DIY: Vintage Suitcase turned into a Foot of the Bed Table

Vintage suitcases, hat boxes, picnic suitcase, and the like are so tempting to buy because they are usually made from cool materials, bright colors, and with little accoutrements you don’t find on things made today.  We’re going to turn this hip item into something useful for the bedroom.  We will add furniture legs to make it a table, but it will additionally serve as storage space for books, an extra blanket, records – the sky’s the limit.

Materials:

You will need a few basic materials and tools.

• An old suitcase or something similar (like this vintage picnic suitcase)

• 4 furniture legs (a large variety can be found at hardware and home improvement stores)

Note: If the material of the suitcase you’re working with is particularly thick, you may need to pull the double sided screw on the furniture legs out a little bit to get some extra room.  Ask at the hardware store about this.

• Nuts and bolts that fit on the end of the furniture leg

• Power drill and drill bits
• Permanent marker
• Tape measure

How To: 

1. Turn the suitcase so that the bottom is facing up.  Use your tape measure to determine 4 equidistant (to the outside edge of the suitcase) points.  Mark this with a permanent marker.
   
     
2.  Determine what size drill bit you need to use to drill a hole so the furniture leg hardware will fit through the suitcase.  The bit needs to be just a little bigger than the piece of hardware.
   
3. Insert the drill bit and make sure your suitcase is placed somewhere sturdy where it won’t move while being worked on – a work bench or table is preferred. Hold the suitcase steady, or have someone help you, while you insert the drill perfectly perpendicular to the suitcase. Determine the drill bit speed by what material you are drilling into. We are working with bamboo here, so I used a slow speed. If you’re drilling through plastic start with a medium speed, and work your way up if you’re not getting through to the other side with the drill. Repeat for the other 3 marked spots.
   
4. Insert the legs from the bottom of the suitcase, so the hardware part sticks up into the inside of the suitcase. Place a washer on either side, and the nut on the inside of the suitcase to secure the leg. Repeat for all 4 legs.
5. Optional: You may want to sew in a piece of fabric or place something over this if you’re going to be putting clothes or scarves in the suitcase for storage as it may get caught on the hardware.
6. Optional: Paint the legs of your furniture legs to match the décor of your room, or maybe your suitcase has a cool accent color you want to match.

Boring Before 

 

Fun After! 

 

Putting You Back Into Your Home

   

photo credit: Avia Venefica via photopin 

 It’s easy to get lost in the world of DIY interior design with limitless knick knacks calling your name. Keep in mind that the best accents in your home are direct reflections of you and your passions. Beginning a tradition of picking up a keepsake on trips is a great way to start collecting conversation starters that actually mean something. This doesn’t mean that you need to budget in expensive decorating items on every trip. Something as minor as a hand-woven banana leaf picture frame from your trip to Central America is a fantastic piece that no department store can match. Consider this an optional (and very fun) homework assignment from here on out. 

Until then, check out these tips for bringing you back into your home.

Spend Money Where it Counts: 

We all have hot button items that fire us up. Some of us have a penchant for safe cookware and others are nurturing a lifelong love affair with first edition books. If it’s in the budget, allow yourself to splurge only on the items that are really close to your heart and show them off. A pot rack in the kitchen for that copper set is a stunning centerpiece. However, for all of the other items, there’s no need to overspend. Luckily for us non-celebs, the trend of distressed high-quality furniture looks like it’s here to stay. If you want to freshen up your home, start scouring second-hand stores, flea markets, and garage sales. Opt for items that are solid-wood and well-made. 

  

Via

Your Best Decoration is Outside:

Lighting can make a world of difference. The right light can completely change the ambiance of a room and the mood of those in it. If you already have access to natural light, never cover it up with heavy curtains or furniture. It’s the best (and free) decorating you have at your disposal. Not all of us are lucky enough to live in a home with plenty of natural light. Choose lamps instead of overhead lights to create a homier environment. Selecting floor lamps with adjustable features is your best bet. Positioning a lamp upward towards the ceiling provides a softer light.

