Give Old Luggage New Life With These 5 Brilliant DIYs

In my neighborhood, it’s common for residents to set out piles of unwanted items with friendly “free” signs, meaning that you never know when you’ll head out for a walk or to run an errand and come back with something interesting and useful.

After seeing these amazing luggage transformations, I’m majorly hoping that one of my neighbors will toss an unneeded suitcase or two to the curb.

Looking to work some DIY magic of your own? Check out the incredible ways in which crafters have turned lackluster luggage into attractive, functional pieces.

Julie of Less-Than-Perfect Life of Bliss worked wonders on this old trunk, which she lovingly refers to as Eduardo. Julie creatively turned him into a bookshelf with the addition of a printer liner, some legs purchased at Home Depot, and a little elbow grease. Positioned under a display of postcards, the trunk-turned-shelf looks right at home in Julie’s space.

Tired of your existing bathroom storage? Heathered Nest blogger Heather Thibodeau fashioned an old suitcase into a fun medicine cabinet. After cleaning the outside of the suitcase, she used Mod Podge to line the interior with old maps before screwing in shelves and mounting the finished product to the wall. Getting ready just got way more enjoyable.

Maybe you don’t like the current state of your suitcase but want to ensure you can still use it for its intended purpose. Attaching colorful fabrics to vinyl suitcases takes old luggage from drab to fab, as Rachel illustrates on A Beautiful Mess. Since fabric options are essentially endless, you can take this project in a ton of different directions. Bring the revamped piece on the road with you, or use it as in-home storage.

Don’t forget about your furry friends! We give Sarah of Sadie Seasongoods major cred for designing this darling sleeping space for her cat using, yes, an old suitcase. With thrifty finds, Sarah built this kitty-friendly getaway that couldn’t be cuter.

How amazing is this suitcase-turned-bar table that Shehzeen of The Desi Wonder Woman designed? After painting a traditional TV tray black, Shehzeen attached the suitcase on top using double-stick tape and then went to town arranging her liquor bottles. Bottoms up!