DIY suitcase: decorating old things. How to make a leather doctor's briefcase Cardboard suitcase with your own
Making a suitcase with your own hands, as it turns out, is very simple. Much easier than restoring an old suitcase. This does not require any “protected” elements and devices, and that’s all necessary materials available and sold in stores at fairly low prices.
Background
As often happens in creative practice, the necessary things are usually found in the trash, like our Soviet-era suitcase, slightly larger than a briefcase. Its dimensions were suitable for storing a bunch of jewelry and trinkets, woven, but lying around idle. The very shabby, dirty and unaesthetic appearance of a useful household item left no doubt: restoration of the old suitcase was necessary.
First, the fittings were carefully removed and placed to soak in a jar of gasoline. Then the linings and ancient torn dermantine were removed. Then it turned out that the side boards making up the frame were rotten, and the walls of the lids were generally made of thick cardboard, punched to huge holes in several places.
The cardboard was torn off and thrown away. Instead, boards of the required size were cut from hardboard. Wooden frame sanded to white wood, a couple of walls were replaced with new ones and reinforced with glue and screws. The hardboard covers are glued on and nailed down.
So, we can say that we started constructing a suitcase with our own hands almost from scratch.
Exterior finishing
Dark brown dermantin was used for finishing. The dermantine is marked strictly according to the dimensions of each flap of the suitcase, taking into account the folding on the walls of the inner sides.
Carefully cover the surface of the dermantine with PVA glue, and, accordingly, one of the lids of the suitcase. We glue the material, carefully expelling all air bubbles and excess adhesive liquid, smoothing out any irregularities. For this purpose we have a felt squeegee.
We especially conscientiously roll the material along the perimeter of the edges so that the suitcase made by hand looks aesthetically pleasing, as if it came out of a factory assembly line yesterday.
The hardest part is gluing the corners. We deliberately do not provide patterns, because we assume that everyone home handyman I have my own vision of the technology for high-quality finishing of corners when restoring an old suitcase. The main thing here is precision, a lot of glue and diligence.
We will show a number of photographs that, we hope, will help clarify the technological process of gluing corners.
When the dermantine is stretched onto the frame, it is recommended to walk over the set glue with a warm iron to secure (bake) the gluing. Be sure to iron it with a cloth, otherwise your synthetic material will melt.
At this point, we consider the first stage of making a suitcase with our own hands, or restoring an old one, complete. Therefore, we will put back his accessories.
Internal upholstery
For the interior upholstery, we will make pads on synthetic padding, covered with synthetic velvet, or any other suitable textile. The illustration shows the components of “velvet” pillows and part of the procedure for their layer-by-layer formation.
When the pillows are ready, coat the inner walls of the product with glue and glue it inside the pillow.
This is what our “new” handmade suitcase looks like.
We did not attach the handle. The project is to make our suitcase wearable on a shoulder strap, like a sketchbook, but there is no time yet to look for suitable fittings and options for attaching them.
So, we have created a functional item, the practical applicability of which is not limited to storing jewelry or tools. The master class not only clearly shows how to make a suitcase with your own hands, but also comes in handy as instructions on how to restore an old suitcase.
Materials and tools used in the master class:
- skeleton of a suitcase with accessories;
- sandpaper, hammer, screwdriver, brush, scissors, mounting knife;
- hardboard and wooden slats(optional);
- PVA glue;
- shoe nails 10 mm long;
- dermantin, cardboard, padding polyester, synthetic velvet.
Time spent on restoration:
- giving the product a look suitable for finishing, including sanding and puttying - 2-3 days;
- finishing - 2-3 hours.
The suitcase is a universal item. It can be used in various situations and serve for various important purposes. We will tell you how to make a suitcase with your own hands or transform an outdated model in this article.
Giving a second life
Never rush to throw an old suitcase in the trash when... the right attitude it can serve you for many more decades.
For example, you can make a restored suitcase into a unique, exclusive piece of furniture, which in the future will be your pride. Don't be lazy, use your imagination, and you will truly get amazing thing. We offer several ideas.
- Wonderful bedside table:
- Vintage coffee table:
- An original bar with shelves inside on which it is convenient to place glasses:
- Stunning vintage suitcase in shabby chic style. This style is based on the technique of aging things in a certain way: creating small abrasions and irregularities using special application paints. Another feature of this style is the color scheme: delicate, pastel, pink, white colors. Floral motifs must also be present.
