Small Vintage Suitcase Redo

I can’t get enough of vintage suitcases!  Remember my weekend case?  As much as I love it, I have been looking for a slightly smaller suitcase to redo.  I mentioned this before, but finding an old suitcase in decent condition isn’t the easiest.  However, I finally found one the other day, for a $12, which is a pretty decent price!

Before

I got out my Mod Podge.  And I slapped some fabric fat quarters on!  To be a little more technical about it, first, I traced the front of the suitcase onto the fabric with a fabric marker.  Then I cut the fabric out.  Next, I painted the front of the suitcase with Mod Podge and a foam brush, then I slapped the fabric on!  I coated the fabric onto the suitcase with about 4 coats of Mod Podge and let it dry over night.

The entire process took about an hour.  It looks like the fabric was made for this!  I love how it turned out.

After

I love Mod Podge!

Jewelry Box Redo

I found this beat up jewelry box at a thrift store for $2.

Before

With a little TLC, I thought it would be the perfect gift for my niece’s 13^th birthday.  The outside of the box was scratched and dirty, while the inside had sustained water damage.  The felt lining on the inside was stained with brown water spots and was peeling in several places. Also it was missing a brass knob. But still, I knew I could do something fun with it.

I started off by ripping the old felt out of the inside.  It came off pretty easily.  I saved the pieces so that I would have a template to make a new lining.  I removed the hinges from the door, pulled the brass knobs off the drawers and detached the spinning necklace hanger.  I decided to spray paint the box brown. 

The most fun part of this project was putting a new lining on the inside.  Inspired by my suitcase project (link post), I found some fancy wrapping paper that would complement the brown paint.  I got some poster board from the grocery store and traced the old felt lining on it.  I did this for each drawer and for the taller compartment.  Then, I cut the pieces out and I wrapped each one in the fancy wrapping paper and glued it into place inside the jewelry box. 

The wrapping paper needed some additional protection, so I used Mod Podge to give the inside a protective, plastic-like coating.  I really like the texture and glossy look it created. 

At this point, I reattached the hinges and necklace hanger.  I scoured home-improvement stores for new tiny knobs, but I had no luck.  So, I went to the craft store and picked out some crystal looking buttons.  I attached each button by threading it with fishing line to a bigger button on the inside. They held securely. 

It turned out great, and my niece loved it!  Success!

Finished!

Happy drawers!

Weekend Case

Old suitcases have so much character compared to new suitcases.  I am always drawn to the luggage section of a thrift store.  I became especially inspired by old suitcases after seeing this before and after on Design*Sponge.

I suddenly had a goal to find the perfect suitcase to revamp.  I was looking for a suitcase that was  just the right size for small one to two day trips away from home.  Thus, I named this project: Weekend Case.

After scouring multiple thrift stores, I realized that finding an old suitcase that was not completely worn and disgusting inside was going to be a bit of a trick to find.  So, I decided to just keep my eyes peeled for a few months.  Finally, I found one at an adorable little consignment shop in Salt Lake City called Emilie Jayne. 

The suitcase was almost like new on the inside and it had very little wear on the outside.  “LCB” went easy on her luggage. 

My next task was to find just the right wrapping paper.  I wanted a slightly higher quality wrapping paper, something a little bit thicker than standard gift wrap.  Another little shop called Cabin Fever sells fancy wrapping papers in sheets rather than tubes.  I found exactly what I wanted.

I used Mod Podge to adhere the paper to the case.  I followed the directions on the bottle.  Giving it an extra thick coat achieved the plastic look on the case.  I then spray painted the trim to match.

It turned out great!