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I'm trying to make a fairly minimal wallet out of an old inner tube (for use while cycling, with one card pocket and one change pocket into which notes can go as well). The basic structure of my prototype is there, but it's not quite right yet.

One thing that's annoying is it doesn't lie flat enough. The folds could do with being creases, especially on the seams (that I've turned onto the inside). Construction is a mixed of hand-sewn and glued with contact adhesive, and my sewing isn't very tidy so I'd rather not add visible stitching. I also want it to be as small (in terms of area) as possible.

Here are some pictures. The visible glue marks on the right in the second and third shots are where I've removed a strap made from another piece, that's meant to hold it shut. Some re-working is required there (sewing as well as gluing, for strength). Minimal inner tube wallet

Minimal inner tube wallet

enter image description here

With a card in there, it lies flat but the other end, intended for cash, doesn't.

Even though this is only for my own personal use, I'll probably remake the next attempt from scratch, as the coins escape -- that pocket needs to go closer to the hinge and/or have a flap over it

Is there any way to press a crease into rubber? The hinge in the middle and the ends of the pockets both need it.

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  • In assembling your wallet, have you arranged the curved rubber sheets such that their curves resist or complement each other. If you glue the previously inside-side of the tube to another previously inside-side of the tube, their curves should negate each other, yielding a flat-ish composite surface.
    – Henry Taylor
    Commented Sep 24, 2018 at 14:31
  • @HenryTaylor it's a single thickness so the inside is still the inside. It's all made from one piece except the strap to hold it shut. It's no the original curve to fthe tube that's the issue but the fold. It will be much clearer when I get home and can post a photo
    – Chris H
    Commented Sep 24, 2018 at 15:02
  • Cool. I will check back later. In the meantime, you can probably score the fold by cutting a v-shaped grove along its' length, sort of like if you were making a miter cut for a corner, just not all the way through. Then put a little glue in the grove to replace any lost structural strength.
    – Henry Taylor
    Commented Sep 24, 2018 at 15:37
  • I'd use several score marks next to each oother, say 1mm deep, 2mm across, 2mm apart. Say three parallel. This way you have a nice wide thinner area without weakening the fold area too much. The other option is to remove the fold and replace/sew in with canvass or the blue rubberised tarpaulin material.
    – Stefan
    Commented Apr 26, 2019 at 4:36

1 Answer 1

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Have you considered topstitching?

Stitching down all the edges that you want to have a crease in them will offer a mechanical fastener, in the form of thread, to keep the folds in place. This sidesteps the rubber's resistance to being holding a crease.

You can test how it would look by attaching clothes pins or similar along where you would topstitch.

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  • That could be done quite nicely by someone with the skills. On stretchy material that's not me, which is partly why I sewed on the inside. I could try it on the hinge of this prototype (which I keep loaded as a mini cycling wallet, so do use)
    – Chris H
    Commented Aug 1, 2019 at 20:49

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