They didn’t want to let me into the house when I brought this old suitcase from the trash 😢 But I was sure that I could repair it 🥰 I’ll share with you what I got, and you’ll appreciate my work 👇👇
When I brought this suitcase home, I was met with bewilderment: “Why do you need this junk?” But I already saw the potential in it, and the result of the work made everyone reconsider their opinion.
The first thing I did was remove the old leatherette covering the suitcase. The bottom was the most damaged, especially the top layer of plywood, so I decided to remove it.
I used improvised tools – a knife and a spatula. In one place I had to glue plywood.
To patch up the large holes in the corners, I took the same glue and fine sawdust from the sander. After mixing the mass, I patched up the chips, and then covered the uneven areas with a rubber spatula.
After drying, I sanded the surface with a sanding machine, and treated small defects with wood filler. Then I carefully sanded the suitcase before priming.
After the primer dried, I applied the first coat of paint with a brush and roller, then left it to dry for at least 12 hours. The next day, I applied the second coat.
It was time for decoration. I found a stencil with a beautiful pattern that I hadn’t used for a long time. I applied the pattern with wood putty using a rubber spatula. I added patterns not only to the lid, but also to the walls of the suitcase.
I made the handle from an unnecessary belt from an old bag. I glued it and additionally stitched it for reliability. I covered the inside of the suitcase with fabric.
To cover the edges of the fabric, I found some braid from a relative’s wedding dress, painted it with acrylic paint and glued it on with hot glue.
The fittings were left original, except for one broken lock, which had to be replaced. The remaining parts were patinated to look like bronze. The finishing touch was covering all surfaces with acrylic varnish.
All that was left was to screw on new locks – that was the only purchase I made for the project. Everything else was found at home, and I happily put the seemingly unnecessary things to use.
The suitcase is ready! The work took a long time, but the result was worth the effort.
