bike innertube wallet

- bomb wallet made from an old inner tube.

- all you need is an innertube and a sewing machine. It's soft, malleable, flexible, durable and aesthetically it's a nice looking design. the rubber is relatively easy to sew and the finished product will fit nicely in the back pocket of anyone who drives a prius or wants to seem just as green.

Step 1 Materials

Materials:
- innertube - a 26 x 1.9/195 tube is the perfect height without having to trim.
- sewing machine - you'll need one with adjustable tensioning
- black thread
- scissors
- currency
- a license or card
- a ruler

Comments

[makerbuilderbaker]

Thank you for the inspiration, I decided to make my own tri-fold wallet with red and black thread. I cut my tube along the bottom seam which created a less curvy piece than the side which you suggested.
you can check mine out here:
http://theimpossibletribar.blogspot.com/2011/11/bicycle-inner-tube-wallet.html


My recommendation is to get a sewing machine that is old and powerful with a walking foot. I used one and it was a piece of cake; the first thing I've ever sewn.
I encourage anyone with access to a sewing machine to make one of these, a spare tube is less than 5 dollars and you probably already have one, thread is dirt cheap, and it should take less than 2 and a half hours!

[kenhfisher]

You can also buy one from me at http://www.crankcreative.com if you don't feel like investing the time.

[ElusiveGreen]

There are also the ones offered by http://alchemygoods.com, who had actually hosted a contest on instructables some time back. Pardon for interrupting.

[tjackson15]

Hiya, would you mind if I used some of these images in a school project along with some that I took myself? I won't make any cash from it, it's just a coursework project about upcycling and recycling. That would be really helpful!

[dellis8]

looks awesome man, I'm just wondering if anyones tried to heat join tubes together, using a heat gun or even a soldering iron. I could see potential problems with both methods (heatgun would be hard to control which bit of rubber melted and soldering irons would gum up).

I have access to industrial quantities of old innertubes and don't have a sowing machine, any other thoughts? I like the staple idea but think it might look a bit amateur???

[TheJoshinator]

I've seen Instructables around here somewhere for innertube belts, as well as making woven innertube seats for old rattan chairs with the seats busted out. Maybe try weaving a doormat or something? That could be really cool! You could also just use rubber cement (also known as contact cement) in place of stitches to hold the wallet together, or for purses and other such things.

[crochooley]

My poor Janome....

I'm trying this out but I have a difficult time keeping the tube flatten when cutting or sewing.  Is there a safe way of putting mild heat to this (similar to plastic fusion) to flatten the tube making the sewing easy?

Before I tried doing that, I wanted to see if anyone else has done this ...

Thanks for the awesome tutorial.  I'm always looking for new ideas to recycle.
 

[TheJoshinator]

I haven't tried this, but I suspect one could put a sheet of paper on each side and gently heat it with an iron. That's what I've heard for fusing plastic bags to make thicker plastic sheets for projects, so I bet it'd work with an innertube.

[PieterDV]

I've I'd make one of these (and I guess I will pretty soon) I plan on glueing the rubber to a liner, like pigskin split leather or something like that. That'll certainly help to keep it streched.

[kpierson]

I just made this for my boyfriend's Christmas present. I can't wait to give it to him! I don't have a walking foot but my mom is an experienced seamstress and suggested I put tissue paper over it before I sewed. It made it difficult to see the seam but it kept the tube from pulling as much.

[pdminter]

It turned out great! You did a good job and he loved it.

[T-Rave]

Thanks for this. A friend just showed me his that he got as a gift and immediately I wanted to make one myself. Very awesome! Just another justification to get a sewing machine :)

[cvkasdan]

Very nice work, and I always love it when a man isn't afraid to show off his sewing skills!  I'm off to make a "bag" of sorts out of tubing as I cannot find any suitable purses.  Thanks for the tips on the using a walking foot and high tension!

[kenhfisher]

I forgot to mention, using a WALKING FOOT sewing machine or the walking foot attachment will make this exponentially easier.

[klikitykev]

ken fisher, I am inspired by your instructable but do you think this project is possible on a compact sewing machine? That is all I have (even with size 18 needles) and have tried sewing the inner tubes but with only tangles and sewing machine halts!!.. Does it require a full blown turbo machine?

[kenhfisher]

It definitely doesn't require an industrial strength machine like I initially expected, it does however require a walking foot. Technology has come a long way and I actually used my Brother EX-660 with walking foot attachment that I bought from Costco for $110. Without the walking foot the rubber pulls and stretches making a 10 minute sewing job more like a 45 minute nightmare. Look for attachments for your machine, maybe you can purchase the walking foot. good luck!

[Bardouv]

I totally just did this in 5 minutes. Awesome. I can't sew though, so I had to staple it together, but it works. Nice instructable!

[kenhfisher]

Stapled it! that's a sweet work around. send me a picture I'd like to see what it looks like.

[Bardouv]

That's asking a lot. I can't find my camera and it is probably broke anyway, so it may be a while. But I would be happy to send a pic.

[fortunateson09]

Mine didn't turn out quite as well as this but I put that down to my (very) basic sewing machine skillz. I still plan on using it though... Love the idea and nice clear instructable. Now for that well earned beverage...

[eugenedangerfield]

You could also glue a couple of magnets between the two layers at the outside to keep it shut :)

[Fat Bagel]

I made one but my sewing machine couldnt handle some of the sides and pockets so i had to hand stitch. I did mine different and added a coin holder.

[jake101]

awesome instructable, just made mine and its awesome people saying they will wait for punctures to get a tube, go to your nearest bike shop and ask for an old tube, or dumpster dive it, they will have hundreds! plus you can take loads home and patch em up, no more paying for tubes! i used a bit of elastic cord on mine, poked a hole in the tube, and tied the cord in a loop that i can ping round it and hold the wallet shut, works a treat! :]

[Chris Bilton]

Excellent Instructable with cool photos makes me want one, can’t wait for my next puncture, then I’m on the case! Many Thanks

[YummyPancakes]

Nice! Just don't leave it in the sun...

[drummonkey92]

nice! my friend cycles alot...il ask him for an old innertube when he has a puncture next. :) also, doe it seems to want to stay open atall (being that its rubber) i might try to do a version with a press-stud but im not sure how id sew it is to a piece of innertube. great 'ible

[kenhfisher]

Yeah I actually thought about a mechanism to keep it shut but opted against it for a few reasons. - with cards in the wallet it actually stays closed by itself. - i didn't like the design aesthetic with an additional flap or snap to keep it closed. - i tried to keep the design as sleek as possible because I didn't want a big bulging wallet in my pocket. but i've seen other designs with a snap so i guess it's just personal preference.

[Zilduli]

Just take a "ring" from the same tube you used for the wallet and use it as a rubber band to keep your wallet shut.

[RaisedByRobots]

pretty cool idea