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A Vintage Suitcase Makeover – Full Tutorial!

Hey y'all

A couple of months ago Kendra asked me to share this lovely little project with her readers over at the Kreative Life! It was such a fun project (and it turned out way better than I ever thought it would!) When we were unpacking the living room last week my hubby pulled this out of a  box and I realized… I never posted it here! Silly me! So here it is… my painted vintage suitcase makeover!

If you’re anything like me you are loving the vintage suitcase trend that’s going on right now. I tend to be drawn towards anything that contains things (read as: stores all my crap out of sight) so vintage suitcases are perfect for me! In addition to larger suitcases I have found adorable children’s suitcases, hat boxes… even a vintage bowling ball bag! The key (for me) is finding that perfect colored bag… the one that looks amazing with all the rest of my pretty things (read as: hoards of useless antiques that aren’t really useful but I need to have anyways).

Of course it’s hard to find suitcases in baby blue and cream… not impossible but hard! It’s much easier to find old beaten up, scuffed up suitcases in need of a little TLC! I have never tried painting a suitcase before but I figured… what’s the harm? So I went to my local antique store and found the perfect culprit  suitcase! A teeny little make up box in light yellow… the exterior was actually in great shape and might look great in a home that used more yellow. In my home it looked a bit more washed out cream then yellow. Either way it was only ten bucks so I didn’t feel bad painting it!

Looking for a bunch of posts on DIY & Crafts? I’ve got you covered!
Click here to see all of my how to DIY & Craft posts in one place!

A Vintage Suitcase Makeover | Happily Ever After, Etc.

A Vintage Suitcase Makeover | Happily Ever After, Etc.

So let’s get started! The only things you need for this project are:

Supplies:

Paint in your color choice (pick pink! I want to see a pink one!)

Paint brushes in varying sizes if you plan on adding a quote.

Frog tape for taping off crisp clean lines.

That’s it! Didn’t expect it to be so short did you? I like to surprise people… I’m fun that way.

A Vintage Suitcase Makeover | Happily Ever After, Etc.

The first thing I did was tape off the entire bottom of my suitcase. I wanted the hardware to stay it’s original color and I wanted to paint each section a different color for a striped effect. Once it was taped off I took this little cutey outside and spray painted the top stripe and the handle with a looking glass finish spray paint. I wasn’t sure I would like the shiny finish but I had some paint left over from my Mirrored Mason Jars and didn’t want to buy more paint for a little suitcase… I figured if I didn’t like it I could always paint over it!

But if you’ve known me for five seconds you know I’m a sparkle freak… so I LOVED the shiny finish! So I decided to run with it and bought little bottles of metallic finish craft paint for my lettering… since they were only 1.47 a bottle I thought it was worth the splurge ;).

A Vintage Suitcase Makeover | Happily Ever After, Etc. A Vintage Suitcase Makeover | Happily Ever After, Etc. A Vintage Suitcase Makeover | Happily Ever After, Etc.

After the first section dried I removed the frog tape, taped off the top and painted the bottom stripe! (Again using leftover seafoam paint from my dresser reveal). Then I painted the middle stripe.  All of this painting took a while but I was able to watch several episodes of Once Upon a Time while waiting… so it wasn’t too bad! Once the stripes were painted I printed off a copy of my quote: in this case my blog logo from Happily Ever After, Etc. I went back and forth about it for a while… but in the end I just thought it fit this little suitcase best. I’m looking forward to seeing it NOT on my computer every day!

To transfer my logo I used the old trace the letters on the backside of your paper with pencil and then rub on the front side of the paper trick. It transferred the lettering like a charm… then all that was left was filling in the logo with paint! I choose a small paint brush and very carefully painted the letters and wax seal… twice. I wanted to make sure they looked crisp and sharp.

A Vintage Suitcase Makeover | Happily Ever After, Etc.A Vintage Suitcase Makeover | Happily Ever After, Etc.A Vintage Suitcase Makeover | Happily Ever After, Etc.

