Make a Vintage Suitcase Table for Your Porch

Oh, the memories of the "Going to Grandma's" suitcase. You know the one I mean, don't you? It had a little girl with her suitcase painted on the side, with a heading that said "Going to Grandma's". This particular suitcase was not my original one. That was so long ago, that I can't even remember what happened to it. This case, however, was one of my thrifty finds on a recent yard sale trip. It was a quarter! Can you imagine? I whisked it home, sat it in the middle of the living room floor and stared at it until inspiration hit. I decided to marry it with the legs of a small nesting table (another thrifty find), to create a small end table for my porch. I think it would also look cute as a bedside table in a little girl's room.

Things You Will Need:

Flat vintage suitcase
Measuring tape
3/4-inch plywood scrap
Jigsaw
Paint
Paintbrush
4 matching table legs or spindles
Drill, small bit and screwdriver bit
3-inch wood screws, four
Spray paint
Pearl paint
Wallpaper border
Decoupage medium
Scrap fabric
Craft glue
Scissors

Step 1
Use any flat vintage suitcase that you have available. Measure the inside bottom dimensions of the suitcase. Cut a piece of 3/4-inch thick plywood using these measurements. The corners of this suitcase are curved, so I curved the corners of the board to allow it to lay flat in the bottom of the case.

Step 2
Paint the top of the board and the side edges in a color of your choice. Allow the paint to dry.

Step 3
Determine the placement of each leg on the painted side of the board. Drill a pilot hole through the board using a small bit. Center and drill a pilot hole down through the top of each spindle or table leg. Place the board in the suitcase with the painted side facing up. Drill a 3-inch wood screw through one pilot hole on the board. When the screw begins to protrude through the bottom of the suitcase, line up the pilot hole on a leg. Drill the screw into the leg. Repeat with the remaining three legs.

Step 4
Undo the latches on the suitcase, but leave the suitcase closed. Spray paint the entire case and the legs using a color of your choice. I used an almond color because it coordinated with the wallpaper I chose. Allow the paint to dry. Apply pearl paint over the spray paint and allow it to dry.

Step 5
Place the table with the front of the case facing you. Measure the width across the top of your case. Cut a piece of wallpaper border using this measurement. Apply decoupage medium to the entire top surface of the case. Apply the medium to the back of the border. Center the border across the width of the suitcase's top. Use your hands to press the paper down and to smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles. Allow the medium to dry while continuing to press out new bubbles that may materialize. If you are having trouble getting a bubble out, pierce the bubble with a needle and press it out with your fingers.

Step 6
Apply a final coat of the decoupage medium over the entire top surface of the case. This will seal the wallpaper, allowing your table top to be wiped off and cleaned when needed.

Step 7
Rip a 1-inch wide by 45-inch long strip of coordinating fabric of your choice. Cut two, 6-inch lengths from the strip and set aside. Apply craft glue to the handle of your case. Wrap the remainder of the strip around the handle. Tie a 6-inch length to each side of the handle.