Category: quick and easy.

Quick and easy projects that you could try yourself.

thrift find makeovers.

Published on by Quandie20 Comments

Whenever I’m out thrifting I’m always on the lookout for simple wood items that I can give new life to with paint.

I’ll readily admit that none of these are spectacular finds, certainly nothing to write home about.  But all three were fun makeovers.

Let’s start with the basic cutting board.  After sanding it down and cleaning it with a grease cutting cleaner, I painted it with Dixie Belle’s Sawmill Gravy, and then added some grain sack style stripes using their French Linen.  Once dry, I sanded to distress and then added the farm animal transfer from Dixie Belle’s On the Farm transfer set.

The “Precious Stone Farm” wording is from re.design with prima’s Everyday Farmhouse transfer set.

I just love how it turned out, so cute.  It’s no longer food safe, but would make great decor.

Next up is the rooster shaped cutting board.  Once again, I prepped as usual and then painted it with two coats of the Sawmill Gravy.  Then I pulled out some scraps from the I.O.D. Floral Anthology transfer and pieced them in around the edges of the rooster.

Finally, I added some wording from their Label Ephemera transfer and now he’s a funky french floral rooster.  Again, no longer food safe, but perfect for decorating the kitchen counter top.

By the way, I top-coated both of these pieces with clear wax.

Last up is … well … I really don’t know what to call this thing.  I’m thinking it was originally a napkin, or paper guest towel holder, maybe?  Do you have any idea what this might have been used for?

Well, regardless, I painted it in Sawmill Gravy and then I decided to do a little experimenting with stamping once again.  Take note that I did not use any kind of sealer over the paint before stamping, and this is a chalk style paint.

The last time I tried stamping on paint I wasn’t terribly happy with the results.  But a couple of my readers gave me some tips including Teri B. who specifically recommended VersaFine Clair ink for stamping over paint.

So I went out and purchased some from my local craft store (I can’t remember, it was either Hobby Lobby or Michaels).

First up, I have to say that no matter how good the ink, nothing can help if you’re a clumsy stamper … which apparently I am.  On my first go around, after applying the stamp semi-perfectly, I then dropped it right back down on my surface.  Ugh.  So I wiped it back as much as I could, re-painted with the Sawmill Gravy and then gave it another go.

The 2nd time around I ended up not liking the stamp I chose (and by the way, all of these stamps are from the I.O.D. Crockery set), so once again I wiped it off using a damp cloth.

At that point it occurred to me that I rather liked the washed out look I achieved when wiping off the ink right away so I took a quick photo to share with you.  At some point I may want to use this technique on another project.  But for this piece I once again painted back over it with the Sawmill Gravy.

I will say that this is one of the benefits of stamping over paint, you can re-do it multiple times at no extra cost.

The third time is sort of the charm with this one.

I say ‘sort of’ for a few reasons.  I didn’t apply even pressure to the stamp, and I also managed to smear the ink just a little bit by accidentally brushing over it with my hand.

But those are pretty fine details, and unless you are an uber-perfectionist (which may, or may not, apply to me) this is good enough.  And really, if you’re an uber-perfectionist, stamping probably just isn’t for you.

I also achieved decent results with the stamp at the bottom too.

Teri was definitely right, the VersaFine Clair ink is the way to go if you’re stamping over chalk paint.

After 24 hours, the ink appeared to be dry enough to add a top coat over it without fear of smearing, but I chose to hold off on adding a coat of clear wax.

Why?  Well, I may keep this piece to corral some flashcards and maybe a pair of readers or two and I’m not sure I love this look.  I may decide to give it an entirely different look next, so I’m holding off on waxing in case I decide to paint over it one more time.

After working on all three of these thrift find makeovers, I have to say that I still think transfers deliver a lot more punch than stamps.  But of course, you can only use a transfer one time, while stamps can be used over and over.  So tell me, what do you think?  Do you prefer transfers or stamps?  Leave a comment and let me know.

a sweet little box.

Published on by Quandie16 Comments

I feel a little bit like I should apologize for today’s makeover.

I’m sure that someone put their heart into hand-painting this little wooden recipe box.

