Paint your old suitcases

We’re in the heart of our summer travels here at Lars. You too? Every time I pull out my old black suitcases I can audibly hear people whispering “boring!”. We can have none of that.

It was time for MAKEOVER!

I had a vision of my dream travel bags and it included bright colors and patterns. Flowers and stripes were a must, of course!

I partnered up with method, specifically their hand wash soap, to make the transformation happen. I found some rad vintage suitcases at the nearby thrift store and they were screaming at me…”make me over Brittany,” they said.

Here’s the thing about thrift stores, you guys. I love the unique items you can find and I love how no one else has what you have. BUT! I can’t stand the gritty, dirty feeling that inevitably comes from all the hands that have previously been on it. You just don’t know! And then you feel like you have to wash up every time you touch something. You know the feeling, right?

I thought it was the perfect opportunity to take a grimy situation and clean it up!

I fell in love with two suitcases at the nearby thrift store, both disgustingly dirty. Look:

Right?! Germy wormy. It gives me the shivers just looking at it. I knew that this had to happen to them:

Right?! All you need is a little cleanser.

I’ve always loved the fun packaging and fragrances of the method products so using them is a no-brainer. I could clean all day 🙂 Instead of smelling like chemicals, they smell like cucumbers (and 70+ other delicious smells). And another important plus, something that is important to me, is that their products are biodegradable, made from recycled materials and 100% recyclable. It’s always nice to have that peace of mind with the products you use. AND! method really helped me feel like the grime was gone. A no-fear mess!

How to add stripes to an old suitcase:

• old suitcase
• painter’s tape in 1.5″ thick
• paints in your color choice (we used interior wall paint in samples, about $3 each)
• paint brushes or roller
• Triple Thick Glaze 

1. For stripes, start by laying down a piece of tape going down vertically on the suitcase.
2. Lay the next piece of tape right next to it as vertical as possible.
3. Cover the whole suitcase. This will eliminate the need to measure, since the stripes are evenly spaced out.
4. Now, remove every other piece of tape. Paint these spaces with your brush. Wait for it to dry and then paint another layer (or as many layers as you need to make it work).
5. With a steady hand, paint the remaining open lines.
6. Once everything is fully dry, paint a triple thick glaze over the whole suitcase for protection.

To paint an all-over pattern:

1. Paint the suitcase with one solid color. Two coats is optimal.
2. Either pencil your pattern in or go to town painting.
3. Seal with a tripe thick glaze.

Note: because of the nature of traveling, it’s very likely that the suitcase will go be beaten and battered. Reapply as necessary. OR! Use the suitcases as decor in your home.

This post is sponsored by method. However, all content presented in this post represents my own opinions. Thanks for supporting the brands that keep Lars thriving!