Upcycled Suitcase Tray

14 March
It's time once again for our monthly Thrifty Chicks Challenge and this month's theme is suitcases!

True to form, I had a plan... procrastinated on that plan until the last possible minute... then changed my plan without enough time to shop for any supplies! Oh yeah... that's how I roll yo! 😎 I actually think it works out better this way sometimes, I seem to work well under pressure!

As always, be sure to check out the other ladies' posts at the end too!

How to make a tray from an old suitcase
These are our before shots, I'm so excited to see what became of all these vintage beauties!


Thrifty Chicks Challenge

Mine started out like this.

vintage suitcase before

I've had this for years. I was using it to store silk flowers and floral picks. The hinges were loose and it had a lot of damage. And truth be told, my floral stash has outgrown this vessel!

vintage suitcase inside

The paper lining was loose and dirty.

vintage suitcase interior damage

And it had lots of rust.

suitcase exterior damage

Since it wasn't anything very special and had so much damage I didn't feel bad disassembling it. I removed the lid which would become my new tray. No worries... I saved the bottom for another project 😊

Old suitcase lid

To make my new tray I picked out this pretty blue color to paint it, it's called Lagoon.

painting an old suitcase

painted vintage suitcase

Then I found some wooden knobs to use for little bun feet.

tray feet

I used my drill to drill holes where I wanted the feet to be.

drilling a suitcase

And I added the little feet with screws.

suitcase tray feet

making a tray from an old suitcase lid

Now it needed some handles. I found these in my stash and added them to the sides with screws as well.

upcycled tray handles

Now to reline it!

relining a vintage suitcase

I wanted something that would go well with the new color and I happened to have this vintage pillowcase! Perfect!

vintage pillowcase

I cut a piece of the pillowcase fabric the size of the bottom of my new tray and used Mod Podge to adhere it, working in small sections.

how to line a vintage suitcase with fabric

vintage suitcase lining

When I came to the sides I added a strip of fabric with the wrong side facing in and then folded it down and adhered it. Once I folded it down, the right side was showing.

adding new lining to a vintage suitcase

I used some vintage velvet ribbon to cover the seams.

vintage velvet ribbon

I just used hot glue to adhere it.

vintage ribbon trim

making a tray from a vintage suitcase

I wrapped some scraps of the fabric around the handles for a cute touch.

fabric wrapped handles

And my little upcycled suitcase tray is finished!

upcycled vintage suitcase

make a tray from an old suitcase lid

upcycled tray with book and tea

So if you find an old suitcase that has seen better days...

make a serving tray from a suitcase

...maybe it's a little dirty, bent, or dented...

suitcase lid serving tray

...don't pass it by, take a second look, maybe it can become something cute again!

how to make an upcycled serving tray

Check out the other ladies' suitcase projects here:

Lora at Lorabloomquist.com - Re-purposing a Vintage Cosmetic Case
Diana at Adirondack Girl at Heart - How to Clean & Care for Antiques: Vintage Luggage
Tuula at Thrifty Rebel Vintage - Quick & Easy Vintage Cosmetic Case Makeover

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How to make a tray from an old suitcase!

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  1. Thank you so much Linzey!

    Tania

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  2. Debra PashkowskyMarch 14, 2018

    I love the colors and the pillow case turned fabric is the perfect for the lining. The suitcase turned tray turned out great.

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  3. Thank Tuula! I really loved your pop of yellow too! Our suitcases would look so cute together!

    Tania

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  4. Very clever and creative use of an old suitcase, Tania! I love your repurposed serving tray - so pretty.

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  5. I know I would have walked by that little suitcase, never thinking of upcycling it the way you did. It is so cute! That pillowcase is a spot of springtime!

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  6. Thank you Marie! It feels so fancy to have tea served on my tray!

    Tania

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  7. Thank you so much!

    Tania

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  8. Queen of RodsMarch 14, 2018

    The fabric around the handles is a nice finishing touch. This tray is a great recycling idea and so creative :)

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  9. Thank you Kathy! Now every suitcase you look at you'll think "hmmm... tray?" lol

    Tania

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  10. Love it Tania! That blue lagoon color is one of my favourites, and it goes so nicely with that pillowcase. Great upcycle!

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  11. That is just TOO cute! I love that as a tray! Love the fabric strips on your handles which coordinates it all.

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  12. Thank you so much JoElle!

    Tania

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  13. JoElle @ A Crafty CompositionMarch 16, 2018

    Love your color scheme and the fabric wrapped handles. Super sweet!

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  14. This turned out so great! Thanks for sharing at our To Grandma's House We Go DIY, Crafts, Recipes and More Wednesday Link Party! Hope to see you again this week!

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  15. Michele MichaelMarch 24, 2018

    This was a great idea. I just scheduled a share for my Facebook page. The vintage pillow case was a perfect pairing. Love it.

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  16. Thank you Sheri!

    Tania

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  17. Thanks so much Michele, and for the share too!! :o)

    Tania

    ReplyDelete

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