It was certainly sweet, and very well done, but maybe just a tad outdated.  I’ve re-done a few of these recipe boxes over the years and I always enjoy the process.

So when I saw it in the thrift shop, I couldn’t resist buying it so I could give it a little makeover.

I started by sanding down the hand-painted flowers and then giving the box a fresh coat of Dixie Belle’s Drop Cloth.  After giving that a quick sanding to smooth out the surface and distress the edges, I pulled out all of my transfer scraps and just had fun decorating the box.

I started with some florals from I.O.D.’s Floral Anthology.  I wrapped them around each side of the box.

As well as up and over the top.

I used a mish mash of transfers for the wording on the top, some are from re.design with prima’s Classic Vintage Labels, and some are from I.O.D.’s Label Ephemera.

The little ‘No. 4899’ on the front of the box is from a Tim Holtz transfer.

I painted the inside of the box using Dixie Belle’s Silk paint in Cactus.

I tried to stage my photos in such a way as to show that the lid is not hinged, it comes off.  But just in case that wasn’t obvious so far …

You could use this as a keepsake box, or maybe a gift box filled with candies.

Or of course, you could just use this as a recipe box.  I’m curious, does anyone keeps recipe cards any more?  I know that I don’t, at least not at the moment.  But one day (when mom’s done using them) I will hang onto my mom’s handwritten recipe cards … unless my sister takes them all!  Do any of you keep family recipes that have been handed down on index cards?

You know what would be an amazing keepsake?  Mom’s recipes mixed with photos of her, especially those of her cooking.

Hmmmm … I’m giving myself an idea here.

I turned a recipe box into a ‘scrapbook’ a while back,

but that time it was with travel photos …

This time around I could intermix scrapbooked index cards with actual recipe cards.  I think I just came up with a great winter project idea for myself!

But I’ll keep an eye out for another box to use for that project, and then decorate it specifically for that.

So this particular box is for sale locally.

I’ll bring it into the shop, unless one of you locals want to snatch it up first in which case be sure to check my ‘available for local sale‘ page for more details.

Thank you to Dixie Belle Paint Co for supplying the paint used on this project.

same day service.

Published on by Quandie18 Comments

First up I want to thank everyone for the kind comments left on Monday’s post, thank you so much, those comments mean a lot to me!

Some of you may remember the black dresser that I worked on earlier this year.  When I brought the dresser home, it had a mirror on it.

I usually find that dressers sell better without a mirror, they are so much more versatile that way and can be used in more settings than just a bedroom, so I removed it.  Initially my handyman Ken and I tried to salvage the frame that held the mirror and keep it on the back of the dresser.

But in the end I felt like the scale of it was all wrong, so I replaced it with a plain, straight board.

I never like to just discard pieces like this, so I held onto it for a rainy day.  Recently I pulled it out of a pile of random furniture parts and decided to turn it into a pegboard sign.

Basically all I did was add a stencil …

some wooden knobs, and a picture wire on the back so it could hang on the wall.

And voila, a cute decoration for someone’s laundry room was born.

It’s perfect for hanging your vintage clothes pin bag, or some old advertising wooden hangers.

There’s just something about adding wooden knobs to function as pegs that elevates a stenciled sign.  When I saw a couple of Ziploc bags full of them at a garage sale for $2, I snatched them up pronto.

Now I’ll have plenty of them for some Christmas cupboard door signs.  Four of them were perfect on this piece too.

This was an easy way to give this discarded bit of trim a new life.

I’d keep this pegboard for myself, but I don’t actually offer same day service on laundry … how about you?

The laundry co pegboard sign is available for sale locally, be sure to check my ‘available for local sale‘ page for more details.

the hardware cabinet.

Published on by Quandie11 Comments

You may remember when my picker Sue found this little cabinet for me back in May.

At the time I mentioned that I wasn’t sure that I liked the cup pulls combined with the scrolly embellishments.  It seemed a bit busy to me.  I definitely didn’t like the brick red color, but maybe that’s just a personal preference thing.

I got some mixed opinions from you guys in the comments on how to update this one, but I opted to start with painting it white to see how that changed it up.

So I mixed up some white milk paint (a mix of two shades) and gave it a couple of coats.