A Vintage Suitcase Makeover | Happily Ever After, Etc.

I love how it turned out! I was a little iffy on the color scheme at first but I think it looks just like spring! What do y’all think… is painting suitcases up your ally? I’d love to see more!

Linking up with: I Heart Naptime! 

 

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Before and After, DIY & Crafts, Guest Posts 67

Comments

  1. Madison | Wetherills Say I Do says

    August 7, 2015 at 8:23 am

    This is adorable! What a fun revamp. I just moved to a new area and need to find some local thrift stores to browse through!

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 7, 2015 at 12:04 pm

      That’s so much fun! I love finding new thrift stores… that’s my favorite part of any trip! Finding new stores and new treasures! Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  2. Cynthia @craftoflaughter says

    August 7, 2015 at 8:40 am

    What a cute DIY project that will add extra storage to a room. I can see my current knitting project stashed in it!

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 7, 2015 at 12:30 pm

      Such a good point Cynthia! I love projects that add extra storage to a space… makes it so much easier to hide all your stuff! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  3. Gemma says

    August 7, 2015 at 8:52 am

    Gorgeous, such a great project! Would love to do this myself 🙂

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 7, 2015 at 12:30 pm

      Thanks Gemma! You’re so sweet!

      Reply
  4. Lorinda says

    August 7, 2015 at 9:17 am

    Very cute! well done!

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 7, 2015 at 12:31 pm

      You’re such a sweetheart! Thanks for stopping by Lorinda!

      Reply
  5. Bethany says

    August 7, 2015 at 9:26 am

    How cute! This would make an amazing wedding gift! Especially filled with booze.

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 7, 2015 at 12:32 pm

      Haha! I never thought of it that way… but I suppose you could put booze in it!

      Reply
  6. Charlotte says

    August 7, 2015 at 9:37 am

    This is SO incredibly adorable! What a great fun project!! now I want to go to thrift stores/garage sales and find a little suitcase so I can do this, too! XOXO and hope you have a great weekend!

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 7, 2015 at 12:43 pm

      You’re such a sweetheart! Half the fun is finding a cute suitcase… and trust me, they’re everywhere! Thanks for stopping by Charlotte!

      Reply
  7. Samantha says

    August 7, 2015 at 9:57 am

    I’m trying this soon! I’ll show you when I’m finished 🙂

    Great tutorial!!!

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 7, 2015 at 12:42 pm

      I can’t wait to see! I’m so excited you liked it! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  8. Robin Rue (@massholemommy) says

    August 7, 2015 at 9:59 am

    That is so incredibly cute. I Love how it came out.

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 7, 2015 at 12:40 pm

      Aren’t you a doll! Thanks for stopping by Robin!

      Reply
  9. Autumn says

    August 7, 2015 at 10:13 am

    I’m a huge fan of vintage suitcases too!! You did a great job 🙂

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 7, 2015 at 12:40 pm

      You’re so sweet! I totally understand why you’re a fan of vintage suitcases… I tend to collect them! Thanks for stopping by Autumn!

      Reply
  10. kenzie negron says

    August 7, 2015 at 10:24 am

    such a cute idea! xx , kenz
    http://sincerelykenz.com

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 7, 2015 at 12:39 pm

      You’re such a sweetheart… thanks for stopping by Kenzie!

      Reply
  11. Leah Sannar says

    August 7, 2015 at 10:43 am

    Oh, that turned out so cute! Yes, I LOVE vintage suitcases… I need to put more effort into finding a few! Thanks for the tutorial, now I have an idea where to start. 🙂

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 7, 2015 at 12:38 pm

      You’re so sweet! I love how vintage suitcases look… especially because they’re added storage! Good luck finding a few of your own! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  12. Caitlin says

    August 7, 2015 at 11:56 am

    I love it! So cute, while also useful. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 7, 2015 at 12:34 pm

      Cute and practical… my favorite combination! Thanks for stopping by Caitlin!

