Friday

Vintage Luggage: Before & After

You never know what you're going to get when you find something on Craigslist but when I went to pick them up I was amazed at how great the condition of the inside's were! The outside...now that's another story!
But after some bleach soft scrub gel, a tooth brush and an hour of my time it cleaned up great!
She had the set of three pieces: a large suitcase with the original Samsonite hangers (!!!), a medium suitcase and this train case and I got the whole bunch for $25!!!!!!!!!!!! Just a traincase, like this one, go for $50+ on ebay! I love finding a good deal :)
I found this amazing wrapping paper at World Market for $4/per roll, and used modge podge hi-gloss glue to essentially decopage the case.
Wouldn't this be a great thing to carry out of your wedding reception once you've changed into your 'honeymoon' attire?!

18 comments:

  1. Love it! I love how you just used gift wrap, so handy! xx

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  2. That looks great. Nice work.

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  3. Thanks you guys! I just picked up a few more rolls of the paper so I can finish up the whole set. Will post pictures soon!

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  4. I recently tried modge podging some wrapping paper and it kept warping. I ended up with a wrinkly finish that will easily snag and tear. What's the best way to make it work?

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  5. This is a great idea! I've been looking for a way to pretty up old suitcases. Thanks!

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  6. LOVELY! what a great idea! so fresh vital and fun..yes it would be perfect for any getaway,already hinting as to the pleasurable mischief about to take place! :) hmmmm

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  7. I can't wait to do a beach vacay and take these with! And that's another thing I love about these old suitcases, I can just imagine that they have been on some of the best vacations of people's lives: honeymoons, reunions, etc... it's just fun to think :)

    And Gia, I completely understand your frustration!! I have found the thicker the paper the better, but when you find a pretty one you sometimes just have to make it work. My trick is to do a little at a time. Work from the top and apply glue the entire width and about 3 - 4 inches down. Going slowly use a credit card in the middle and do one vertical glide down and then a horizontal glide to the left and the right, from the middle. As soon as I finish an entire section I go over the top with the mod podge, which is what seals it and keeps it from tearing. This is usually the point that it really bubbles, just be prepared to use your fingers and push them back down, bc the glue underneath should still be tacky enough to hold. If it's a really bad bubble I use an exacto knife and cut a slit in it, relieve the air and then mod podge back over and you can't even tell! GOOD LUCK!!!

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  8. i have about ten of these cases that i've collected over the years and they're all about to get a makeover!

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  10. i love this transformation and i think you may have inspired me to give my vintage luggage a bit of an uplift.

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  11. I LOVE this!!! I found this on Design*Sponge and linked to it on my blog. If you like Mod Podge, come see me!!

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  12. I just found that exact set at a yard sale a few weeks ago! I have about 20 Samsonite suitcases and train cases and have been looking for a way to revamp them... thanks for the idea; looks great!!

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