It turned out fabulously chippy!  And I think the white did tone down the visual clutter on those drawer fronts a bit.

Once it was painted, I kept looking at it and thinking somehow the balance was off.  I decided what it really needed was some feet, or some sort of base anyway.  I looked at both Michael’s and Hobby Lobby for some small wooden feet to add to it, but didn’t find anything I liked.  Certainly I could have then looked further afield for something appropriate, but while I was cleaning out my workshop I came across an old yardstick that I’d already cut up and used part of for another project.  There was enough left to go around three sides of the cabinet as trim for a base.

I thought it would add a funky touch.  Plus I liked that the wording on the yardstick was red, which tied in with the red paint still visible behind the chippy white paint (and I left the interior in its original red as well).

The cabinet is not just sitting on flimsy yardsticks, Ken cut some wood to use as a solid base and then tacked the yardstick pieces around three sides.  So it’s nice and sturdy.

Since the yardstick has a hardware-ish sort of theme, I thought adding this section from the I.O.D. Label Ephemera transfer to the top would tie in with that.

Side bar; am I the only one who automatically sings “02134” whenever I read “Boston, Mass”?  The old Zoom address song?  Anyone else raised on early 70’s PBS kid shows?

OK, anyway, as I mentioned, I left the cabinet red inside and then lined it with some scrapbook paper.

I also came across some vintage oil cans that Sue found for me while cleaning out the workshop, so I decided they would be perfect for continuing the hardware-ish theme.

It took a bit of cleaning to get these un-oily … or mostly un-oily.  I washed them with Dawn dish soap first, then I followed that up with two rounds Mean Green Superstrength Cleaner and Degreaser, and finally a rinse with clean, hot water.

I’ve done a few of these oil cans in the past and they’ve all sold.  Most recently, after adding a white transfer, I sold the tiny little can that I shared in the same post as this original cabinet.

I’ve also painted them in the past …

and I also found one in an original cobalt blue paint once.

So I’m still debating these oil cans.  Should I paint them, should I add transfers, or should I leave them in their current state?  Will I continue to find a market for selling them?  Any suggestions?

Meanwhile, this little cabinet would be perfect for storing one’s stash of knobs.

Or any other hardware or crafting items really.

Since I already have a good storage system for my hardware, this cabinet is for sale locally so be sure to check out the details on my ‘available for local sale‘ page.

seriously, what are the chances?

Published on by Quandie13 Comments

My friend/picker Sue picked up this cute little toy dresser for me recently.

It’s not an antique, or a salesman sample, or anything like that.  But it is pretty darn cute.  If only it wasn’t missing the mirror.

Sue thought I could get a new one cut for it, and maybe so.  I do wonder how difficult it would be to cut that oval though.  So I decided to just paint it in and see what I could find in my transfer stash to fill that spot.

But first up, I removed the knobs.  They are OK, but I knew I could do better.  Especially since I already had some fabulous small glass knobs on hand (from D Lawless Hardware).

Next I gave the piece a good sanding, and then a good cleaning.  Then I followed that up with two coats of Dixie Belle’s Drop Cloth.  The existing finish was pretty dinged up, and I much prefer the warmer shade of the Drop Cloth over the original white on the dresser.

Then I added the top half or so of the small Petit Rosier transfer from I.O.D. to the front of the dresser.

The small (11″ x 14″) version of the transfer fit almost exactly across the width of the drawers, what luck.

FYI, this transfer has been retired.  You can still find it online, but supplies are limited.

Next I pulled out my Classic Vintage Labels transfers from re.design with prima.  I knew there was an oval shaped label in that set and I was hoping it would be the right size and shape to fill that spot where the mirror once was.  I will admit that I was thinking to myself, ‘what are the chances?  probably pretty slim, right?’

And look at that!  Pretty much the perfect fit.  Seriously, what are the chances?  Things like this rarely work out this well.

Once I’d also added the “les roses.” wording from the I.O.D. transfer to the top, I sanded the edges of everything and then added a coat of clear wax.

Then I popped on the glass knobs.

I think those knobs elevate this piece just a tad, don’t you?

Finally, I lined the drawers with some pretty floral scrapbook paper.

How sweet is that?

