Leather Minimalist (Quarantine) Card Holder

This is my take on how to "quarantine" a card. I created this minimalist card holder to keep my most used card at hands reach. With this I can use the card and simply keep sanitazing it, everytime I use it.

Supplies

The minimalist card holder uses very few materials. You will need

• Leather
• Ruler
• Box cutter
• Contact cement
• Needles
• Waxed nylon thread
• Wing divider
• Stitching chisels
• Hammer
• Snap fasteners
• Swivel hook or carabiner
• Leather corner cutter (optional)
• Leather acrylic paint (optional)

Step 1: Pattern

On a cardboard, I cut a square using a standard size credit card and adding 2/8" to 3 of the borders. This is to have space for sewing on 3 sides of the leather.

There is a really good Instructables Class by MikaelaHolmes on how to cut the leather and installing snap fasteners.

Step 2: Cutting the Leather

First, mark the pattern on the leather. Then cut a little bit outside the outlines in order to cut over the draw line with more ease.

For the swivel, measure the inside of the ring and cut a strip of leather that can pass through it. On the photos there is an example with a carabiner - it's the same procedure.

For the strap to secure the card, I cut a 5/8" strip of leather. It is 9" long, at the end it has to be trimmed to the final lenght.

Step 3: Start Putting It All Together

Mark a 1/8" line around 3 inside sides of the leather. Apply contact cement to the leather. Depending on the type of glue you use, it will have diferent instructions of how to use it. In THIS ONE, you have to wait for it to be dry before puting it together.

OPTIONAL: Using a round corner cutter ( or with the box cutter) round 2 of the corners of the card holder.

OPTIONAL: Paint the borders of the card holder with acrylic paint.

Using a wing divider trace a line around the 3 glued borders. Punch the holes for sewing the leather using the stitching chisels.

Install the snap fastener to the leather strap and punch the holes for sewing 1" away from the fastener.

Step 4: Sewing Time

Start sewing from the top corner. Remember to sew the swivel holder and the leather strap to the card holder while sewing around the perimeter.

Step 5: Finishing the Strap

With a card inside of the card holder, mark the end of the strap and cut it. Using some preasure, mark the position of the snap on to the leather and punch the leather. Install the other part of the snap fastener and finish the end of the strap to your liking.

Step 6: Final Product

You have finished! Now you will be able to "quarantine" a card.

Hope this will be usefull for other people.

Comments

[avilajulian726]

Looks great! I often work with leather, and this is a great idea, as I find myself often only taking a few cards with me. Might I suggest a few methods? They would require some more tools, but are mostly for aesthetics. First, you could skive the edges, and then burnish them for a nicer edge. You could also dye and finish the leather to get more colors, and would work better than most acrylic paints. Finally, you could also get some stamps and a swivel knife and tool the leather to add your own design onto it. Overall, great job and I’ll be sure to make this next!

[Animiles]

Isn't minimalism about keeping things simple in order to save on materials and emissions during the creation? Leather might not be the best choice of material for that purpose due to the huge CO2 and Methane emissions created by raising cows..

Climate change is becoming a huge problem, and the longer we wait the worse it'll get, so I'll try my best to spread some awareness around without going offtopic ^^

Either way, it does look really nice. I'm not a fan of the materials used, but thanks for sharing nonetheless. It'd be a great idea to recycle leather from an old jacket or possibly from furniture, so this instructable might be useful for me in the future :)

[xpunkpr]

Thanks for the nice words. I get the point. Usually I make my things using recicled material , mostly wood. This leather was from the remains of another project this way they didnt ended in a landfield. This project can easily be made out of jeans or any other fabric. Thanks again for taking the time to read my instructable and taking the time to write me.