DIY suitcases

Make Your Own Floral Suitcase!

Plain vintage suitcases are pretty great but cover them in your favorite coordinating fabrics and your house just got cuter! Not only do they look cute in your home, they're great photo props. Decorate a nursery, stack them high in your living room, stand them up behind other items on a shelf, etc. It's an easy way to add color to your space without investing a lot of money.

Keep an eye out for hard cases with stitched seams (for tucking fabric in) and think about using a variety of sizes for great impact. You no longer have to pass up the perfect case shape because of a nick in the vinyl!

First, gather your supplies. I used three vintage suitcases that I had on hand and chose three fabrics that coordinated with their colors. The color of the case will still show so keep that in mind when you're choosing fabrics. You'll also need Mod Podge, a paint brush, a pen, scissors, a rotary cutter (or a butter knife). Next, lay your fabric face down on the case and carefully trace into the groove of the seam. Then cut about 1/4" extra around your trace line and place it on top of your case to make sure it's going to fit. Iron your fabric before attaching to get all the wrinkles out.

Carefully spread a thin layer of Mod-Podge over one third of your case starting at one side. It dries quickly so you want to work in sections. Line your fabric up and spread it evenly over the first third of your case making sure it covers the corners. Smooth your fabric as you attach it to the Mod-Podge.

Your fabric should hang over your edge about 1/4" or more. You can either pull it tight over the edge and trim it with your scissors before tucking the fabric in to the seam with a butter knife, or you can use a rotary cutter to simultaneously tuck it in and trim. You need to be a little more careful with the second method. Watch out for your fingers! Do this one section at a time.

When you're dealing with corners, apply a little extra Mod-Podge to your fabric and create two little pleats before you tuck the fabric in. It'll mimic the pleats in your suitcase nicely. You can repeat the same fabric on both sides or alternate depending on how you're going to display them.

This project turned out to be much easier than I thought with fewer complications than expected. Give yourself about half an hour per side, per case and be sure to let one side dry completely before tackling the other. ♥

I can't wait to see some fabric-covered suitcase photos! xo. Rachel