I staged it simply with a lovely little round floral dish that Sue also found for me, and some vintage jewelry.

This would make a fun jewelry box, you’d just have to come up with some little boxes or something to put inside the drawers to prevent everything from becoming a jumbled mess.

But really, this piece could be used anywhere to hold small items … like perhaps your large collection of reading glasses … or is that just me?

I already happen to have a mini with the Petit Rosier transfer on it of my own …

So today’s project is for sale (locals only, no shipping available).  Be sure to check out my ‘available for local sale‘ page for more details.

One last thought on this project; this is not the sort of thing that anyone is going to make their fortune on … or really even be able to pay the bills with.  I paid $12 for the dresser, $18 for the transfer and $9 for the knobs.  It didn’t take much paint or wax, so I’m not counting those things.  Plus I have a lifetime supply of scrapbook paper, so I’m just happy to be able to use that stuff up.  But, that means I have $39 into this piece, which would be perfectly fine if I was keeping it for myself.  However, I usually sell pieces like this for $48.  So, if it sells at that price, I’ve made about $4.50/hour for my two hours of labor.

Choosing to change out the hardware and add that expensive smaller I.O.D. transfer would not be wise choices if I was in this for the money. Instead I would recommend using pieces from the I.O.D. Label Ephemera transfer (also retired unfortunately), or the newer I.O.D. Brocante or Traditional Pots transfers.  Although those are more expensive at around $30 each, I can get 10 or more projects out of each one.

Luckily I’m not in this for the money, although I try not to lose money on any of my projects!  I really enjoy the process of creating, and in the end I’m happy that I can sell most of my pieces and I don’t have to become a hoarder.  Or, worse yet, take them to the Goodwill.  But I wanted to at least mention this for those of you who may be trying to make a buck.

If you sell your items, would you bother with a project like this?  Or do you stick to items with a higher profit margin?  Or maybe you think my price is too low and you could sell it for more?  Leave a comment and let me know.

unintentionally accumulating.

Published on by Quandie20 Comments

I’ve had a little pile of vintage laundry items unintentionally accumulating this summer.  Some of them are items my picker has found for me, and some are things I found … or already had on hand.  They were all pretty random finds, but in the end they have a laundry related theme.

Meanwhile, I was skimming through the April 2022 issue of Country Living and they had an article on exactly this sort of thing.

They featured vintage clothespins, washboards, and these cool retractable clothes line reels …

I kinda wish I had one of those for my basement in the winter.

Anyway, after seeing that article I decided I should figure out a good container for grouping all of these items together for sale.  I had a couple of baskets on hand, but I didn’t like the size and/or shape of them for this particular use.

Then while garage saling a while back I found this wooden box.

I thought it would be the perfect size for my accumulation of stuff, and it was priced right at only $3.  So I nabbed it.

After giving it a good scrub with soap and water and then letting it dry in the sun for a day, I painted it with just one coat of Dixie Belle’s Midnight Sky.  Once the paint was dry I sanded it heavily to give it a really worn appearance.  Then I added the Laundry & Co stencil from Maison de Stencils using Dixie Belle’s Putty.

Today’s q tip; I highly recommend doing any sanding before adding your stenciling when working with highly contrasting colors like black and white, or red and white … if you wait until after adding the stencil you will get a mess when the fine sanding dust from the black paint works its way into the white (or, in this case, Putty) stenciling.

So, I sanded first, wiped away the dust and then added the stencil.

FYI, I usually use a small paint brush to fill in the bridges on these kinds of stencils, and I did do that on this one except for the word “AND”.  I must have missed that one!

After the stenciled design was dry, I used DB’s Big Mama’s Butta to finish off the box.

Next up, I gathered up all of my vintage goodies to fill it up including the Watkins Household Hints book I picked up a while back …

the washboard …

some vintage wooden clothespins …

and hangers …

and finally this adorable vintage embroidered clothes pin bag.

I filled up the box, and I even threw in the magazine for good measure.

Sweet, right?

It would make a fantastic house warming or wedding shower gift for someone who appreciates vintage.  One could also just add all of these items to their laundry room for some instant vintage flair.