- Another, no less interesting design in the steampunk style, as in the photo:
This style allows you to combine ultra-fashionable things with antiquity. Items made mainly of leather are decorated with various metal decorative elements, chains. All these options will fit perfectly into the interior, adding charm, zest and exclusivity.
But if you need a suitcase for more rational use, and you don’t have a suitable old model of the required size at hand, then why not make it yourself from available material, for example, from plywood.
This suitcase is great for storing. necessary tools and all sorts of little things.
You can also use the shape of a suitcase as all kinds of original gifts:
- Candy suitcase:
- A suitcase made of mastic that will perfectly decorate your cake and will delight the birthday boy with its originality:
- A suitcase from a box can serve not only as an original packaging for a cardboard gift, but also act as a present that needlewomen will be happy to appreciate:
Well, if you want to decorate even a small gift in some original way, then we offer you a master class on packaging in the form of a suitcase made of paper for chocolate.
Small suitcase
We will need:
- 2 sheets of thick paper, preferably with some kind of image;
- thick white paper;
- nylon tape;
- glue "Moment".
- Transfer the template to thick paper and cut along the contour;
- We take background paper on which an interesting print is printed, and cut out the details according to the template in the same way;
Useful tips
If you have old suitcases at home, in your country house or in your closet, you shouldn’t throw them away right away.
The fact is, from suitcases, even the oldest and most hopeless ones, you can make completely new things that will be more functional and useful.
Here are a few interesting ideas And useful tips how you can repurpose an old suitcase to give it a second life:
Useful things from an old suitcase
Coffee table
Small enough to fit even in a hallway and functional enough to be used as a coffee table.
Column
You might not want to turn your suitcase into a speaker, but this conversion looks pretty impressive.
Dollhouse
You can make one yourself or purchase it online. It all depends on your capabilities and desires.
Cat bed
If you have one or more cats at home, you may want to create a comfortable place for them to rest.
Cabinet in the bathroom
Looks beautiful and holds a lot of different useful things for the bathroom.
How to make other things out of a suitcase
Dresser
For such a chest of drawers you will need several suitcases. However, it can be made from 2 or 3 suitcases. You can store tools or various things that don’t fit well in it.
Read also: DIY crafts from old things
Cabinet for face and body care products
Craft box
You can neatly organize an entire craft section in your suitcase. This suitcase can be decorated with outside and take it with you if necessary, for example, if you are invited by friends for needlework.
What can be made from suitcases
Coffee table
Mini bar
This suitcase minibar was made by designer Dane Holweger. It is ideal for various parties or simply for decorating your home and improving its functionality.
Suitcase for a seamstress
Tray
Remove the suitcase cover, decorate inner part covers with cloth, using, for example, a stapler.
How to make a beautiful organizer from an old suitcase with your own hands
1. First you need to process the suitcase sandpaper to remove the paint.
2. Paint the suitcase any color using special paint - in in this case paint for plastic.
3. Using thick cardboard or plastic, divide the inside of the suitcase into several sections. Cut off required sizes and glue them to each other with superglue.
4. If desired, you can paint the plastic or cardboard using spray paint. However, it is best to do this in a well-ventilated area, wearing a respiratory mask and safety glasses.
Now you can safely fill the organizer with the things you need.
What to make from an old suitcase: a picnic suitcase
You will need:
Old suitcase
Sandpaper
Stationery knife
Painting tape
Cream wax (optional)
Brush
Paste glue
Glue for decoupage (PVA glue)
Fabric glue
Ribbed elastic
Stapler.
1. Remove all stickers from the suitcase (if any). Wipe it clean.
2. Remove the old lining using a utility knife. Old lining can not only smell bad, but can also tear quickly. A lot of dust also accumulates under it.
3. Cover all parts of the suitcase that you do not want to paint with masking tape. First of all, this concerns mechanisms.
4. Paint with 2-3 layers of paint.
5. To protect the paint, you can apply cream wax over it.
One of my favorite types of bags is the doctor's suitcase. This is a bag that has a metal loop frame inside it that closes the suitcase. Such frames can be purchased, but they are expensive and Bad quality. Since I make the bag myself, I’ll make the frame myself too. In this master class I will show you how to make a leather doctor's suitcase with your own hands.