      Reply
  13. Leah says

    August 7, 2015 at 12:44 pm

    This is sooo cute! Great job, I love it!

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 7, 2015 at 4:40 pm

      You’re such a sweetheart! Thanks for stopping by Leah!

      Reply
  14. tiaras & tantrums says

    August 7, 2015 at 1:49 pm

    old suitcases are super fun! I don’t have any but always look out for them – they are super expensive these days

    Reply
  15. Miranda @ Miranda Writes Blog says

    August 7, 2015 at 3:18 pm

    What a fun DIY! I see so many of these things at thrift stores and antique malls. I might have to grab one next time.

    Reply
  16. Shann says

    August 7, 2015 at 3:40 pm

    So cute. I love the case and how it turned out. Such a great idea.

    Reply
  17. Heather says

    August 7, 2015 at 4:24 pm

    Wow, that’s really creative! I didn’t realize vintage suitcases had become a “thing”. But I dig it! Great job on this!

    Reply
  18. Inspiring Kitchen says

    August 7, 2015 at 5:17 pm

    Very creative! I love projects like this making something fresh out of something old.

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 7, 2015 at 5:19 pm

      I completely agree! I love breathing new life into old pieces! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  19. Madelaine says

    August 7, 2015 at 5:32 pm

    I just purchase one through an auction with Goodwill. I good a mint green one which is difficult to find. I will use mine as a bridal shower gift containing all honeymoon items for when to go to Positano.

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 7, 2015 at 5:41 pm

      A good mint green is hard to find! I am so jealous! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  20. Claudette says

    August 7, 2015 at 6:10 pm

    Very nice! Pity I’m not the DIY type of gal! 🙂

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 7, 2015 at 9:10 pm

      That’s okay Claudette… not everyone loves DIY! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  21. Danielle says

    August 7, 2015 at 8:19 pm

    So cute! my mom has a suitcase like that right now that she still uses when she goes on trips!!! It’s so old!

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 7, 2015 at 9:09 pm

      That’s so cute! I love when people actually use old suitcases for trips! Thanks for stopping by Danielle!

      Reply
  22. Carolyn K says

    August 7, 2015 at 10:34 pm

    haha I have 2 of those makeup cases myself. I may have to try something like this. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 8, 2015 at 7:53 pm

      You totally should Carolyn! Then you should show me pictures 😉 Thanks so much for stopping by!

      Reply
  23. Julia says

    August 7, 2015 at 10:39 pm

    I never thought of painting vintage suitcases, but those are super cute!

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 8, 2015 at 7:54 pm

      Didn’t it turn out cute? I never thought of painting a suitcase either… until I saw something on Pinterest where a suitcase was painted (I think to be an end table)… it got me thinking! Just because something starts a color I don’t like doesn’t mean it needs to end that way! haha! Thanks for stopping by Julia!

      Reply
  24. michelle bowman says

    August 8, 2015 at 5:21 am

    What a great idea. I have this old, a very old suitcase, I always love to use it but because it’s too old I want to look for a new one. you gave me an idea, now I don’t need to look for a new one. i will make over my suitcase. thank for sharing

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 8, 2015 at 7:55 pm

      I’m so glad you were inspired by my post! Painting the suitcase was way easier then I thought it would be! Please share pictures when you’re done… I’d love to see them! Happilyeverafteretc@gmail.com

      Reply
  25. Elizabeth O. says

    August 8, 2015 at 6:11 am

    Nice color choices! I love that you used the same font from your blog title! What a fun project!

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 8, 2015 at 7:56 pm

      It just seemed to fit on there! I kept playing around with different quotes and coming back to this… even though the lettering was fun to paint! Thanks for stopping by Elizabeth!

      Reply
  26. Jonathan Key says

    August 8, 2015 at 10:32 am

    What a fun idea! I love DIY projects.

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 8, 2015 at 7:57 pm

      DIY is definitely the best! Thanks for stopping by Jonathan!

