The Original Tyvek Wallet

In 2005 I had the idea to make the first folded Tyvek Wallet.

My inspiration came from seeing the Duct-tape wallets that many DIY'ers were making. The only problem I found was that the material itself was bulky and didn’t fold very well. For a long time I kept sheets of Tyvek hanging in my studio for inspiration and then I had a eureka moment. After searching on google I was amazed that no results turned up for a Tyvek Wallet. 

I wanted the Tyvek wallet to be made without stitches since this is always were most wallets fail. This would also allow the Tyvek material to remain strong (without putting tiny stitching holes in it). It was a real struggle to design and realize this product. You can read more about the first Tyvek Wallet design on my blog.

Today the idea of a Tyvek wallet is becoming very common so I thought it was important to let other DIY'ers know about the first Tyvek Wallet design. My latest Tyvek wallets, I now call them "Mighty Wallets" are online here. I also make tons of videos of the Mighty Wallets on YouTube.

Years later I was contacted by a producer at the Martha Stewart show who wanted me to show them how to make a tyvek wallet using accessible materials. Most people can find Tyvek envelopes so I used that as the basis for my design. The final design uses the actual self-sealing closure of the envelope itself as the binding mechanism that holds the wallet together.

I appreciate those of you out there who keep reminding others of my original design. Thanks for your support!

Here is video demonstration of these same instructions
http://www.youtube.com/tkelleman#p/u/0/oQGJbP92NRI

Step 1: Orientation / Folding

Getting Started:
You will need
- Standard size self-seal Tyvek envelope (preferably 9 x 12 inches)
- Double stick tape
- X-acto knife
- Cardboard (slightly smaller than envelope, to use as cutting mat)

Note: To simplify the directions I need to establish few terms regarding the orientation of the envelope. First the (Top)of the envelope is the open end with the self-sealing flap, the bottom is the closed end. Vertical refers to the length of the envelope (12in), Horizontal to the width (9in).

Important: Keeping this orientation with help when we refer to vertical and horizontal folds and creases.

Place envelope address side down, fold in half along the length (12 in side), bringing the bottom edge up to self-seal crease on the flap. Make a sharp crease.

Comments

[kman8654]

Is this the same design as the mighty wallet?

[DKroger116]

No, this is a more complex way to do it.

[allonsyahhlee]

I have a mighty wallet already and absolutely adore it. I'm interested in making one out of X-men comics. Would it do anything to the Tyvek's integrity if I glue paper onto it then use some kind of glossy finish to waterproof it?

[A.C.E.]

I know this is a bit of a late reply but.... just find/scan the image from the comic you like into your computer, and then print it right out onto the tyvek. If you have an inkjet printer, it will print to the tyvek perfectly :)

[allonsyahhlee]

Thanks for the reply! problem with that is that the tvek has writing on it already because it's a mailing envelope.

[A.C.E.]

I guess so.. I haven't personally made this wallet, but I have made one where I substituted the tyvek envelope for a full sheet of printer paper, and I just traced the sheet of paper and cut it out. The outside was completely white excepted the last 4 letters for the word "SERVICE" up in the corner, and the inside had the faint watermark style word USPS tiled all over it. When I printed to the front, you could hardly tell the word service used to be there, and it ended up on the inside of the wallet anyway so really only I knew it was even there. Im sure you could find completely blank envelopes at an Office Depot or Staples store though. I hope it works out for you

[clax1227]

Does it have six pockets like the original mighty wallet?

[zunpeng]

 Where to buy tvek envelopes?

[clax1227]

If you search USPS on google click on the first link create an account (it's free if you live in the united states) then go to order supplies you can order anywhere from 10 tyvek envelopes to 800 envelopes i suggest 100 (no shipping and no charge)

[Big Ugly Mich]

You can go to UPS or FedEx or the local Post Office and get them. Just make sure you give them the right size. If you're lucky, they don't charge you any money for them, but I can't promise that.

[geowulf]

For an extra strong 'double stick' bond, use carpet tape. That stuff is super strong. You can also glue with superglue.

[SouthParkBucket]

Excellent instructions. I want to show an extra thing that can be done to make the wallet even more convenient to use - which is to just add a snap fastener. This stops the wallet from opening up (whenever you don't want it to).

http://www.esnips.com/web/TyvekWalletWithSnapFastener

[crafty-lady]

This is great. I am going to try and make one right now!

[ERCCRE123]

I was just thinking, but would I be able to run this through a laser printer? I think the adhesive flap might get in the way.

[Contentment]

Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I have a Tyvek wallet made by a now defunct company called Fun Folds. I bought it in NYC in 1995 at the Museum of Modern Art Store.  I still have and use it today sometimes, tho it's a bit worn, lol.
I love to see new designs with Tyvek and yours is awesome.  If I get a chance I will photograph mine and email it to you. You might get a kick out of it.

[gamemasterful]

I bought one of the Mighty Wallets over a year ago.  It holds up very well!  Whenever I pull it out I get "Ooohs" and "Ahhhhs" and I demonstrate how hard I can pull on it without it even warping.  And at the great price, it's definitely been one of my smartest buys.

Tyvek is made of many strands of plastic "woven" together.  As mentioned above, it's very durable.  They envelopes can usually be purchased from a local post office.

[dynomighty]

Thanks! When you go to get your next gift fan "DYNOMIGHTY" on Facebook and get 10% off your next order. Best,
Terrence

[maeve]

What type of matierial is TYVEK? haven't heard of it here in Ireland. Is it plasticy? I'm defo going to have a look at your site
--maeve http://bookheaven.wordpress.com

[berserk]

How durable is tyvek for this application? I had just a plastic sleeve for my licence and stuff but it's wearing out. It has lasted for several years, so how well does this hold up?

[dynomighty]

Tyvek is incredibly durable. I've had customers who bought one of our wallets come back 3 years later and it was still being used. In fact as they age the wallets take on a classic vintage look which can actually work well with the designs you choose to print on them.

[larbear90]

I sent you an email but i also want to comment. This is an awesome Instructable and I cannot wait to try it out but could you tell me where you got the tattoo design? Thanks a lot +rating

[Bob Greaves]

Great design. In the UK this type of envelope is not common. However in order to practise I found it useful to make up an envelope out of a couple of bits of A4 paper which were taped together in the form of an envelope. This way you can get the process correct and adjust measurements to suit easily and cheaply.

[GorillazMiko]

Great job! Do you think this will work with the FedEx/ USPS Express Mail envelopes here? I have a lot. +1 rating.

[dynomighty]

Hi GorillazMiko, Thanks for the compliment! I guess you could if the envelope wasn't too wide, or else you could try to adapt it to be a tri-fold version. Best wishes, Terrence

[Full Frontal Graphic]

step 8Apply tape Flip the envelope over again, address side down and fold it in half vertically ...I think horizontally?