Painting a thrift store suitcase.

Several months ago our local thrift store was having a luggage sale. I personally prefer 'hardsider' suitcases, as they aren't easily crushed, torn or broken, so I jumped at the chance to acquire one for under five dollars.

The problem is, I've never seen a plastic suitcase that wasn't in some drab, sad color. (Quite literally my choices were; rain-cloud blue, beige, slightly darker beige, faded brown and 'greige' (a color I can only describe as being exactly between green and beige.) 

Luckily, Krylon makes a spraypaint designed to cover plastic, and I will walk you through the steps to jazz up that scuffed, otherwise throw away suitcase!

This would be just the thing to take on your summer vacation, or to pack your kids off to camp with their own, custom luggage (for under ten dollars!)

Some judiciously applied painter's tape could lead to stripes, plaid-- you're really only limited by your imagination.

You Will Need:
Krylon Fusion for Plastic (in color of your choice)
Masking tape
Scissors
Newspaper
Old, cheap plastic suitcase

Step 1 Remove old tabs, straps, etc.

The suitcase had straps and clips to hold in folded clothes.
I cut the straps out, but saved the clips so I could re-use them.


(I replaced the straps with some heavy ribbon after I was through painting. Remember: every suitcase will be different, so your mileage may vary. Bits of elastic or even rope might be a  good choice, depending on your application.)

Comments

[l8nite]

Turned out great.. I had to laugh at the speckles of artist acrylics because so much of my own stuff has the same "disease" not to mention the "textured" floor from hotglue, plaster etc....

[AngryRedhead]

I think most people would call "greige" olive or avocado.

[Hapless]

Haha, I see your point, but avocado is a 'cooler' color, more green, and every time I see someone call something olive, they mean brown. I think it may have been a discolored/faded army green, but plastic does strange things when left to the heat and/or sun, so I shall never know for sure.

[AngryRedhead]

Some army greens are olive like the color of a green olive. My neighborhood was built in the 70s - lots of olives, avocados, and mustards. Lots of colors named after savory food. Now it seems to be a lot of sweet food names like chocolate and persimmon.

[seamster]

I like this!

It's great to take old and overlooked items like this--that are still perfectly useful--and give them new life. Most items only need two things to be cherished once again... elbow grease and spray paint!

[Hapless]

Thank you! I agree. I'm always amazed that spending an afternoon on something can make all the difference. People say 'time is money' but one's own time is one of the few free things we have at our disposal.