I’ll be taking this one in to the shop where I sell on consignment and we’ll see if it goes, unless of course one of my locals wants to snatch it up first.  If interested, be sure to check my ‘available for local sale‘ page for more details.

the flower and grain tote.

Published on by Quandie9 Comments

I purchased this large green wooden tote at the Linden Hills sales.

I love reviving these.  This one wasn’t a terrible shade of green, but it was a bit too shiny for my taste.  So I sanded it thoroughly and then gave it a couple of coats of Dixie Belle’s Drop Cloth.

Next I pulled out a small section from the I.O.D. Gregory’s Catalogue paint inlay that I used on the bench I shared last week.  They say you can re-use the paint inlays up to 3 times, so I thought I’d give that a try.

I’m not sure if you can tell in the photos, but the 2nd time around the color fades to more of a dark grey rather than the original black that was on the bench …

It’s just a bit more washed out.  That’s not a bad thing, but just something to be aware of.  Especially if you’re thinking about trying to use a paint inlay over again on the same piece.  Some areas would look more faded than others.  Still, not necessarily a bad thing, but something you want to be aware of.

I also found that the backing paper was a little flimsier the 2nd time around, and in fact I couldn’t keep one section from tearing into pieces, so a 3rd use is out of the question for this section of my paint inlay.  Keep in mind that I had trimmed the inlay down to fit on this tote, had I kept the entire sheet intact it would likely have held up better for a 3rd use.

I simply had to stage my photos with the last of my lilacs.

They are about done for this year.

If you’ve been following me for long you may remember the story of my lilac hedge fail (you can read all about it here).  Looking back at that post I realize that I’ve been working on my lilac hedge for 11 years now.  Man, talk about determination!  Or maybe I’m just unwilling to admit defeat.  Either way, this year we ripped out one more of the non-performing lilacs and then added three new ones at the end of the row.

But the lilacs in the middle of the hedge are looking great.

They are about 10′ tall, and a couple of them have filled in nicely.  Now I just have to get the rest of them to look as good.  Maybe in 11 more years it will be as I envisioned it.  A tall, dense hedge that completely blocks the view into our neighbor’s back yards.  Fingers crossed on that one.

Well, even if my hedge isn’t providing the privacy we want quite yet, it is providing some pretty lilacs for staging photos.

This tote is for sale locally, so be sure to check my ‘available for local sale‘ page for more details.

Thank you to Dixie Belle Paint Co for providing the paint and sealer used on this project.

itsy bitsy, teenie weenie.

Published on by Quandie21 Comments

It’s not a yellow polka dot bikini, but it’s definitely itsy bitsy, teenie weenie.

It might be difficult to judge the scale based on that photo, but I can tell you that this little guy is 2 3/4″ tall by 3 1/4″ wide.  The knobs appear to be beads that are just glued on.

Here, maybe this photo gives you a better idea of the size.

I believe this probably qualifies as 1″ scale, if you are familiar with such terms (as in 1′ is reduced to 1″).  Way smaller than yesterday’s mini.

Now you may have thought that I should just leave this one alone, but you know me better than that by now, right?  Of course I painted it!

And of course I found some itsy bitsy transfers to add to it.

This is a mash up of transfers from I.O.D. , re.design with prima, and Tim Holtz.

I had the little tool tote and the bucket in my stash of dollhouse décor from back in the day when I had a pretty fabulous dollhouse (you can see it here).  I ended up sending that dollhouse out to my in-law’s place because I didn’t have a good spot for it, but I hung onto a handful of little things.

The tool tote was in the attic in my dollhouse …

But clearly it needed a coat of paint and a transfer as well.

Both the dresser and the tote are painted in Dixie Belle’s Drop Cloth.

The bee transfer on the tote is part of a re.design with prima knob transfer with some bits trimmed away.

Naturally, I had to line the drawers with some pretty paper as well.

I had to dig to find some scrapbook paper with a small enough floral design to look appropriate in these drawers, and that floral paper was perfect.

Seriously you guys, how frickin’ adorable is this thing?  I can hardly stand it.

I’m definitely going to have to hang onto this one for now.

What do you think?

bees and queens.

