OK, so they showed this on a featured products page in Readymade #9 and I thought it looked cool, so I thought I'd try to make one.
Updated: the original creator of the paint chip wallet, Nara, recently contacted me and requested that I put a link to her website here. http://www.narawallets.com. Of course, I'm more than happy to do this and she's graciously allowing me to keep my tutorial. Thanks, Nara.
Supplies
+ paint chips ... you'll need quite a few in various colors
+ masking tape
+ packing tape (optional)
+ sewing machine
+ paper cutter or
+ ruler and
+ craft knife
+ sewing machine or
+ needle and thread
+ a few credit cards for judging size
+ scissors
Directions
Start by testing your masking tape on the back of a paint chip. Leave a little piece there for a few minutes and pull it up. If it doesn't pull up part of the paint chip with it, you're good to go. If not, you'll need to find another brand of masking tape or paint chip.
Then you need to start cutting your paint chips into strips. I won't give you specific dimensions. Basically, I used a width that was easy for me to judge on my paper cutter and that I could get at least three across on a paint chip. Cut up a bunch ... but leave quite a few uncut (5 or more) to use for pockets.
Now you start your weaving. You just alternate over-under ... front facing one way, back facing the other way. I think it's easiest if you line up a bunch of strips in one direction, secured with masking tape and then weave in the opposite direction. Try to keep your weave pretty tight.
Depending on the length of your paint chips, you may need to do a sort of extension. Basically you just take another strip and extend the first one with it, securing it with masking tape. You can sew over it again later.
Then you keep weaving it up. You can decide when to stop. But your final shape should be a rectangle that when you fold it in half twice will make up your wallet. You'll have to decide on the exact dimensions for yourself. After you've got all the weaving done, cut off the excess. You'll need to tape it up a bit to make it stay. Next step is sewing!
Go ahead and sew up the long sides. After you do that, you can carefully peel off the tape.
Next you need to plan your pockets. Use the credit cards to judge how long to make the pieces and cut a few to the right length. If you want to make an ID pocket, cut half a frame out of two chips and then make the see-thru part using your packing tape. Fold the wallet in half and mark where the pockets should be sewn on.
Sew on your pockets. Any of the seams that are towards the outside, you can wait and sew up all at once with the rest of the wallet. Once the pockets are sewn on, you can sew the wallet's final seams.
The one in Readymade had a button and a piece of elastic string to close it, but I didn't have any, so I didn't add it ... but that's always an option.