DIY Sunglasses Case Wallet – Free Sewing Pattern

sunglasses case wallet

The DIY sunglasses case wallet was born from the need of both having to carry my sunglasses and finding my wallet in what my daughter calls the “black hole” (my handbag).

The truth is that it can take me from three minutes to never, to locate my debit card, keys and coins, but what is worse is that I end up dumping my sunglasses in the black hole only for them to surface scratched or twisted.

sunglasses case wallet

I figure I am not the only one so here is my solution to this very annoying problem.

sunglasses case wallet

The DIY sunglasses case wallet features a padded pocket to stash your sunglasses or reading glasses in safety.

sunglasses case wallet

The zipper is away from your glasses so it will not scratch them.

sunglasses case wallet

One outside zipper pocket for coins.

sunglasses case wallet

Five slots for cards and an ID window for easy access to your driver's license.

Materials

  • Vinyl
  • Upholstery, Canvas, Waxed or Jeans fabric
  • Lining fabric such as nylon
  • Glue for leather and fabric (Elmer's glue works well) or
  • Double-sided tape
  • 3″ X 3″ transparent vinyl square
  • Metal zipper 13-15″ long (you will have to trim anyways)

Tools

Sewing Skill: Confident Intermediate

This project is for someone who has already made a bag from any of our patterns, such as the Colby Bag or Ultimate Wallet.

You will need to know how to apply a zipper pocket to any purse and how to sew card pockets in a wallet.

Fabric Suggestions From Amazon.com


How To Download Your DIY Sunglasses Case Wallet Pattern

We will continue using the new Payhip web store to distribute our patterns. 

Our patterns are still free, but now you have the option of making a small contribution if you like our work! We'd appreciate it, and it will help us keep going with new and fun designs like this. Even a dollar or two goes a long way.

Thanks so much in advance for helping us out.  You can use any credit card, and you don't need a Paypal account, although you can use one if you have one.

How To Put Together Your Pattern

This is a question I get asked all the time from new subscribers, please read through this handy tutorial on How to print and assemble a PDF pattern.

Pattern Layout

sunglasses case wallet

How To Sew The DIY Sunglasses Case Wallet

I have separated the sewing procedure into two sides so it becomes easier to follow into Fabric Side and Leather/Vinyl side.

Fabric Side

The fabric side is the outside layer and it is very simple with only one outside Zipper pocket.

Step One: Sewing The Outside Zipper

Please use the following step by step tutorial on how to add a zipper pocket to a bag.

Place the zipper with the head on the left side.

sunglasses case wallet

Sew the lining to the top of the tape then on the sides.  Cut the bottom so we can turn the wallet through the zipper pocket once we have sewn the zipper.

sunglasses case wallet

sunglasses case wallet

Leather/Vinyl Side

This side consists of three layers.  An inner lining layer, pocket layer, and cards layer.

The card layer needs to be cut with the Exacto knife. Use the patter to transfer all the lines.

Step Two: Inner lining

Glue the lining to the leather/vinyl. I have added placements line on your pattern so you can know where exactly the strip of leather goes.

sunglasses case wallet

sunglasses case wallet

sunglasses case wallet

Leave it to dry at least 30 minutes. Sew at 1/8″ to attach the lining.  Put aside.

Step Two: Left Pocket

Apply glue to the wrong side of the lining, align the bottom of the lining with the bottom of the pocket and press.  Let it dry.

sunglasses case wallet

Apply glue to the wrong side of the leather.  Fold the top of the pocket to the wrong side.   Keep folded with quilting clips.

Sew at 1/8″.

sunglasses case wallet

Step Three: Right Pocket

The right pocket is made of a piece of lining end a strip of leather and it lyes under the cardholder layer.

Glue the lining to the strip of leather.

Apply glue the top of the leather and fold.   Holding the edge with quilting clips, put aside to let dry.

sunglasses case wallet

sunglasses case wallet

Once dry sew at 1/8″ top and bottom of the leather strip. Put aside.

sunglasses case wallet

Step Four:  Assembling the Card Holder

You will need to retrace the clear vinyl piece and the lining.

Turn the cardholder right side down, Place the clear vinyl piece on top of the viewing window.  Sew the clear vinyl around the viewing window.  I forgot to take a picture.

sunglasses case wallet

I ended sewing it by hand because my machine was not cooperating.  As you can see my hand stitching needs some more practice.

sunglasses case wallet

Now we need to glue the small piece of lining behind the clear plastic.

Regardless of what you see below not glue one side of the lining ( follow the instructions in your pattern), I discovered this hard way 🙁

sunglasses case wallet

sunglasses case wallet

Glue the pockets to the right sides of the slits starting with the slit closest to the clear vinyl pocket.

sunglasses case wallet

sunglasses case wallet

Glue the other side of the pocket to the left side of the slit.

sunglasses case wallet

sunglasses case wallet

sunglasses case wallet

This is how it should look from the side.

sunglasses case wallet

This is the view from the top.