 A New Room for $100:

The most affordable way to completely change the look of any room is with a DIY paint job. Drastically changing shades can mean an instant transformation. Select high-quality paint and carefully mark off the edges with painter’s tape. Remember that matte, glossy, and semi-glossy is just as important of a consideration as the color. If it’s not in the budget to purchase anything beyond the paint, rearranging the furniture instead of buying new pieces can complete the makeover. Try out some new angles and placement. Experiment with feng shui. Put the couch in the middle of the room instead of against the wall and see how that changes your perspective on things. The point is, changing your home’s interior doesn’t have to cost a fortune. From painting to making a new seating arrangement to adding a well-placed personal keepsake, let your home’s look develop organically.

The 5 Top Ways to Know When to Change Your Outdated Wall Decor

You pride yourself in your home’s wall decor. However, you might not realize when it becomes stale or outdated. It is often said that old things will eventually become new again, but don’t wait that long to freshen up the walls!

Sure, you probably still get tears in your eyes and smile when you think about how your son scribbled on the walls when he was only a baby, but keep the memories of those treasured moments and get rid of the outdated wall decor instead.  This might seem difficult to do, but the following tips can help.

5 Ways to Tell that it’s Time to Let the Old Wall Decor Go


1.You held a Home Interiors party 2 years ago.  One of the wreaths from that party is now so thick with dust that it looks like you have made the choice to celebrate Christmas year round by decorating with snow covered wreaths.  Of course, your family and friends are not saying much about your decision.

2. Remember your son, the budding artist of the family?  Well, he has moved on to college, but samples of his artistic talent continue to linger on your living room walls, in crayon. Your friends continue to look the other way and have never acknowledged your son’s artistic abilities.

3.You got your roof repaired a few years ago, but you still have a water stain on the wall that reminds you of Napoleon.  Because of the size,you can’t help but notice it.  To be quite honest, it has become such an influence in your life that you are actually thinking about taking French cooking lessons.

4.  For some reason you still have a 1989 Holly Hobby border going around the top of your laundry room. C’mon! Really?

5. You have a picture hanging in your foyer from a family reunion that was held twenty years ago.  You were only a child then and do not know half of the people in this photo. It creeps out your children. Even your big and strong husband will not look directly at it.  Maybe it’s time to put your relatives back into the closet, where they belong.

So, when you finally see the light and get rid of that old cruddy wall decor, update and refresh your rooms with functional, trendy and affordable wall murals. Your family and friends will thank you!

DIY Accessories - Can They Decorate Your Room?

In an era when environmental awareness is realized by more and more people, have you already known some great ways to recycle discarded items in your house? Below, waste paper boxes are designed to be wonderful accessories for a room. Is there anyone attracting you too?

        Little Bear Decoration

Paper box features regular thickness. They are great items that can be made to be accessories in the back-bone class. This cartoon animal card frame is definitely a work that makes this advantage into full use. After cutting the paper box, fold them slightly. Then, they can stand on the desk firmly. You can place various business cards on it. It’s believed its cute look will help people in busy work relax for a while.

Slant Magazine Rack

Under most people’s impression, magazine racks are always made from metal, wood or even rattan. Today, water paper box becomes the leading role here. Cut an oblong paper box and re-combine it to be a trapezoidal shape. Cut off a small part on the top and bottom sideways. In this case, such a simple magazine rack can be placed near the wall or furniture obliquely. It’s easy to be used and the rack doesn’t affect the entire look of your room.

Flower Vase

Cut the paper box to be several single pieces and fold them. The width of a test tube can be used as the reference here. Alternate these paper pieces staggered. So, a firm grid layout is created. Insert the test tube and fill it with water. Then, you can place flowers into them. This flower vase features an advantage: each tube is separated. You can alternate flowers in any way you like. Aside from this, the combination between paper and glass leaves people a special impression.

             Wall Flower

Did you realize such a beautiful wall flower accessory is made from discarded health paper-pot?
It’s easy to make these. First of all, cut the paper-pot to be five sections. Connect and fix them by staples. Once a tube of paper is used up, you will get five petals. So, there will be flowers blooming continually on the wall!

Lamp Box

If you have ever received a three-dimensional greeting card, you must smile while finding it becomes a pretty lamp box here, right? Yes, principle for them is the same. To make a paper box as a lamp, just fold it at the front and back side. Make sure the folding traces are regular. If you are not well-experienced, practice on paper pieces before getting started.

To know more, click here directly.