While I am an over-packer and rarely leave my house without duplicates of everything (and a first aid kit) in my carryall, I find myself on occasion longing for a more compact handbag for when I need both hands and mobility. I have a few nicer wallets on chain but they are more of a special occasions type of bag for me so I was ecstatic to have stumbled upon several useful tutorials (among them one by SewPetiteGal) for how to convert a long bifold wallet into a wallet on chain.
Since I am not the best DIYer, I simplified the process and restricted material to the essentials. The end result still works so I have no doubt that those of you also interested can replicate this process.
For materials I bought a pack of lobster claw closures and a 36-inch long chain – after coupons I spent about $4 on both items (Michael’s has 40% off one item coupons that can be accessed online; bring a friend to use the coupon twice). In some tutorials the author used tools to open up and connect the chain but since I have a knack for being destructive to neighboring furniture when armed with pliers I opted for using the lobster claw closure to connect the two ends of the chain.
Since my wallet had a central zippered compartment, I simply attached the chain to the zipper with another lobster claw closure. For those of you who want more security you can sew or tape a flap over the chain in the fold to secure the chain in place.
If you want your wallet to double as both an over-the-shoulder and crossbody bag, you can look into getting a longer chain (~60 inches) for your project.
And that’s it! I feel a little ridiculous calling this a tutorial because it is so simple and intuitive.
Will you be trying this?