Apply glue to the wrong side of the cardholder and fold the edge place the lining on top and fold the edge over the lining.

sunglasses case wallet

Pin with the quilting clips until is dry.

sunglasses case wallet

Sew at 1/8″.

Assembling The Sunglasses Case Wallet

Lay the lining layer first then apply glue around the edges no more than 1/4″ thick.

Place the left pocket on the left side. Press.

sunglasses case wallet

Place the right pocket on the right. Press

Finally, apply more glue over the right pocket and place the cardholder over the right pocket. Pin with clips and allow the glue to dry.

Sewing the Zipper

Open a 5.8″ slit using your Exacto knife.

Head of the zipper side down fold the tape under

sunglasses case wallet

and slide it into the slit.

Pin the zipper around the edge of the leather layer using the quilting pins.

Use your pattern to see where you need to stop sewing, to bend the zipper 90 degrees make a pleat.  Then trim the zipper.

Use a small zigzag to secure the zipper around the wallet.  I have used white thread so you can see it, but later I have to rip it out because it nearly destroyed my wallet. Please match the thread to the zipper tape.

sunglasses case wallet

sunglasses case wallet

Trim the zipper to the edge of the wallet.

sunglasses case wallet

sunglasses case wallet

We now are going to sew the fabric and the leather layer together, for this you MUST open the zipper pocket in the fabric layer first.

Then, lay the leather/vinyl layer right side facing up,  lay the fabric layer print side down.

Pin all around with the clips.

sunglasses case wallet

If your machine has a hard time with the thickness of the wallet, I recommend to zigzag all layers together first, then sew at 1/8″.

Sew again this time with the leather side up a little more than 1/8″, sew a third time at 1/4″.

Trim the corners so you can turn the wallet and have a nice smooth corner.

sunglasses case wallet

Turn the wallet through the zipper pocket.

sunglasses case wallet

sunglasses case wallet

sunglasses case wallet

With your hand still inside the wallet smooth out the corners.

Cover the wallet with a cloth and team for just a few seconds.  Close the zipper, if you find the zipper hard to close, apply wax from a candlestick on the teeth of the zipper.

And you are done.

sunglasses case wallet

I am very happy with this sunglasses case wallet because I can carry some coins, bills, and cards and I just discovered my iPhone (small with no protective case) fits in one of the inside pockets.

If you need an easy-to-make iPhone wallet don't forget to check the pattern and tutorial below with a video to guide you.

I hope this makes a Christmas gift you can make in a couple of hours with scraps of fabric you have laying in the house.  Try to use your scraps, I am sure you can come up with a  beautiful sunglasses case wallet.

If you would like to share with me and the rest of the readers send me your photos and I will add them to the post.  Or, you can use #soseweasy on Instagram and all the people who follow this # will be able to see your creations.

Do let me know in the comments below, how you are doing with your Christmas sewing and what project you would like to see to help you get your gifts list done.

Happy sewing and many blessings to all!


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Jay
Jay

This looks like it will be really handy! Thanks for sharing it

Cindy
Cindy

Will you be making a video? please!

sylvia
sylvia

hi do you have a tutorial for this patter sunglasses and wallet?

Barbara
Barbara

I downloaded the pattern and added a Payhip but the pattern pieces are cut off and not complete. Is there another way to download it?

MSK
MSK
Admin
Reply to  Barbara

Hi Barbara thanks for pointing this out, we’ll re-upload a corrected version as soon as possible. For some reason the page order is mixed up, with the version you downloaded the order should be: page 5,7,6,8,10,9

Barbara
Barbara
Reply to  MSK

Thanks! I will look for a new upload.

Julie Thomas
Julie Thomas

I don’t understand how to put the zipper on

Donna
Donna

Awesome, I stuff my glasses in my bag and it becomes a mess. I think this would be a lot better with some type of wrist strap if you want it and this would be great for carrying your reading glasses when shopping.

Jan
Jan

Nifty idea! Question: Your outside material has gold “dots.” Did it come that way or are there small metal dots available for purchase somewhere?

Arlene Klatt
Arlene Klatt

Do you think the new cork fabric would work instead of leather just wondering?

Candice Place
Candice Place

Love this idea. Going to add a snap hook & wrist strap so I don’t even need to think about carrying my purse. Thanks so much for sharing!

Mandy
Mandy

I love this sunglasses/wallet case! I’ve had 2 back surgeries so I hate carrying my big purse through stores especially if I’m just running in and out. I’ve been playing around with making bags and such for the past year or so (when I have time). I was making a cell phone/wallet cross body bag (about the size of my iPhone XS Plus) but by the time I got to the finishing it was so thick I was having a terrible time sewing through the layers. Does this one get bulky where it’s hard to sew through?

Liz Heller
Liz Heller

Great idea! Can’t wait to try it! Thank you.