Watch my other master classes.
Tools and materials.
I bought all my leather working tools quite a long time ago. The photo doesn't show everything I have, this is what I use most often. You can start working with leather with a small set of tools. This could be: a knife, a ruler, an awl, leather needles. But the more complex your projects, the more various instrument you will need. And the more tools you have, the better quality your products are. You also need a sponge for applying paint. Mat for cutting leather. I use 4 cutting boards, which I screwed with self-tapping screws to the desktop.
But first of all, theory. In the photo I showed my favorite books.
I also have an engraver - drill - Dremel, which I have been using for about 14 years. Very helpful when working with hard skin. You can use it to drill holes or use an emery drum to sand away glue ends or trim bag handles.
For the doctor's suitcase you will also need a drill, a set of drills, a hacksaw and oil.
Materials.
- 10 square feet of vegetable tanned leather, 8 ounces thick. (you can read about leather thickness here)
- 3 square feet of vegetable tanned leather, 5 ounces thick.
- steel strip dimensions 1.5mm*12mm*1200mm
- metal sheet measuring 18cm*40cm
- 4 half rings
- 2 belt screws
- padlock
- thread
- leather paint and finishing agent (you can read how to make leather polish here)
- leather glue
We paint the skin.
I dye the leather for my projects before I start cutting it. I have found this to be much more convenient.
Cut out the suitcase parts.
The dimensions of the parts are:
- front and back panels 35cm * 40.5cm
- strap for lock 4cm*18cm
- bottom 18cm*40.5cm
- braid for steel frame 7.5cm*66cm, 2 pieces.
- two sidewalls 23*34cm
- two jumpers 18cm*38cm.
I cut all the parts from leather 8 ounces thick, except for the braiding of the frame and sides, they are made from leather 4-5 ounces thick.
Steel frame.
I make the frame for the bag from a steel strip 1.5mm*12mm*1200mm. First I draw on paper to decide on the dimensions. The finished frame should have the shape of a rectangle 40cm19cm in the open position. Allow enough clearance for the leather you will wrap it in later. The frame should open and close easily, the skin should not rub. At the ends of the frame halves, at a distance of 10-12mm from the edge, drill holes to match the size of the belt screws.
We wrap the frame in leather.
Moisten the lengthwise center strips for the steel frame with water and fold them in half. Let it dry a little and you can apply glue. Wrap the frame parts in leather as shown in the photo. Punch holes in the leather for the belt screws and connect the halves of the frame. There is no need to cut off the ends of the skin yet; we will do this later.
Making handles for a suitcase.
I didn't make a pattern for the handles I put on this suitcase, but you can find it in Al Stollman's book. For the suitcase, I made two handles, which consist of two parts - the handle itself and the strap with which it will be attached to the body of the bag. Don't forget to paint the inside of the handles that may be visible when assembled.
Break.
Preparing the front and rear panels.
Treat the top and bottom ends of the front and back panels. Using an edge cutter, cut a groove for the seam at a distance of 6 mm from the edge. Punch holes for the thread. I glue the panels to the bottom of the suitcase. I sew them together, glue the leather legs and sew them on too.
Frame and steel bottom.
I glue and sew the frame to the front and back panels. To make sewing easier, you can remove the belt screws. Then I glue the metal sheet to the bottom of the suitcase. This sheet will protect the suitcase from sagging. I glue thin leather on top of the bottom to hide the metal sheet.
I sew the jumpers to the sides.
Sewing the sides on this suitcase is quite difficult. I mark 12mm at the bottom and a 75mm strip in the center, see photo. The sides will be sewn along two stripes in the center. I apply glue and apply the sides to the jumpers. I tap it with a hammer and sew it on.
We sew in the sides with jumpers.
Now comes the hardest part of the job. The dimensions of the sides have changed a little after sewing them to the jumpers and I trim them a little at the bottom. I start by stretching and gluing the side panel to the main part. You may need to try on several times to get it to fit correctly. You'll probably have to trim it down a bit. Then I glue, sew and finish the ends.
At the same stage, I trim and sew up the ends of the steel frame braid.
Handles and clasp.
I sew on one of the fastener straps, retreating about 75mm from the top of the suitcase. I didn't take many photos at this stage as I was in a rush to finish. But I hope that what we have should be enough to understand how to sew on the clasp and handles. Don't forget to glue everything and then sew it on.
