Felt Checkbook Holder

Here's a simple checkbook cover project. Most of us don't use our checkbooks very often, if at all, but sometimes it's good to keep them handy especially if you're visiting small-town shops or hitting up a hole-in-the-wall thrift store (believe us, we know from experience how useful the check can be in such situations!)

This project only requires two basic supplies--felt and thread--but there's more than one way to do this project and endless possibilities for embellishment. You can see in the picture that we made one with hand-stitching and felt appliqué (right), and another with a sewing machine (left).

• To start, select your felt. You can find wool and bamboo felt here.
• Next, place checkbook on your piece of felt and measure how much you will need to cover it. For instance, the checkbook we used measured 6 x 3" so a piece of felt measuring 6-1/2 x 6-3/4" provides adequate coverage.
• Cut out your pockets. You will need at least one pocket to hold your checkbook in place, the other pocket is optional. The pockets need to be the width of your checkbook holder and a little shorter in length than your checkbook. Our pockets measured 6-1/2 x 2-3/4" each.
• Before stitching everything together, embellish your pieces however you want. You can see on one of ours we cut out a silhouette of a dog (using our easy felt appliqué technique), whip stitched it down, and used a simple blanket stitch around the edges of the checkbook cover. On the other, we just pulled scraps of fabric and felt for a little extra color. 
• Once you have embellished your checkbook holder the way you want, stitch all of your pieces together by hand or by machine using your own style. Felt is super-easy to work with, so get creative and find your own special way of using it!

Graphic depicts measurements we used. 

The pocket is useful for holding receipts or stamps.  

If you have no use for a checkbook cover, think of other ways to use felt! You could make a stylish notebook cover, a simple clutch, or a cozy for your electronic devices. Mix in you favorite embellishments and the possibilities are absolutely endless!