded it over to the outside to make sure the outside tape and comic doesn't separate. TAPE EVERYTHING.