Wallet Tutorial: Step 4 (Making the Clasps)
Materials:
- Elastic hair band (elastic is approximately 3/32" in diameter)
- about 1/4 to 1/2 oz of polymer clay
- superglue
- translucent liquid polymer clay
- 1/4" diameter dowel rod cut to 1/2" length
- 1/4" drill bit
- 3/32" drill bit
- match
The Clasp contains three parts:
| Wallet with Front Clasp and Elastic Band |
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- Front clasp: Offers a chance to add a decorative touch to the wallet. However, enough space must remain between the bottom of the clasp and the front of the wallet for an elastic hair band to fit (about 1/8").
- Back clasp: I've designed this so that the elastic hair band is replaceable.
- Elastic band: The band is attached to the back clasp and wraps around the front of the wallet, going over the front clasp and snugging into the space between the cover of the wallet and the bottom of the front clasp. The wallets tend to remain closed without the clasp, but it prevents the credit cards from accidentally slipping out.
The Front Clasp
- Create a decorative clasp that is at least 1/2" wide or round (ish) and at least 1/3" thick. There must be enough thickness to drill a 1/4" hole.
- Bake the clasp at 275°F (or at whatever temperature required for the clay you are using) for 40 minutes.
- If desired, sand the clasp beginning with 400 grit through 800 or 1000 grit.
- Using the 1/4" drill bit, drill a hole in the BOTTOM of the clasp. The hole should be approximately 1/4" deep. Do NOT drill all the way through to the front of the clasp.
- Using the 1/4" drill bit, drill a hole in the front (not the back!) of the front cover where the purple dot is on the template. Do NOT go all the way through the cover. However, the hole needs to be deep enough to give the post enough stability. I drill until the tip of my drill bit is just about to emerge from the back of the front cover. (The inside of the wallet will cover this area.) The hole should be clean and free of shavings.
| Front Clasp after Step 6 |
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- Using superglue (be generous [but not overly so] as this is one of the stress points of the wallet), glue one end of the dowel post into the hole in the back of the front clasp, and the other end into the hole in the front cover. Make sure you leave about 1/8" space between the cover and the back of the front clasp for the elastic hair band to nestle. For my wallets with an Oriental flavor, I like to use two dowel posts because the faux bamboo is long and narrow as shown in the photo to the right.
The Back Clasp
- Make a decorative clasp that is at least 1/3" thick, 1" long and 1/4" wide.
- Bake the clasp at 275°F (or at whatever temperature required for the clay you are using) for 40 minutes.
- If desired, sand the clasp beginning with 400 grit through 800 or 1000 grit.
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| Starter Holes |
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Using the 3/32" drill bit (or one the same diameter as your elastic hair band), drill two holes through the "width" of the back clasp. See the example photo to the right which shows two "starter holes." The holes are on the long side of the clasp, going through the width of the clasp.
- Lay your completed front cover and the back cover face-up on a flat surface with the curved corners facing each other. Position the back clasp so that the back clasp and front clasp are equi-distant on their respective covers. Using liquid polymer clay, attach the back clasp to the OUTSIDE of the back cover. [See example]
- Bake the back cover/back clasp at 275°F (or at whatever temperature required for the clay you are using) for 10 minutes to set the liquid polymer clay.
Elastic Band
| Cute, Curvy Endcaps |
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- While the clasp is baking, roll two 1/3" diameter balls of accent clay. These are going to the be "endcaps" to the elastic hair band. You can leave them shaped as balls, or roll them into little logs. For my wallets with an oriental flavor, I like to roll them into logs and then give them a cute curvy shape.
- Bake the endcaps at 275°F (or at whatever temperature required for the clay you are using) for 30 minutes.
- Using the 3/32" drill, drill a hole 1/8" deep into each of the endcaps.
- Snip an elastic hair band in half. If I am using the kind with a metal band joining the band into a circle, I simply snip the elastic at either end of the metal join, giving me about a 3" length of elastic. Light a match and quickly run the ends of the ponytail elastic through the flame to prevent fraying (this step might be optional). Place a dab of superglue into the hole in ONE endcap (but not the other!!!) and place one end of the elastic band into the hole. Let it "set."
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| After Step 5 |
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Run the other end of the elastic band through the back of a hole in the back clasp. Thread it through front of the other hole in the back clasp. Once the end emerges from the back of the hole in the back clasp, place a dab of superglue into the hole in the other endcap and set the other endcap.
NOTE: I generally make two of these bands for each wallet, in case the elastic band loses elasticity over time. Just remember, don't glue BOTH endcaps onto the second band because it has to be threaded through the back clasp before gluing the second endcap.
Step 3 (Making the Interior)