For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been playing around with wallets. Designing wallets that I like visually and merging that with what I want to use in a wallet. Hint: I carry a lot of stuff and can’t use a minimalist wallet, but I sure like the way minimalist wallets look and function – so I may force myself to make the switch.

I’ve purchased many wallet patterns and die cuts (tools used to punch out leather patterns perfectly) in the past year and they’re basically the same, so now I’m playing with designing my own. As a beginning designer, I am, of course, influenced by what I see out there already. Creators I follow on Instagram have influence details that I like in a wallet, without explicitly copying what they’re doing as I develop my own style. So far I’ve designed and made patterns for (eventually I may sell patterns or acrylic templates) three wallets. I call them “The Roxie” – a ladies keychain and small wallet combo, “The Grant” – a minimalist wallet based on one that a friend had and could not replace, and “The Paulie” – which is not my own design but is a die cut that I purchased. I plan on making some of these with marble-dyed leather that I’ve made so they’re uniquely mine.

I hope you’ll follow along on my journey via facebook and instagram, as well as this blog, and I further hope you’ll consider a hand-made wallet for an upcoming gift or to treat yourself instead of buying one from a big box retailer.