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Saturday 22 May 2021

Quasi-Tutorial: Almost Origami Coupon/Card Holder

Almost Origami Coupon/Card Holder by eSheep Designs
A new way to carry around coupons and cards...
Presenting week four of "Make it in May".

Back in 2016, I made a shopping list and coupon holder thingamajig for myself and featured it here as a tutorial.

It was my steady companion on grocery shopping days for over three years, before that thing called a pandemic relegated it to my purse indefinitely. (I still don't carry my regular purse when out shopping, nor would I toss a fabric shopping list holder into the average shopping cart.)

Make it in May at eSheep Designs

While it was easy to switch gears and take along just a simple paper shopping list, I didn't have a way to organize the occasional coupon that I'm still receiving every now and then.

Recently — since it's certainly not being used for travelling — I turned to my minimalist wallet for that purpose.

Minimalist Wallet by eSheep Designs
Minimalist wallet as coupon keeper...

Its three compartments make it somewhat easier to sort my coupons, even though I cannot see them.




Then I came across a tutorial for an origami pouch from Darae at indigobird.ca. Her project finishes out at 6.5" x 4.5". I revamped it to a more compact size to fit my coupon and card needs — about a 3.5" square — and present it to you today as a quasi-tutorial. I call it "almost" origami since it's not quite functional just being folded; it has to be sewn.

Almost Origami Coupon/Card Holder by eSheep Designs
Front view...

But once it is sewn, you'll have five compartments in two different heights, perfect for keeping gift cards and coupons in one place. As you can see from the picture at the top of this post, I was able to fit a card horizontally into the middle pocket. (If by chance you end up with tighter seam allowances, cards will still fit vertically.)

Almost Origami Coupon/Card Holder by eSheep Designs
Back view...

Exterior fabric is my Medium Bouncing Ox (Red), backed with remnants of the jumbo yellow and gray version left over from my personal project portfolio.

The inspiration tutorial from indigobird provides a downloadable template for foolproof results. You can DIY my smaller version with a sheet of letter size paper (8.5" x 11") by folding it into thirds.

Almost Origami Coupon/Card Holder by eSheep Designs
Divide a standard 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper into thirds...

Eleven inches divided into thirds is 3.66666 inches, but I didn't bother measuring that out. Instead, I just started folding a sheet of paper. It is derived from origami, after all.

Almost Origami Coupon/Card Holder by eSheep Designs
How to fold...

It ends up that two panels 3 5/8" wide and one panel 3 3/4" wide makes up about 11". (If you live in the metric world, you can go with 9.3cm per panel.) The process is for one side to fold in on top of the centre panel, the other side to fold in on top of that, the bottom part to fold upwards and then the top flap to fold down.

While origami usually requires some level of precision, this one doesn't need to be perfect. (Those of you who can make out the pencil marks on my template can see that the original measurements don't match the text that I overlaid on the image.) If you can fold the sheet to the approximate dimensions, I'd say you're fine.


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The next step is to use the template to cut two pieces of fabric — one exterior, one lining — and one piece of SF101 (or equivalent) interfacing. (The SF101 is applied to the exterior fabric.)

When using the template to cut fabric, add a seam allowance around it; I used 1/4" or 6mm. For the SF101, use the template as is. OR, you may prefer to cut the interfacing first, fuse it onto your exterior fabric and then cut around the fabric with your desired seam allowance. You can then use this finished piece as a template for the lining (just make sure to stack fabrics right sides together).

Almost Origami Coupon/Card Holder by eSheep Designs
Cutting and interfacing, then trimming and prepping the seam...

Again with the fabrics right sides together, sew around the perimeter, leaving a turning gap on whatever side that you will be folding first (the right side in my case).

Clip the corners and taper the seam allowance near the corners. Then take the whole thing to your ironing station and press one side of the seam open as shown in the last picture above. (This will make your edges neater when you turn it right side out.)

Almost Origami Coupon/Card Holder by eSheep Designs
Starting with one piece...

Turn it right side out and press, press, and press to ensure that you have a crisp starting point before you fold.

Almost Origami Coupon/Card Holder by eSheep Designs
Making the folds...

Fold and press as shown above. Remember that the side that has the open turning gap should be folded inwards first. Secure by sewing as close to the edge as possible.

Make the second vertical fold and sew that side down as close to the edge as possible. Then stitch across the lower horizontal fold line to create the bottom set of pockets, and fold up. Press again.

Almost Origami Coupon/Card Holder by eSheep Designs
Hand sewn sides...

To finish, stitch up the lower sides. I could not for the life of me get my sewing machine to go through all of those layers, so I hand sewed this part. The advantage of doing so is that you can get right at the two layers that need to be held together instead of punching your needle through all of them.

All that's left is to install a snap fastener to the top flap and first layer of the bottom pocket.

Almost Origami Coupon/Card Holder by eSheep Designs
A five-pocket coupon and card holder...

I'm not giving instructions on how to do that; any packet of snap fasteners will offer directions for installing them.


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And here is what the final item should look like. This is the top pocket.

Almost Origami Coupon/Card Holder by eSheep Designs
Last pocket? First pocket?

You can see from these pics where the lining fabric shows up, if that's an important consideration for how you want to allocate your fabric.

Almost Origami Coupon/Card Holder by eSheep Designs
Four remaining pockets...

This can be just as handy as a minimalist wallet in that there is ample room for coins (as long as they're kept in the top pocket, they'll stay put), paper money and cards. You can't beat it for simplicity, given that it's "almost" origami.

'Til next...

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