Minimalist iPhone Wallet

I am a minimalist. I have a very thin and sleek card holder I use for a wallet, but at times, even that is too much. There are some ok options out there for carrying just the essentials (money clip, etc.), but nothing was quite right. Because I will always have my phone on me, I figured, why not make it my wallet as well.

There are such contraptions that merge the two, but most are large, many are a fold type wallet, and none are as versatile as need be. This is designed to hold anything including credit cards, business cards, cash, a notecard, or any combination of these.

You will need:

1.) A rigid or semi rigid plastic iphone case, ideally with a flat back. I used this one: http://www.incipio.com/cases/iphone-cases/iphone-4-4s-cases/iphone-4-4s-ngp-matte-semi-rigid-soft-shell-case.html, and it worked very nicely.

2.) 3/4" elastic strap (available at any sewing or hobby store)

3.) 1 1/2" wide aluminum sheet (1/16" thick)

4.) Band saw

5.) Utility or exacto knife

6.) Sewing machine or needle and thread

7.) A little bit of scrap fabric

8.) Fine grit sand paper (220)

Step 1: The Aluminum Sheet

The aluminum sheet serves as protection for the things in the wallet. I wanted to be able to put anything in the wallet and not have it get crumpled by the elastic or damaged while in my pocket.

To start, I measured the back of the phone case to see how long I could make it without interfering with the camera. Also, it had to be long enough to hold a business card. I settled on a length of 3 7/8" but you could make it a little longer or shorter.

Measure and cut the aluminum sheet to the desired length using a band saw with a metal cutting blade.

I did not want sharp corners, so I measured in 1/8" from each corner and cut off each at a diagonal.

In order for the aluminum to stay in place i notched it at the top and bottom of the long axis.

I measured in 5/16" from each side for the edge of the notch and cut the notch 1/16" deep, then used the band saw to remove the material.

Use sand paper to smooth all the edges and corners after the cuts are complete.

Comments

[Radrussian]

Awesome Man! Made a spin-off and made the aluminum part out of flattened pvc. Thanks for the inspiration!

[daemn22]

Cool idea! You can also use old plastic credit cards and cut them to size instead of aluminum sheet for those who does not have machines to cut with.

[gijoebob]

I use a similar case from Case Mate that holds my drivers license and my debit card. All the rest of my traditional wallet contents are in the phone.

[Thraeryn]

Interesting. I like the idea a lot, and this seems a pretty good implementation.

I'm using an Android device that has NFC capability. I wonder how this would interfere with near-field signal. It'd certainly make the back of the phone a little less "near" than usual. I'd consider using a magnetic piece of metal if I didn't think it would stand a chance of zapping the magnetic strips on my cards.

Any thoughts, community?

[making_hands]

I am sure you heard of the "Slim" wallet.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/supr/slim-the-thinnest-wallet-ever

[DeltaD20]

that's good to hear. How stretchy is the band when you sew them together? I assume how well the cards stay depends on how tight the band is.
now all I gotta do is how to alter the design for my Samsung S3

[DeltaD20]

been trying to do the exact same thing but w/ tape and clear sheet of thin plastic, works well for a month but the tape wears off. This method is better but like another user said, it can fall out quite easily due to the credit cards being so slippery. A good idea nevertheless and I will look into improving your design.

[FryGuy2086]

I think you would be surprised at how firmly even a single card is held in. I considered adding some sort of a retainer on one side but once I finished it and experimented with it, it became evident that it wasn't necessary. I have been using it for about a week now and the cards don't even move much less come close to sliding out. Thanks for the feedback!

[Gman2005cs]

What a beautiful Brittany you have! I have one as well.

[FryGuy2086]

Thanks!

[NateHoy]

This is very well done. About the only change I'd make, if I made one at all, would be to put some sort of retainer on one side so you reduce the chances of anything sliding out.

Clever, minimalistic, well-documented, nice clear photos and descriptions. Fantastic job!

[Penolopy Bulnick]

Very nice way to keep everything together so you don't have a bunch of stuff fattening up your pocket :)

[Penolopy Bulnick]

Also, you should enter this into the Holiday Gifts Contest!

[c3ralki1l3r]

What if you lose your phone or it gets stolen D:

[gijoebob]

What if you lose your wallet or it gets stolen?

[c3ralki1l3r]

either way its still bad to lose one or another valuable item.