A Girls Dream

Every girl dreams of having a suitcase full of sparkly, beautiful treasures!  Here is a fun new take on a jewelry box that is portable, plush and pretty.  This will be filled with scarves, hair decorations, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and hats.

This suitcase started out as an old, ugly brown with an inside that left a lot to be desired.

Here is what you will need:

~ Suitcase
~ About 2 yds fabric
~ Poster board
~Spray Adhesive
~Glue gun
~Craft glue
~  1/2" wide Elastic
~ Ribbon
~Clips
~ Batting for bottom of case
~Sewing Machine
~Iron

First of all tear out the fabric lining and save the pieces to use for a pattern, then paint the suitcase to your liking.

1.  Cut poster board to fit the top lid.
2.  The poster board pieces that go around the inside edges are four pieces.  One for each side that will rap around to both the front and back enough to hide behind the front and back pieces.
Note: the front and side pieces are all the same height.  The back piece needs to be taller to cover the hing area and tuck behind the lid piece.
3.  Cut fabric 1/2 inch larger than each of the poster board pieces and cut a fabric piece to cover the bottom and fold up the sides by about an inch.
4.  Adhere the fabric pieces to the poster board using spray adhesive.
5.  Heat an iron.  Flip each fabric covered poster board piece over, fabric side down.  Iron the 1/2 inch extra fabric around to the back side of the poster board to finish the edges nicely.
6.  Cut the batting to the size of the bottom and hot glue into place.  Place bottom piece of fabric over batting and smooth flat.  Hot glue edges up onto the sides of the suitcase.  This will be covered by the poster board pieces.
7.  Hot glue each side into place, making sure the bottom edges of the poster board pieces is tight to the bottom piece.  Wrap these pieces around the front and back suitcase panels.
8.  Hot glue front poster board piece to the front panel, fitting it tightly to the bottom.

Note: If you are adding pockets do it at this time.  Sew pockets, using your pieces you tore out from the old inside as your pattern. Pockets will wrap around the poster board lid piece before you attach it to the suitcase.

9.  The back panel that covers the hing area will need to be glued with craft glue and let dry completely.
10.  Attach the poster board piece for the lid with craft glue and let dry.
11.  Add buttons, ribbons, bows, and whatever you want to decorate with to the suitcase.

UPDATE

Abby has moved into her suitcase and loves it!

This project is linked up on: