How to Make Fabric Budgeting Cash Envelopes

Our little family has been living on the Dave Ramsey “budget” system for years now.  We’ve also been using the cash envelope system right alongside the tight budget.  

I take my grocery money, entertainment money, eat-out money, and clothing money every month and I put it in four paper envelopes that I’ve been using since 2010.  They’ve been scribbled on and ripped and taped back up  – over and over.  They’re not pretty!  It’s quite embarrassing to pull them out in the grocery store.

Budgeting Cash Envelopes {Reasons To Skip The Housework}

Hi Fry’s checkout lady…don’t mind me {out in public in my yoga pants {that have never once been to yoga}, sports bra and a stained tee from 1999, hair in a sloppy bun, two year old with blue lollipop all over her face because I had to bribe her to be civil out in public, and my lovely…ripped to hell money envelopes that I’m going to pull out and fish through to find a $10 bill…I know there’s still a $10 in there amongst the ones – it’s only January 25th, I HAVE to have money left in my damn grocery envelope!}

See why I needed pretty fabric envelopes?  Enter my pretty oil cloth cash envelopes.  I’m in BIG PINK PUFFY HEART love with my new envelopes!

bill envelopes {Reasons To Skip The Housework}

How to Make Fabric Budgeting Cash Envelopes: Step-by-Step Tutorial

If I can sew these, ANYONE can sew these!  No problemo people!  I’ve even included a little template to print out and trace onto your fabric.  Best part?  I did this whole project in ONE nap time.  I’m not talking about the 2 1/2 hour nap time either….those really never ever happen to me – but magically, the mister gets 2-hour naps every time he watches her…I’m talking a one-hour naptime…ONE HOUR.  I traced, cut, sewed {and even had to re-load the stinkin’ bobbin in that time frame} and “velcroed” all 4 envelopes in ONE naptime.  

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Wanna make your own today during nap time?  Here’s the printable template!

Envelope Template

Easy Peasy, people!

cash envelopes {Reasons To Skip The Housework}

7 thoughts on “How to Make Fabric Budgeting Cash Envelopes

  1. We’ve been sort of doing the Dave Ramsey thing for a few months, and it really has helped. We’re taking the Financial Peace University Class now. I love the idea of making pretty and sturdy envelopes!

  2. We’ve been sort of doing the Dave Ramsey thing for a few months, and it really has helped. We’re taking the Financial Peace University Class now and are getting serious about the budget and paying off all our debt. I love the idea of making pretty and sturdy envelopes!

  3. Thanks for the inspiration! I was wanting to make money envelopes for a high school graduation gift for my niece. I really wanted a long term solution that wouldn’t rip every other week. I used two woven/plastic reusable grocery bags that I had. The straps were broken. I had originally purchased the reusable bag at Dollar Tree a few years back. I was able to cut out 4 envelopes out of each bag, 8 envelopes total.. I sewed on velcro. Then I use a thick clear table cloth plastic for label pouches on the front. I cut out 1.5 inches by 1 inch clear plastic for each pouch. I used fabric glue on 3 of the edges to set the plastic. After the glue was dried, I zig zagged around the clear plastic leaving one end open to slide in a cardstock label. I created my own balance sheet with my neice’s name on it “Jessica’s Cash” to go inside each envelope. Then I made extra budget balance sheets, clapped them together with binder clips and a piece of cardstock on top and bottom, then wiped rubber cement on one end to make it a notepad. I also made one bigger envelope to hold all 8 envelopes. I sewed a small elastic loop to the flap that would hold onto a button on the front of the envelope to keep it closed. Since it was gift, I placed one $1 bill in each envelope and gave her a small booklet from my church “One for the Money” that explains the basics of budgeting. Upcycling, cheap, and useful! Love them! Now I’m going to sew some for me and for future wedding/graduation gifts. Thank you for the pattern and the encouragement to sew during nap time!

  4. Thanks so much for this template! I do not have any oilcloth so I made a sandwich of 2 different fabrics & some interfacing. They are beautiful! These are exactly what I was looking for.

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