Published on by Quandie27 Comments

As you may remember, when I was out at my mom’s a while back I purchased another of the I.O.D. stamps called Kindest Regards.

At the time I mentioned that I don’t know why I let myself get sucked in by these stamps. I’ve never been happy with the way stamps look on anything other than paper or fabric, so I don’t do a lot of stamping.

I do love the results on paper …

I used the I.O.D. Crockery stamp on those packages.

I also think stamps work great for fabric (as long as you can lay it flat on a hard surface to apply the stamp).  I used stamps from two different sets of IOD Décor Stamps on a pair of chairs; the letters and no 2 are from the Alpha II set and the wreath and the crown are from the Grain Wreath set.

Sidebar note:  although I used Ranger Archival Ink on those chairs, I would not recommend that brand for fabric.  It fades quite a bit over time.  Instead, use a permanent fabric ink.

Well, I got sucked in again while at my mom’s house the 2nd time and I purchased the I.O.D. Queen Bee stamp.

What is wrong with me?!

The thing is, I was hoping that I could figure out how to make the stamps look good on painted items.  Because I can’t keep buying the re.design with prima Classic Vintage Labels just for the two small bee transfers that come with it.  Or their Lovely Ledger transfer just for the crown.  No matter how much I love them!

If I can get a stamp to look this good, I can add bees and crowns to everything!

So I decided to do a little experimenting with various products to try and find a combination that would work.

First up, I’ve already learned that stamping on unsealed chalk paint or milk paint is no good.  I tried that on a pair of nightstands and met with disaster.  I did have luck stamping over Fusion paint (with its built in top coat), so I felt sure I could get the same result over Dixie Belle’s Silk Paint (this product also has a built in top coat).

So I pulled out a sample board that already had Silk Paint on it, and I pulled out various stamping mediums to test out.

I tested that same Ranger Archival Ink in Watering Can that I used on the nightstands, the I.O.D. Décor Ink in Stone Gray, Momenta permanent fabric ink in Black, and Dixie Belle Silk paint in Anchor.

And here are the results.

OK, so once again I achieved the best, most crisp, result with the Ranger Archival Ink …

The color I used, Watering Can, is a medium gray.  Perhaps I need to purchase this ink in black and see how I like it.

I applied the DB Silk Paint with a brayer, and I got mediocre results with that …

If you’re kind of a picky perfectionist (um, I might have to admit this often applies to me), this look isn’t going to cut it for you.  I find that I always get a slightly sloppy look when stamping with paint, it’s difficult to keep the stamp from slipping around.  I like the idea of using a paint with a built in top coat for durability, but I think it’s always a gamble whether or not you’ll achieve a clean result.

Hmmmm.  Clearly (pardon the pun) something went very wrong with the I.O.D. ink …

I had high hopes for their ink since they’ve designed it specifically for this sort of use.  The I.O.D. content creators that I watch on YouTube seem to use it with good results.  Was it user error?  Did I not shake the bottle enough before applying?  The ink seemed really watery to me.  I used a brayer to apply the ink to the stamp, maybe I need to invest in an ink pad to use with it?  If any of you use the I.O.D. ink please share some tips with me.

Last up is the Momenta fabric ink …

This one gave me a fairly good result at first glance.  However, after giving all of the inks about an hour to dry, I gave them all a smear test by dragging my finger over it.

Yep, clearly this ink is not intended for use on anything other than fabric.  This is the only one that smeared.

I also then let all of the inks dry for 24 hours and added a coat of Dixie Belle’s flat clear coat over them.  Once again, the fabric ink smeared all over the place.  The other three mediums were all good with the top coat though.

Since the Ranger Archival Ink in Watering Can gave the best result of the four options I had on hand, I decided to move on to phase II of my experiment using it.

Stamping over a hard, completely flat surface is all well and good, but most of the time I would be stamping on potentially lumpy surfaces and working around things like hardware and such.  So I decided to experiment on a toolbox.

Since I’d already painted the toolbox using Dixie Belle’s Sawmill Gravy, which is a chalk style paint, I had to start by sealing that with their flat clear coat.  Once that was dry, I started playing around with my I.O.D. stamps.

I started out with the Kindest Regards stamp on the sides of the toolbox.

