Spring Couplet Wallet Demonstration

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Every Chinese New Year, government officials of all positions will print spring couplets and give them to the people for free, to bring joy. I myself always get them every year, to paste on the doors, and use the rest for origami. About 2 years ago, I was in the security office of our community, and saw the spring couplets from the mayor laying on the front desk, and they were waterproof and glossy. For someone who is keen on papers, of course I took a few of them, and started thinking about what I could make with those spring couplets. Coincidentally, my wallet was getting worn out, so I decided to make a new paper wallet. It turned out to be pretty durable, and since then, I make a new wallet out of spring couplets every year. This year is the year of Golden Monkey, and besides wishing everybody a belated happy new year, I will also share with you how you can make your own spring couplet wallet with my method from 2 years ago, wishing everybody a prosperous new year, Gong Xi Fa Cai!

To start off, you need an 18 by 8.5 cm cardboard as a template, which is about the size of an NT$1000 bill, while most spring couplets come in at 60 by 29 cm each. In the entire process, you don’t need to cut or paste anything, and only one single piece of spring couplet is required, to make your very own long wallet with double layers.

Turn to the back of the spring couplet, find its middle line, and align it with the middle line of your template. Draw two folding lines from the top and bottom ends of the template across the spring couplet, and fold them in according to the arrows.

Spread the top and bottom portions according to the arrows.

Place the template on the left side of the spring couplet, mark the folding line along the height of the template, and fold it to the right according to the arrow.

Fold in the top and bottom portions of the spring couplet, and then fold the left portion to the right according to the arrows.

Fold the left portion to the right according to the arrow, again.

Fold the left portion to the right according to the arrow, yet again, and flip the spring couplet vertically to its back.

Fold the left portion to the right, yet again.

Flip the spring couplet vertically to its back.

Exapand the left compartment, fit the right folding line into the deepest end of the left compartment, while folding the left folding line according to the arrow.

Exapand the left compartment, fit the right portion into the deepest end of the left compartment, while folding the middle folding line according to the arrow.

Fold the right portion to the left and form a seal, while folding the middle folding line, and there is your spring couplet wallet, congratulations!