DIY Review: Carton Wallet

Welcome back to my blog! Today I thought I would start a series called DIY Review. In this series I will share some intriguing DIY projects I have seen online and give you my thoughts throughout the process of making them. This DIY carton wallet comes from Spoonful. It caught my eye because it is functional and sustainable! Upcycle a used orange juice carton? Count me in! Keep reading to see how to make their DIY wallet carton...

Supplies:

Click on this link to check out their recommended supplies: DIY Carton Wallet

Remember to print out their template by clicking this link: Template

Steps:

Since Spoonful has clearly explained the steps on their website I will not write them out here. Instead, I will show how my DIY carton wallet turned out...

My orange juice carton

Cut at the seams except for the front panel

Reverse view (I made a minor mistake and cut the left seam by accident so I patched it up with some clear tape)

I printed out and put together the Spoonful template and placed it over my carton. I held it in place with some tape.

Cut around the template

Traced the template. The instructions say to trace the dotted lines, but I found that connecting the dots made a deeper impression onto the carton.

Close up view of my tracing. My lines were not as straight as I would have liked. The straighter your lines, the easier it will be to fold later...

I removed my template and used a ruler and scoring tool to go over the lines one more time. You can use a pencil or a paperclip to score.

I began to fold along the lines I created. The accordion fold is more difficult than it looks. It took some time to get even creases. If my lines were more straight and indented it might have been easier...

Before I folded the top part over I cut out the circle indicated by the template. If you are only working with scissors, like I was, this step is challenging! Try using a scalpel or knife to achieve smoother results.

Done! You can unscrew the top to drop in loose change or you can unfold the entire thing to store bills.

Review:

Pros:

• Great way to repurpose a used orange juice carton! 
• I did not purchase anything for this DIY.
• I did not use many supplies.
• It took me less than 30 minutes to make.

Cons:

• It was difficult to fold.
• The hole indicated by the template was not large enough.
• The screw top makes it bulky.

Overall, I had a lot of fun making this carton wallet. This DIY definitely rewards patience and exactness. If you try this at home, make sure you trace the template slowly and surely, too many aberrant lines makes the accordion fold very difficult! This carton wallet is not a replacement for a standard wallet as there are no pockets and it is only convenient to store loose change. I plan to keep this wallet in the car and use it to store quarters for parking meters. 

This DIY is definitely a practice-makes-perfect project. I think my second try will yield even better results!

- Urban DIYs

Note: Make sure you rinse and dry your carton thoroughly, especially if using a milk carton!