Do you have an old suitcase lying around somewhere in your home or tucked away in the attic? Give it new life by converting it into a side table! The unique look of vintage luggage is guaranteed to bring character to your room, plus it makes for a clever storage space. Take a look
What you’ll need:
- An old hard-shell or vintage suitcase
- Four pieces of furniture legs
- Mounting plates
- Screws
- Screwdriver
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Sandpaper
- Wood polish (optional)
- Clear varnish or protective coating (optional)
- Here’s how to make your own vintage suitcase side table:
- Start by giving your old suitcase a good cleaning
Wipe the item with a damp cloth and some soap to remove any dirt, grime or old lint. If your suitcase has an unpleasant odor, you can leave it open in a well-ventilated area for a day or so. Baking soda is also a good option for deodorizing musty luggage. Simply fill it halfway with the baking soda and let it sit for a day before emptying and vacuuming it. Next, make sure that there are no loose parts on your suitcase.Check for any broken parts and tighten them up as needed. Make sure that the hardware isn’t lose as well. If you’re using a hard-shell piece of luggage, it’s probably going to hold up better than a soft one.Now it’s time to measure out where the legs of your side table should go. Place the suitcase on a stable surface upside down, and use a measuring tape to mark out the spots for the furniture legs. Make sure that the distance from each leg is even. Once the location for the furniture legs has been marked out, it’s time to mount them onto the suitcase.Attach the mounting plates with screws, and then mount the furniture legs with them. Use a level to make sure that your table is even. If your furniture legs are adjustable, this will make it much easier to create a level surface on uneven ground.If you’d like, you can use sandpaper to smooth up some of the rough edges on the suitcase. After that, paint or polish the side table. You could also consider replacing the old metal latches with some new ones, or add some cute corner protectors to your creation.Place it next to a couch or bed, and set it up with some lamps, decorative knick-knacks or candles. You can also add some decorative boxes to store extra books, blankets or even your cell phone charger. Make sure that all of the loose items stored inside your suitcase are organized. If you’re using the item in your bedroom, you might want to put in some extra storage solutions to hold your extra sheets, blankets or even holiday decorations.
Here are some other great ways to turn an old suitcase into a lovely side table:
- Try building a two-tier side table by stacking up two old suitcases before adding furniture legs to the top one
- Add hairpin legs to create a cool industrial-chic side table
- Instead of adding furniture legs, try attaching casters to the bottom of your suitcase
- Add some colorful wallpaper inside your suitcase for a nice pop of color
- Convert an old children’s vintage suitcase into a cute bedside table
What go follow
When furnishing your new side table, make sure that you don’t put too many heavy objects on the suitcase. This is especially important if you’re using an old piece of luggage as it won’t be able to hold as much weight as a regular side table. You should also avoid leaving it in moist conditions as much as possible.Also read:7 Fast-growing plants that provide natural shade and keep your home coolLighting is no longer the last step in home design: The question has changed from “How many lights?” to “How should this room feel?”This cool upcycling project is the perfect way to repurpose old luggage and give it a second life! It doesn’t take long to make either, and it’s a great way to make a vintage side table with storage space. After all, you can never have too much storage space!
