 |
| Front and back side of my new passport & travel document keepers... |
My dilemma was that I wanted to have a separate solution for each person that could then somehow be integrated into one.
Let me say right now that the dilemma more or less remains. The two organizers that I made here have no elegant way of being "put together" except via strategically placed velcro dots (see photo at bottom of this post).
However, each organizer on its own is a whole lot more functional for my specific needs than anything else I've encountered.
In the intervening four years since I first touched on this topic, I've seen enough wallet style passport holders to make me give up on my quest. Maybe these wallets are useful for a family with kids, but I'm not looking for something that merely carries my passport(s); if that was the case, my old Dollarama vinyl passport "jackets" would suffice.
Most people don't need a designer wallet to tote around a bunch of passports, because it's really not practical. It arguably looks better, but efficiency-wise, you may as well store your passports in a ziplock bag.
Why am I dissing passport wallets? A passport needs to be easily and quickly accessible. I'm not sure that pulling out a fancy wallet containing a whole family's worth of passports serves that need. It's not like we're allowed to decorate our passports so that they're instantly recognizable. ("This one with the pink flowers on it is Susie's...") If you can't easily match up a passport with the person it belongs to, you're wasting time. And not just your time, but also the time of the person standing in line behind you.
Of course, if you're a user of one of these wallets and you've memorized which slot belongs to which family member, then I bow deeply to your organizational efficiency.
 |
| This simple organizer has a place for everything... |
That said, even though I'm not a big time traveller, I've been in an airport enough times to know that what every traveller needs is a way to keep paper documents (visas, itineraries, tickets, confirmations, insurance info), a passport, and a boarding pass together in one handy place... separate from the same for any travelling companion(s).
The organizer that you see here has a full length zippered pocket for keeping valuables (like cash) safely contained.
 |
| Zippered pocket for cash, visas, tickets... |
One side of it is a full width (open) slip pocket that is sized for standard 8.5" wide paper.
 |
| Side slip pocket for other paper documents... |
Everything fits just snugly enough that there won't be an issue with things falling out.
 |
| Book mark to keep your passport open to any given page... |
To fulfill the have your passport open to the right page instruction, I installed a "book mark" using a strip of ribbon, sewn down with just the right amount left open to slide in the passport. It can stay like that quite securely.
When not needed to stay open, there is also a clear angled pocket on the back of the organizer (see below or photo at top of post) that can hold the passport.
 |
| Clear pockets at front and back for boarding pass and passport... |
To round out the features, a clear pocket on the front accommodates a boarding pass.
This is an easy to carry solution to every traveller's needs. Once it's served its purpose, just slip it into the backpack, purse or laptop case that you're likely to be carrying. It'll also fit into the average hotel room safe without issues.
 |
| Another view of side slip pocket... |
The Passport & Travel Document Keeper is a fairly simple sewing project. I used both 5/8" and 7/8" grosgrain ribbon to do the binding, but you can certainly use just 7/8" (22mm) if you want. Don't use anything wider or it will affect the document pocket opening.
 |
| Another view of zippered pocket... |
You don't even need to use up a lot of nice fabric to make this. (Not to mention that each member of the family can have one made out of a different fabric, which addresses the issue of figuring out who belongs to what passport.) The exterior part that you can see requires just a single 11.5" x 9.25" (29cm x 23.5cm) piece. The main and zippered pocket lining can be made with whatever remnants you have in your stash.
 |
| Here are the afore mentioned velcro dots attached to the back... |
 |
| Held together by velcro... |
I may write this up as a pattern/tutorial in future if there's any interest. (On both my part and yours!) In the meantime, you probably have enough info to hack it.
The strip of ribbon to hold the passport open is a clever idea, Rochelle.
ReplyDeleteVery nicely done. Didn’t think I needed one of these, but your design has changed my mind. A tutorial would be appreciated
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bonnie. I will keep the project near the front burner. ;-)
Delete