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!

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!