Craft tutorials and free templates

Magic wallet

Imade a magic wallet for my four year old this weekend (I remember playing with them when I was a kid). Anyway he loved it (….and I mean really loved it). He loved it so much he took it to bed with him. My three year old didn’t really ‘get it’ but he thought it was ace too!!

Magic wallet

For those of you not familiar with magic wallets here’s a quick explanation of what they do. Basically the wallet opens both ways. If you pop some paper money on top of the green cross, close the wallet, and open it again, it will appear underneath the green cross. If you close and open the wallet again it will appear underneath the yellow lines.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t make brand new bank notes appear out of thin air….blast!

If you are intrigued, and want to know how to make one, please find full instructions after the jump.

How to

There are quite a few steps in this tutorial but I promise it’s not as complicated as it looks. Once you have all your pieces ready it will take about 5 minutes to assemble.

Supplies

♥ Two rectangles of cardboard measuring approx 10 x 7 cm.
♥ Four 10cm lengths of ribbon in two different colours. (Paper strips are fine, but not as durable, so reinforce strips with sticky tape.
♥ Gaffa tape or sticky tape
♥ Ruler
♥ Scissors

Instructions

1) Cut eight squares of sticky tape it’s easier to do this before you start assembling the wallet. If you have electrical tape or gaffa tape then use that because it’s a bit stronger!

2) Place your first cardboard rectangle on a flat surface.

Magic wallet

3) Lay your first two lengths of ribbon across the cardboard as shown.

4) Place your second piece of cardboard on top of the first so that the two lengths of ribbon are sandwiched between.

Magic wallet

5) Fold the two right-hand pieces of ribbon over the top piece of cardboard and stick down.

6) Flip the entire wallet over (so that the back piece of cardboard is now the front). Repeat step 5.

Magic wallet

7) Now open up your wallet and position as shown.

Magic wallet

8) Place your other two pieces of ribbon on top of the right-hand piece of cardboard in a cross formation. It’s important to make sure that the left hand side of the (green) ribbon tucks under the (yellow ribbon).

Magic wallet

9) Lift the left-hand piece of cardboard up and place over the top of the right-hand piece of cardboard.

10) Fold the two left-hand pieces of (green) ribbon over the top piece of cardboard and stick down.

Magic wallet

11) Flip entire wallet over

12) Fold the two left-hand pieces of (green) ribbon over the top piece of cardboard and stick down.

Magic wallet

13) Job done! Hurray!

Magic wallet

Now play!

Magic wallet

18 thoughts on “Magic wallet

  1. Very cool! And an Aussie $10! I never realised how bright they are until I lived overseas. It looks like plastic play money.

  2. Glad you like it Cecile. My son really loves his. Yep…I hate spending lots of money on something when you know they will tire of it after a week or so!

  3. My boys will love these! I will get stuck in and make some at the weekend – will make a great ‘extra’ for my nephews too. Clever you. Love the ‘paper money’ – that is the real McCoy in these parts! My kids would be stoked to find one of those in their wallet x

  4. Thanks MM. I tried to scan some real money in (so I could print some play money out for the boys) and my scanner told me off. Technology eh! Have a load of Aussie money in the loft from our time there…well not loads…but about 50 bucks! Looking fwd to being back there one day so i can spend it!

  5. I’ve been looking for a diy for a magic wallet! Thanks so much kate! btw, my real name is kate πŸ˜€

  6. Very many thanks for those excellent instructions. I first made a magic wallet at the age of nine at
    school, and never made one since then until this week. Now I’ve made 4 for my grandchildren !

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