Vintage Suitcase Side Table

Tags

antique, bed room, DIY, furniture, makeover, project, Things I've made, tutorial, vintage, weekend, What I'm working on

Have you seen all the creative things people are doing with vintage suitcases? I am in love! I don’t know if it’s because I love anything vintage, or because of all the times I’ve moved in my life (let’s just say that currently, the record in one house is 4 years), or because of all the pins on Pinterest. There are so many possibilities! Besides the more common ‘stack of suitcases’, you can make a pet bed, a chair, or a table. You can even make shelves and drawers or medicine cabinets out of them. Look here for a bit of inspiration.

Needless to say, I have a small collection of vintage suitcases and trunks and this weekend, I finally got around to doing something with one of them.

The suitcase…

I decided to make an end table out of one of mine. You could try the hardware store for legs, but I like to see what I can reuse from something else. So, I hit up some thrift stores to see what I could find. Enter a cute little circle side table that had just the legs I was looking for! And for a whopping $5! Unfortunately, I forgot to take a before pic of the table, but I have a few ideas for repurposing the top.

I removed the legs from the table and set them aside while I gave the suitcase a little tlc.

Removing the legs

Next up was to position where I wanted the legs to be and drill pilot holes.

Positioning the legs

Drilling the pilot holes

Attach the legs, turn it over, and voila!! Perfect! You can even use the inside of the suitcase to store your journal, or some books, or whatever else you can think of.

Voila! A unique side table!

Depending on the suitcase, you may want to add a bit of plywood to the inside to make it sturdier. Just cover the plywood with a bit of pretty fabric. And if you’re worried about attaching the legs securely and esthetically, you could use Chicago screws, which will ensure a secure fit without any protruding screw ends.

I have plans for this table in our guest room. Can’t wait to be able to work on it.

What would you make out of a vintage suitcase?

~Angie

Linking up with:

http://www.artsychicksrule.com/2013/05/project-inspired-linky-party-15.html

http://www.redouxinteriors.com/2013/05/link-party-105-and-les-features-plus-i-am-hitting-the-road/

http://www.commonground-do.com/

http://www.lifewelive4.com/2013/05/linkyparty13.html

http://www.artsyfartsymama.com/2013/05/artsy-corner-link-party-3.html

http://www.housewifeeclectic.com/2013/05/creative-showcase-creative-link-up-with.html

A Bed fit for a Princess

Tags

bed, bed room, chalk paint, DIY, furniture, head board, makeover, paint, project, vintage, What I'm working on

Over the weekend, the princess vanity went to its new home. Such a beautiful piece and Lady G is such a lucky girl! And as Lady G’s mother and I were standing back admiring it we were talking about how the room was going to be decorated. She told me that this was the first piece for Lady G that was not a hand-me-down from her brother. Well, didn’t I have just the piece to create a beautiful set fit for a princess!

Enter this twin bed set. I had originally picked it up (each part in a different place!) with intentions of building a bench out of it. But, clearly, this bed was destined for bigger and better things! And as soon as Lady G’s mother got a look at it, her redecorating plans got a kick-start! We started throwing ideas around for accessories and such! Let me tell you, this is going to be a beautiful room!

Before…she needs some work

The only problem with the bed was that there were no bed rails…all I had was the head and foot boards. Luckily, the next day as I was running errands, I stopped in to one of the local thrift stores that I frequent and there they were (for $4.00)!!!! Sweet! And a perfect fit (as sometimes older bed rails can be fussy). I also picked up another head and foot board set that I hope to turn into a bench.

Now, back to the bed frame. The original paint finish was chipping and there were some stickers and tape that needed to be removed. A scraper got all of the stickers and tape off and a good sanding smoothed out the surface. I gave it a good wipe down and filled in the nicks and dents.

Time for paint! Since this piece was to match the princess vanity, I used the same blue and off white. I painted the posts white and the boards blue.

And the blue goes on

A little medallion attached to the headboard and a little distressing gave this piece the character I was looking for.

Adding some Bling

And now, the finished product!!!

The Princess Bed

Lady G’s mom is so pleased with it! She can’t wait to surprise her little girl with a super girly bedroom that will grow with her. I so loved being a part of this room. Now, off to find something else to paint!

~Angie

Linking up to:

http://www.artsychicksrule.com/2013/05/happy-monday-project-inspired-linky-party-14.html

Princess Perfect Painted Vanity

Tags

antique, chalk paint, DIY, furniture, makeover, paint, project, vintage, What I'm working on

I’ve been collecting antiques and furniture for a while with the intent to paint them. I just love to be able to be creative and artistic and refinishing furniture has given me so many opportunities to do just that. I’ve refinished many pieces in our home, including our dining table and chairs, our bedroom furniture, my youngest son’s dresser, and some of our living room furniture. Needless to say, I have the painting bug!!

Enter this vanity I picked up at a local thrift store…who donates the proceeds to Mental Health! A win-win in my books! This beauty needed a bit of work. The veneer was peeling, there were pieces that needed some glue, and a little tlc all over. But she had beautiful lines!

Before

First things first, she needed a good wipe down! And doesn’t everyone feel better after a bath? I removed the hardware and started to work on the peeling veneer. After a quick google search, I decided that the ironing method would be my best bet. And it worked like a charm. The old peeling veneer came off and she was looking better and better. A beautiful wooden medallion (for some bling), a bit of wood glue to fix some loose pieces, and some wood filler to smooth out the surface and we were ready for some color!

After a good cleaning

A little bling to dress her up

Painting the top…she’s gonna be purdy!

I chose a beautiful blue with off-white accents to make this piece pop! The drawer pulls got a good cleaning and a coat of paint too. A bit of furniture wax to seal and protect the finish, and she’s ready for a photo shoot! She certainly is stunning and fit for a princess!

Voila! Fit for a princess!

She is off to her new home this weekend. I just know she will be loved and adored. Now, on to the next project!

~Angie

Linking up to:

http://www.artsychicksrule.com/2013/05/happy-monday-project-inspired-linky-party-14.html

It’s Painting Weather

Tags

chalk paint, DIY, furniture, makeover, paint, project

What a beautiful day we had today!! It’s been raining and gloomy for the past little while and we’ve finally had some great weather. What a wonderful opportunity to sit outside and enjoy the sun…and be a little creative at the same time. I had picked up this stool a while back from a photographer who was selling off some of her props. A sad little stool who was crying out for a makeover!

Before

I removed the top and gave the stool a wipe down and left it to dry in the sun. I had some blue home-made chalk paint left over from my bookcase makeover, so I decided to use it on the stool. She was looking so much better after only one coat, but I added a second coat to even out the color.

A little sanding to add some interest and some new foam and upholstery for the top and she was all finished!!!

After

Now I have painting fever and have the perfect piece to pair her with! Can’t wait to get working on it.

~Angie