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Sewing a vaccination card holder: Quick picture tutorial for DIY

21.05.2021 by Sabine Schmidt

Impfpasshülle nähen: Schnelle Bilder-Anleitung zum Selbermachen

Sewing a vaccination certificate cover is a great project, even for beginners. Everything you need for this DIY project: a scrap of leather, felt, cork fabric, and my free pattern.

The most important points at a glance

  • You can sew the vaccination certificate cover using any material that doesn't fray
  • If you don't have a sewing machine, you can simply glue the cover together with fabric glue instead of sewing it
  • You can download the pattern for the vaccination certificate cover in 3 variations directly here in the post
  • You will find picture tutorials below for 5 different materials (felt, leather, SnapPap, cork fabric, paper fabric)
  • Level: Beginner
  • Sewing time: 10 min.

Since the pandemic at the latest, we have probably all wondered where our vaccination certificate ended up. Most of us have found it by now. And many have also had the good fortune of having their COVID-19 vaccination recorded in it.

In the future, we will certainly be more conscious of handling this basically important document. Especially since we want to have it quickly at hand in the future to be able to prove that we are vaccinated.

To ensure the vaccination certificate is well protected and doesn't get crumpled in your handbag, I have come up with three beautiful and very simple variations with which you can sew great covers for your vaccination certificate in no time at all.

Vaccination certificate cover pattern

Here you can download the free patterns for the vaccination certificate cover in 3 variations:

Would you like to sell vaccination certificate covers that you have sewn using my pattern? This is easily possible with a license. You can download a license here.

Which vaccination certificate size are the patterns suitable for?

The patterns are suitable for current vaccination certificates, which measure 9.3 x 13 cm when folded.

Sewing a vaccination certificate cover

How can I customize the patterns?

Simply use your vaccination certificate as a template and add a 1.5 cm seam allowance on the two short sides and one long side. Then cut your material on the fold. You can use this method to sew the two insert variations.

Which materials are suitable?

You can choose between many different materials according to your individual preferences. It is important that the material does not fray and can also be sewn well in a double layer.

The following materials are very suitable:

Extra tip: If you like upcycling, you can also make your own sewing paper (I like to call it Tetra-leather because it is made from Tetra Paks and is virtually tear-proof) from milk cartons. I show you how to do this in great detail in the post Sewing with milk cartons. At the bottom of the post, I also show you how to sew the vaccination certificate cover out of Tetra-leather. :)

What accessories do I need?

  • 16 x 25 cm outer fabric (see suitable materials)
  • Ruler
  • Scissors or rotary cutter
  • Sewing thread (e.g., in a contrasting color)

YouTube tutorial: Sewing a vaccination certificate cover

Sewing a vaccination certificate cover

BONUS: Upcycling vaccination certificate cover sewn from Tetra Pak

Sustainable sewing doesn't stop at vaccination certificate covers. This is proven by the chic specimen that I sewed from my self-made Tetra-leather. Tetra-leather? That's what I call the leather-like material that is created when you peel off the top layer of a Tetra Pak packaging. It is not only durable and looks very interesting: you can also paint and sew it beautifully! Feel free to read my blog post Sewing with milk cartons for this.

And now I wish you lots of fun sewing!

Will you write me a comment on how you liked the tutorial? I would be very happy about that. :)

Happy simple sewing, your Sabine

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I sew a vaccination certificate cover?

A self-sewn vaccination certificate cover is quick to make, and you can be really creative with your choice of materials. Plus, it's much cheaper than store-bought covers.

What do I need to sew a cover for the vaccination certificate?

You only need a material of your choice, e.g., cork fabric, leather, SnapPap, or paper fabric. And off you go.

How long does it take to sew a vaccination certificate cover?

The cover is finished in no time at all. Even beginners can sew it in about 10 minutes.

Links marked with * are affiliate links: If you make a purchase through them, we receive a small commission. The price remains the same for you.

Step-by-step instructions

Instruction 1 / 3

Version 1: sew a felt vaccination card cover

Felt is a forgiving material for beginners – it doesn't fray and is easy to sew. Download the free pattern (version with window).

  1. Step

    Cut the felt

    Cut the felt using the sewing pattern.

    Cut the felt
  2. Step

    Cut out the little window

    Also carefully cut out the little window with pointed scissors.

    Cut out the little window
  3. Step

    Make notches

    Mark the fabric with a notch at the ends of the dashed lines. This is where the short sides are folded to the wrong side.

    Make notches
  4. Step

    Fold over the short sides

    If you like, you can now sew around the little window with a straight stitch in a contrasting colour.

    Then fold the short sides to the inside at the notches and pin them in place.

    Fold over the short sides
  5. Step

    Topstitch the edges

    Sew along the folded edges with a 2 mm seam allowance. Stop 5 mm before the corner, leave the needle in the fabric, turn the fabric and continue sewing 5 mm from the edge.

    I use a longer straight stitch (3.5 mm) here.

    Topstitch the edges
  6. Step

    Done

    Your new vaccination card cover is finished.

    If your felt is a little stiff, you can gently shape it with steam and the heat of the iron.

    Done

Instruction 2 / 3

Version 2: sew a leather vaccination card cover

This version makes a truly indestructible vaccination card cover. Especially nice as a gift for men.

  1. Step

    Cut the leather

    Cut the leather as described above.

    Cut the leather
  2. Step

    Edgestitch around the window

    To give the window nice stability, I edgestitch around it a few times with a straight stitch.

    Edgestitch around the window
  3. Step

    Fold the short sides to the inside

    Then I simply fold the short sides to the inside. Unlike the felt version, I don't topstitch the folded sides on the leather case. With leather this usually isn't necessary.

    Fold the short sides to the inside
  4. Step

    Shape the fold with a ruler

    Afterwards you can gently shape the folded edge with a ruler.

    Shape the fold with a ruler

Instruction 3 / 3

Version 3: sew a vaccination card cover from SnapPap, cork fabric or paper fabric

SnapPap, cork fabric and paper fabric (Tyvek) are all sewn using the same technique. For this version the one-piece pattern without a window is used.

  1. Step

    Cut the material

    Cut the SnapPap or sewing paper using the sewing pattern. This version uses a different pattern.

    Cut the material
  2. Step

    Check the cut piece

    This is what it should look like now.

    Check the cut piece
  3. Step

    Fold the short sides towards each other

    Fold the two short sides towards each other and pin them together.

    Make sure the edges are nicely flush.

    Fold the short sides towards each other
  4. Step

    Sew the front and bottom edges together

    Now sew the front and bottom edges together with a straight stitch and a 0.7 cm seam allowance. Don't forget to backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam by sewing forwards and backwards once.

    Sew the front and bottom edges together
  5. Step

    Check the start and end of the seam

    In the photo you can clearly see where the seam starts and where it ends.

    Check the start and end of the seam
  6. Step

    Cork fabric and paper fabric – same technique

    With cork fabric it's basically the same: you sew the material just like SnapPap. If the cork fabric drags a little while sewing, you can switch to a roller foot or a walking foot.

    Likewise, paper fabric (Tyvek) is sewn the same way too. Tyvek is much thinner than SnapPap or cork fabric – ideal if you don't want the cover to be bulky in your bag. It is resistant to dirt and moisture and very tear-resistant.

    Cork fabric and paper fabric – same technique

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About the author

Sabine

I come from Siegen-Wittgenstein, where I spent my childhood breaking in cows, jumping off haystacks and scraping a D- in needlework class.

Today, being creative feels like indescribable happiness to me – and it grows even more when I can share it with others. Since 2016 I have been celebrating my passion for sewing on this blog, and I love that sewing connects so many people.