Thursday, August 26, 2010

New Life for Vintage Luggage

Recently I wrote about coveting a vintage carry-on travel case and guess what?!  I snagged one - woo hoo!  I found this beauty (well, it was pretty filthy!) at the Helping Hands Thift Shop in Clermont for $9.
I brought it home, scrubbed the outside and gently washed and dried the inside then set about trying my hand at decoupage.
Using Mod Podge, a paint brush, clear spray varnish and bits and scraps of fabric and such I decoupaged a collage of retro-inspired images.  I LOVE the results!
The front side:
The back side:
(My mother-in-law Lois gave me the beautiful, hand tatted butterfly)
(Close up of back side)
Yes, there are a few bumps (should've snipped the edges of the hankies) and creases (next time I must be more careful when applying the glue so I don't create little folds) but overall I really adore it and can hardly wait for my next trip so I can carry it.
Look at these amazingly creative uses for upcycled, vintage suitcases!
Sherri from Love-Nostalgic-Whimsy (http://www.etsy.com/listing/51533298/repurposed-luggage-pet-bed-blue-green) repurposes vintage suitcases into pet beds.  How cute is this?!
Kim, the Sassy Crafter, upcycled her suitcase into a coffee table:
I love the industrial wheels!  She also blogged about how she did it at http://sassycrafter.blogspot.com/2010/01/suitcase-coffee-table.html
And for the serious upcycler, look at this!
I think this chair and ottoman are so cool!  Found them on TrendHunter.com.
Thinking I may have to revisit the thrift store and snag a couple more suitcases.  These clever upcyclers have inspired me to create new life for vintage luggage!
There are just a couple of days left in August so please take a moment to scroll down to my August 5th post and enter to win my blog giveaway:

2 comments:

Mary said...

I LOVE what you have did with the case! I'm hooked on vintage suitcases. And never even considered doing what you did! ( I might just have to lift your idea with your permission of course)

I have seen those cute pet beds on Etsy and feel in love with those. But never the chair and ottoman! How cool are those!!

Lallee said...

That came out darling! Happy Labor Day and happy sewing!