Translation: LeatherThoughts
More leather thoughts:
![](https://i1.wp.com/leatherminds.ru/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2-78-e1551601515922.jpg)
Sometimes, in order to decorate your apartment, you don’t have to buy a wardrobe or chest of drawers. With the help of your imagination, skillful hands and time, you can make different interior elements that will not only serve as decoration, but also be useful for the household. For example, if you make a suitcase, it will look beautiful and original, and at the same time, having some tools at hand, you can make compartments in it with your own hands, which can be used to sort things.
First of all, a homemade suitcase can help in allocating space, so you need to create it in the style of your apartment or the room where it will be located. In order to create a suitcase, you do not need to have any special skills; you can make it simply using a suitable master class.
Before starting work
If you don’t have enough imagination to design your suitcase, you can look at photos of existing options or come up with your own combination different styles. First you need to think about the size of the future suitcase, its shape and approximate design; for convenience, all this can be depicted on paper and some sketches made. At the same time, you can even draw in detail all the compartments in the suitcase and decorations.
When creating a suitcase, you need to remember that it can serve as small cabinet for clothes, for children's things or as a storage place for kitchen items. Therefore, having decided on its dimensions, we move on to the technique of execution, the choice of material from which it will be made.
DIY reconstruction of an old suitcase
The most simple option creating a suitcase will be a reconstruction of an existing old suitcase. Typically, for this procedure you need to take an old suitcase in the shape of a rectangle and make a new wardrobe out of it for your things. An old suitcase doesn’t even need to be decorated with anything; it will look beautiful in any interior style.
You can, of course, remake a new suitcase, but it will still be useful on trips, and if the wrong things are placed in it, it may get dirty or the inside of it may deteriorate, and then the suitcase will not be suitable for use.
How to make a suitcase with your own hands from cardboard
If the size, design and purpose of the new item are chosen, you must choose the method by which this suitcase will be made. First easy way involves creating it from cardboard. As you might guess, upon completion of the process you will have a neat cardboard suitcase in your hands. In this case, the cardboard must be very dense, and the creator must choose the shape of the suitcase himself. The suitcase can be round, square, triangular or diamond-shaped. It all depends on the desires and imagination of the person.
In order to make a cardboard suitcase, you need a large piece of cardboard; for convenience, it is better to cut out all its parts on the box at once, then simply fold them and glue them together. You can make a suitcase with a handle or create the illusion of wheels.
But the most important step will be decorating the suitcase. To do this, you will need fabric that can be used to cover the craft from the inside and outside. In this case, any fabric will do, and you can also choose the color to your taste. The resulting suitcase can even be taken on the road as a cosmetic bag or a small accessory for hygiene products.
Using exactly the same technology you can make a suitcase out of a box. A shoebox or any other box is suitable for this, and the suitcase can have a removable lid or a glued one. The box can be painted, covered with colored cardboard or covered with fabric.
Plywood suitcase
The strongest and most durable suitcase is made from plywood. For this you will need wooden boards, from which you can cut out all the parts for the suitcase. As for decorations: sometimes they are not needed, since the type of plywood can be very original and fit the style of any room. Such a suitcase can be used as a toolbox; usually, men make such an item themselves for their convenience. Girls can decorate the inside of such a suitcase with fabric, and leave the top in its original form. Just such a suitcase can be made with shelves inside so that you can sort your things into shelves.
If you need a suitcase as a gift, it can be made of paper. At the same time, you can place a small gift inside the suitcase, and decorate the paper itself beautifully using different ribbons, paints and bows. A suitcase can be made for a ring if a young man wants to make an original proposal to his girlfriend. Such a gift will not leave anyone indifferent.
The exact same suitcase can be made from sweets. In this case, the entire suitcase can be candy or simply decorated with candy flowers. A girl will like such a suitcase, because you can eat sweets and use the suitcase for your things, for example, jewelry.
Using video tutorials, you can learn how to make a suitcase from mastic if you need to decorate a cake. Also, with the help of a training video, you can learn how to make a real suitcase in the shabby chic style, especially suitable for a gift or to highlight the style of the bedroom. For more serious the interior will suit suitcase in steampunk style, it’s easy to make, and appearance will resemble a pirate suitcase.
Video on the topic of the article