      Reply
  27. Jaime says

    August 8, 2015 at 11:21 am

    This is really cute! I love updating vintage items!

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 8, 2015 at 7:57 pm

      Updating is the best… you’re giving new life to something forgotten! Thanks for stopping by Jamie!

      Reply
  28. Nicole Keener says

    August 8, 2015 at 12:51 pm

    This looks really awesome. I used to craft a lot and now the time just seems to run away.

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 8, 2015 at 7:58 pm

      Tell me about it! I have to find the time, otherwise it escapes! It seems to get filled up with chores too often…

      Reply
  29. CourtneyLynne says

    August 9, 2015 at 8:10 am

    Omg what a great tutorial!! that suitcase came out great!!!

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 9, 2015 at 10:33 pm

      You are such a doll! I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  30. Liz Mays says

    August 9, 2015 at 12:04 pm

    I can’t believe how cute that came out. It makes me want to try it myself. I do love the vintage suitcase look.

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 9, 2015 at 10:34 pm

      It turned out way cuter than I expected! I was super hesitant at first (I’m not stellar at painting free hand) but I just had to try! You should totally make one… then show me what you did! I’d love to see!

      Reply
  31. Maya says

    August 9, 2015 at 7:25 pm

    This is such a cute idea! Will definitely try this.

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 9, 2015 at 10:35 pm

      I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for stopping by Maya!

      Reply
  32. Sam @ DIY Just Cuz says

    August 10, 2015 at 1:28 am

    Love this, Betsy! I’ll be pinning it, it’s absolutely fabulous GREAT job. I like that you used your logo 🙂

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 10, 2015 at 12:39 pm

      Thanks Sam! I was worried about using the logo… didn’t want to be to “look at me!” but it just seemed to fit! None of the other quotes worked! So the suitcase got what it wanted! Thanks for the pin 😉

      Reply
  33. Life as a Convert says

    August 10, 2015 at 2:08 pm

    How cute! I like what you did to make over this vintage suitcase.

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 10, 2015 at 9:57 pm

      Thanks hon! I’m so glad you like it! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  34. Denise says

    September 4, 2017 at 9:20 pm

    Very cute. Thanks for the inspiration.

    Reply
  35. Linda at Mixed Kreations says

    September 6, 2017 at 3:35 am

    Very cute! I recently picked up a vintage train case and gave it a complete makeover. U never would of thought of using a looking glass paint. I’m not to good at spray painting either. I love how yours turned out, very pretty!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 11 Non-Traditional Bedside Tables - Happily Ever After, Etc. says:
    August 10, 2015 at 5:04 am

    […] ← Search for: […]

    Reply
  2. Learn About My Favorite DIY Projects for August says:
    August 17, 2015 at 6:59 am

    […] from Happily Ever After, Etc is truly a gifted DIY’er. She loves vintage items and has recently refinished a vintage […]

    Reply
  3. August Round Up! - Happily Ever After, Etc. says:
    August 31, 2015 at 5:00 am

    […] A Vintage Suitcase Makeover! – If you’re anything like me you are loving the vintage suitcase trend that’s going on right now. I tend to be drawn towards anything that contains things (read as: stores all my crap out of sight) so vintage suitcases are perfect for me! In addition to larger suitcases I have found adorable children’s suitcases, hat boxes… even a vintage bowling ball bag! The key (for me) is finding that perfect colored bag… the one that looks amazing with all the rest of my pretty things … read more! […]

    Reply

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sidebar betsy I'm Betsy, Home Decor Enthusiast, Yorkie Mama, Crafter, Blogger, Picky Eater, Chief Mess Maker, Antique Hoarder and Graphic Designer. You can generally find me working on (attacking with a paintbrush) the 3 bed, 2 bath home we are currently renting! Our home might not be perfect but it is ours & if you hang out long enough you'll see that what we lack in know-how we make up for in passion!
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