Customizing a travel wallet

For years I have used a self-made closure devised of a Velcro® brand fastener on each of my travel wallets, since the wallets that come with ready-made Velcro® closures haven’t suited my needs. I would like to share with you the technique of applying the Velcro® fastener.

As you know, a Velcro® fastener consists of two mating parts, the hooks, comprising the rough part, and the loops, or the smooth part. Many varieties (sew-on, glue-on, iron-on) are available, but for this application you need to get the black “Sticky Back® Tape” with No. 72 acrylic adhesive, which has a white release strip (with the trade name Velcro® on it) covering the glue.

Buy only the original Velcro® tape made by Velcro Industries B.V., which is industrial strength and will hold well on plastic, leather and vinyl. Before I bought this material at REI (Sumner, WA; 800/426-4840, www.rei.com) I had used other generic hook-and-loop fasteners, but none would stick.

I am sure other stores will have this same industrial-strength Velcro® product. Refer to the Velcro Industries B.V. reorder numbers, which are 190984 for the loop and 191051 for the hook.

1. To start, buy a 5-inch-long strip each of the hook and the loop of the black, one-inch-wide “Sticky Back® Tape.”

2. Attach the strip of loops to the strip of hooks so they are aligned.

3. Next, with scissors, trim off a piece three-quarters of an inch wide and two inches long.

4. You now have a black center of firmly adherent Velcro® tape and two white release strips covering the adhesive on each side.

5. Remove the white strip that protects the glue from ONLY ONE side of the Velcro® tape and attach the combination (consisting of the two mating components) close to and parallel to the long side of the wallet.

6. After pressing down on the combination for one minute to get a good adhesive bond, remove the white release strip from the opposite side of the Velcro® tape.

7. Now press the corresponding side of the wallet firmly down onto the exposed glue and hold it for one minute. This will ensure a good bond.

You now may open and close the wallet with impunity.

PHILIP WAGENAAR

Contributing Editor