Arrow Wallet (DIY)

I absolutely love making these little felt wallets: they're cute, simple, and just big enough to hold a few vital cards (originally made for a post inspired by the book Phantom Tollbooth).  Maybe because of Valentines day, or because I just watched The Three Musketeers last night, I was really into embellishing them with arrows. The heads and tails of these arrows are actually little metallic iron-on heart shaped studs from My Next Style.

You will need:
- felt
- needle and thread
- My Next Style iron on hearts
- embroidery thread
- fabric pen or permanent marker

This very basic wallet was created from just one segment of felt that is folded and sewn.  

To begin, cut your felt section.  It should measure 8.5" x 3.75"  The diagram below shows where your felt will eventually be folded (along the dotted lines) to create the wallet.

After cutting the felt - and before folding and sewing - you will add the arrow design.  Notice where the design is? The arrows need to fit inside the portion labeled front.  After measuring, you may want to use sewing pins to mark the edges, or dotted lines.

With a ruler, draw two lines, each about 1" long with the marker.  My lines are about 3/4 of an inch away from each other.  If possible, I recommend using a marker and embroidery thread that are the same color.  If the markings are visible through your stitches, they will be less noticeable.

 Cover the marker lines and make your arrows by using the back stitch (cute, quick little tutorial here) with embroidery thread.  

What would you call this part of the arrow?  The stick?  The body?  The shaft?  

Lets go with 'stick,' shall we?

 Now we'll add the heart studs.  I chose a large heart for the head of the arrow and three smaller hearts to create the tail.  Cut apart the sheet of hearts.

 Remove only the black backing, leaving the sticky clear cover in place.  It will hold your heart in place.

 Place the large heart at one end of the stitched line 'stick' and three smaller hearts at the other end, all facing the same direction.  Use the clear sticky sheet to tack them to the felt.  Cover with a cloth and iron for 15 seconds.  Carefully turn the felt over and iron the other side for 15 seconds. 

I found that iron-on studs take longer to adhere to felt than other fabrics, so repeat this step if necessary. 

When the studs have cooled, gently remove the sticky sheet.

Flip your felt segment over  so the arrows are facing down) and fold the sides in as shown below.  Measure and pin them in place.  Sew the four sides closed (where you see the blue lines).

You are finished! Use this little guy whenever you don't want to deal with a purse!

 

For other inspiring craft ideas, check out My Next Style blog.