Decoupage of a suitcase

You can find a lot of interesting things in each in the country house, in a village house or in the mezzanines in your own apartment. Antique things, antiques - in general, much of what in modern life is no longer found. Many families have preserved old-fashioned suitcases that are completely uncomfortable for traveling on planes and trains, and they look very battered by life . But you can breathe new life into any old thing. All you need is a little imagination and a desire to create.

One of the ways how to decorate a suitcase and fit it into the interior of a house or apartment is decoupage. The fact is that this technique does not need special skills, just a little care and accuracy is enough, and you will get a completely new author's item that will decorate your home and cheer you up.

What is needed to work with decoupage?

Decoupage is a technique of decorating the surface of an object by imposing drawings, patterns and paintings on it. Useful for work:

  • old hard-walled suitcase;
  • sandpaper;
  • degreasing agent before decoupage (alcohol or acetone is suitable);
  • PVA glue or special decoupage glue (it can be found in stores for creativity and needlework);
  • acrylic primer (preferably white, but you can use the one you like);
  • paper napkins, prints on office paper, newspaper scraps, cotton cloth (for example, pieces of chintz). The main thing is that drawings and patterns fit your idea and interior;
  • a roller, sponge or brush for glue and paint;
  • scissors, ruler, pencil;
  • acrylic lacquer;
  • other accessories for decoration: buttons, leather for artificial “patches”, etc.

Do not forget about a good mood! It will come in handy in the process. Then minor failures will not overshadow the excellent result that you will definitely get.

Preparatory work

Before proceeding directly to decorating a suitcase, it is necessary to prepare its surface and entrails for work:

  1. The first step is to carry out a small restoration of the suitcase. To do this, open it and remove the old paper, which they often glued on the inside.
  2. Then moisten a cloth in soapy water and wipe it on all sides. Be careful not to soak the already shabby coating too much.
  3. Wipe the suitcase a second time with a cloth dampened with clean water. Leave it to dry completely outside and inside.

Inspect luggage for scuffs, holes, and other damage . If there are any, then it is better to restore the surface to make it more convenient to work. If the sheathing is only a little frayed, then glue the scraps with PVA glue or apply a woven patch, and if there are holes through and through, it is better to build leather or wooden patches. They can be fixed on superglue or self-tapping screws.

After the restoration, it is important to smooth the surface of the suitcase . To do this, with a large brush, sponge or roller, cover it on all sides with acrylic soil in 2–5 layers, dry.

Next, sand the surface after the primer. Using a fine-grained skin, process the suitcase without making sudden movements.

You can first sand, and only then primer the suitcase, there is no fundamental difference in the order. However, be careful because a soilless surface can be very shaky due to the age of the product, so do not wipe a new hole .

At the end of the preparatory work, you can additionally cover the surface with acrylic paint suitable for the style of the room color. After complete drying, treat all the walls and parts with a degreasing agent so that the decoupage adheres tightly and holds.

Decoupage procedure for an old suitcase with napkins - master class

Turn the prepared suitcase upside down if you glue it completely. If not, but start at the middle of the cover. Prepare all the necessary tools and materials and get started:

  1. divide beautiful paper napkins so that only the top layer with the pattern remains (that is, disassemble the multi-layer napkins into separate layers). The napkin can be used completely or cut out the necessary fragments;
  2. put the tissue in the right place. Start work from the middle of the surface and move to the edges;
  3. glue a napkin with a sponge or a fan-shaped paintbrush and decoupage glue (you can use diluted with water to the state of PVA liquid cream). This is done as follows: the composition is applied from the middle of the napkin with smooth movements to the edges so that all air bubbles come out from under it and the irregularities are smoothed out;
  4. so do with all wipes. If the wipes are transparent enough, then you can repeat another layer ;
  5. after the glue has completely dried, cover the suitcase with several layers of acrylic varnish. It can be different: matte, glossy and even with sparkles. Choose yourself for your goals;
  6. finish the decor of the suitcase: make a new handle from beads on a wire or an old belt, if necessary;
  7. decorate the product with additional elements.

Provence Decoupage

Elements of Provence in the interior - it is always an opportunity to create a cozy and relaxing atmosphere in the house. This style is also called the "French country", and its motifs allow you to feel intimacy with nature and beauty in simplicity .

A suitcase in this style should be decorated in white, milk and olive colors. Napkins and other paper substrates can be picked up with natural motifs - with sprigs of plants and flowers. To decorate the product, wide “knitted” ribbons, straws, accessories woven from twine are suitable. It is best to intentionally leave the accessories on the suitcase old - this will preserve a slightly rustic, cozy style .

Do-it-yourself vintage decoupage in stages

An old suitcase can be deliberately “aged” again, but it will look no longer dilapidated, but rather stylish and elegant. Various tools are useful for the retrovariant, which will help to artificially scuff the surface of the glued case. You can use the following methods:

  • gently shade bronze or brown eyeshadows along the edges of napkins, the corners of a suitcase, next to the accessories;
  • even at the stage of gluing napkins, you can leave “wrinkles” on them and not smooth them perfectly;
  • with a piece of sponge or foam, make the “scuff” paint over napkins;
  • for pasting, use clippings from old yellowed newspapers;
  • cover the suitcase with a special cracking varnish, which you can buy in the department for creativity.

Interior decoration - examples

After working on the outer surface, do not forget about the inner part, which also needs to be decorated in the style of a briefcase . You can glue the insides using the same PVA or decoupage glue. There are two main options:

  1. paste the inside with paper clippings or napkins. It is not necessary to make the suitcase inside as colorful as the outside. A plain design will look much more organic;
  2. made using cotton fabric. It can be glued to glue or nailed with a special stapler for furniture, if you have one. The fabric looks fine with polka dots, with small flowers or elegant patterns.