As you can see, I ended up with some smudging, especially in the upper section where there are ridges in the toolbox.  But even the completely flat area ended up a bit smudgy in spots.

I thought maybe that I could better control a smaller sized stamp, so I attempted a few of varying sizes on the top of the toolbox …

and again on the front of the toolbox …

Unfortunately, in the end, stamping on toolboxes isn’t going to work for me.  If you’re OK with the possibility of smudging, and you don’t mind how that looks, maybe it’s workable for you though.

I ended up painting back over this one and turning it into this …

So for me personally, I’ll probably stick to mainly using my stamps on paper.  Just look how pretty this one is stamped in pink on some tissue paper.

So, leave me a comment and let me know, have you had better success stamping over painted items?  If so, do you have any tips that you’d like to share with the rest of us?  We’re all ears!

a real cold item?

Published on by Quandie29 Comments

Unlike the painted toolboxes, which are a real hot item, my painted suitcases can be very hit or miss.  I’ve painted quite a few suitcases in my day, you can check out most of them in this post from April 2021.

One of my favorite suitcases was this one …

Although I guess technically that one is not painted.  I just added some I.O.D. transfers to it.  It did sell really quickly though.

But lately my suitcases are mostly a miss, rather than a hit.

Last Christmas season I painted this one …

I loved how it turned out.  But you know what?  It didn’t sell.

I think it would be adorable just sitting under the tree, or maybe placed in your foyer to greet Christmas guests.  As an added bonus, you could store Christmas ornaments in it when you pack it away with your decorations at the end of the season.

I still have it available if any of you locals are interested.  It’s priced at $45.

More recently I painted this one …

This time I also spruced up the inside thinking maybe that would help sell it.

But last I checked, this one is still unsold (it’s at the shop where I sell on consignment).

It’s priced at only $35 if any of you locals are interested.

Due to lack of sales, I’ve placed a moratorium on bringing home any more vintage suitcases.  Well … maybe I should clarify.  The moratorium is on paintable suitcases.  I’ll still grab fabulous vintage suitcases for my own non-collection.

However, I still have a couple of suitcases remaining in my ‘to be painted’ inventory including this one …

So decided to go ahead and get this one painted up.

This time I used Dixie Belle’s Drop Cloth paint, and then I added I.O.D.’s June, Ode to Henry Fletcher transfer.

This was a super simple project.  I just painted the suitcase, gave it a light sanding with 220 grit paper, added the transfer and then finished with a topcoat of Dixie Belle’s flat clear coat.

Oh, and I did also sand over the transfer very lightly with 220 grit to give it a more worn appearance before applying the topcoat.

That is such a pretty transfer!  The last time I used it was on this toolbox …

It sold really quickly and one of my regulars missed out on it.  So when I finished up this suitcase, I shared it with her and she called dibs on it.  So today’s suitcase is spoken for.

But I wonder if part of the reason the suitcases don’t normally sell as well as the toolboxes is because they are often musty inside.  This one actually isn’t too smelly, but it is quite orange.

Here are some q tips for mitigating that ‘I’ve been closed up for 50 years’ smell.

no 1 – fill the suitcase with crumpled newspaper and close it back up for a week or so.  The newspaper will absorb some of the odor.  Repeat several times with fresh newspaper if necessary.

no 2 – throw a scented dryer sheet inside.  Maybe pick a nice lavender scented variety.

no 3 – spray with Fabreeze.

no 4 – give the suitcase its day in the sun.  Open it up and set it outside in a sunny spot to air out.

no 5 – if you’re really fancy, create your own lavender sachet to place inside the suitcase.

I’ve tried all of these options … well, except I’ve never made my own sachets.  Usually I employ several of these options at once.  But, I haven’t found a 100% fool-proof way of totally removing that musty-ness.  Once the suitcase goes back to sitting around closed up all the time, it will likely return.  For that reason, I use my own vintage suitcases to store things that won’t pick up odors like my glass tree toppers.

If nothing else, a suitcase like this one is just pretty to look at.  You can put it at the foot of your bed, or next to your dresser, or anywhere really.

Do you have any tips on freshening up the inside of a suitcase?  If so, please be sure to share them in a comment!