Orla Kiely Recycled crafts tutorial vintage

Orla Kiely inspired suitcase

My most recent thrifted find was this lovely little vintage suitcase. I can’t imagine why anyone would make, let along buy, such a small suitcase. Perhaps it’s just me who can’t leave home without the kitchen sink! Anyway, it’s made of cardboard and lined with paper and I thought it would be a perfect backdrop for my photographs which I’m really trying to improve this year.

vintage suitcase

It needed a bit of cheering up though so I purchased some Orla Kiely wrapping paper, featuring my favourite colourful stem print. The paper is reversible – small stem print on one side and large stem print on the other.

It was easy to cut the paper to cover the original lining paper and I stuck it in place with some mount spray.

DIY Orla Kiely suitcase

Voila, my very own Orla Kiely-inspired suitcase. What do you think?

You may also be interested in my Orla Kiely stem print biscuits.

 

26 Comments

  • Reply
    Vintage Sweetheart
    August 28, 2011 at 12:19 pm

    A lovely make over! Maybe it was a school case??

    E 🙂

  • Reply
    Lea
    August 28, 2011 at 1:57 pm

    Perfect!

  • Reply
    Pickle-Lily
    August 28, 2011 at 10:23 pm

    Oooh it’s lovely! Why can I never find things like this?
    Jo x

  • Reply
    Martha
    August 28, 2011 at 11:16 pm

    great idea to jazz up your suit case! i love the print. scandinavian style.
    how about embellishing the top of the case with some stickers or prints? 🙂

  • Reply
    Caroline
    August 29, 2011 at 6:15 am

    A brilliant recycling job and looks so much better, love the smell of old suitcases wonder what tales of travel it could tell you.

  • Reply
    Wendy
    August 29, 2011 at 7:23 am

    I love it. Maybe it was a child’s suitcase?

  • Reply
    Florence @sunshineofmyloves
    August 29, 2011 at 9:46 am

    i love the suitcase and now that you have added the lovely orla kiely paper (I so love this pattern, i could cover my whole house with it!!) it’s divine. i’m going to be in the uk next week, whereabouts can you buy this paper?

    • Reply
      jenny
      September 2, 2011 at 3:48 pm

      You should be able to buy it in any John Lewis Department store, good stationers or an Orla Kiely shop. I live in London where it’s pretty easy to find it so hope you are able to get your hands on some!

  • Reply
    Anne - Imagination Beads
    August 29, 2011 at 10:22 am

    It looks great following your make-over – the paper goes perfectly with the case.

  • Reply
    Maria
    August 29, 2011 at 12:08 pm

    I love the lining paper, the case looks fab. It may have been part of set and you have found the vanity, hand luggage case.

  • Reply
    Tilly Mint Boutique
    August 29, 2011 at 5:11 pm

    Oh my its lovely! what a great idea using the lining paper!

  • Reply
    RosMadeMe
    August 29, 2011 at 6:47 pm

    I love old suitcases and have several that belonged to my mum… they are filled with black and white pics… One thing always puzzles me though, they are so small what did people actually put in them?

  • Reply
    Kate
    August 29, 2011 at 6:55 pm

    There is a good makeover. Well done you

  • Reply
    Molly
    August 29, 2011 at 7:19 pm

    It’s lovely! I have some sheets of that paper too, it’s nice and thick as well which I like. It looks absolutely perfect lining your suitcase! Thanks for linking up with Magpie Monday – it will be back to being hosted at Me and My Shadow next week.

  • Reply
    Amanda @gidders1
    August 29, 2011 at 8:12 pm

    I can imagine it will be a great prop for your photography!!
    Great choice of design too…I have a brolly in that design lol x

  • Reply
    Ana
    August 31, 2011 at 7:22 am

    I love vintage suitcase! I currently have 3 in my craft room, they add such character to the room 🙂

  • Reply
    Mummy Matters
    August 31, 2011 at 10:30 pm

    Wow I love this what a clever idea, I love OK so gorgeous, it looks like it belonged their all along. I hope you aren’t planning on using this as your hospital bag 😉

  • Reply
    Shabby Vintage Junk
    August 31, 2011 at 11:25 pm

    Hello over there…. :o) !!

    I LOVE your little suitcase….I collect these & would agree that it’s a childs suitcase….Also by the look of your pics, it appears to be a LEATHER case…?!

    The Orla print is DIVINE & looks WONDERFUL inside….**sigh**….Orla ROCKS….!!!!!

    Cheers from ‘Down Under’,
    Tamarah :o)

  • Reply
    Minibreak Mummy
    September 3, 2011 at 5:58 pm

    Wow – what a cool idea!
    I saw some lovely suitcases and vanity cases in a local Retro shop today, but thought my husband would disown me if I came home with any of them 😉

  • Reply
    Liz Burton
    September 5, 2011 at 12:06 pm

    So cool – I love it!

    I have a ‘thing’ for suitcases!

  • Reply
    Celeste Stevenson
    November 25, 2011 at 6:07 am

    i love the suitcase and now that you have added the lovely orla kiely paper (I so love this pattern, i could cover my whole house with it!!) it’s divine. The Orla print is DIVINE & looks WONDERFUL inside….**sigh**….Orla ROCKS….!!!!! Perfect! So cool – I love it!

  • Reply
    Tamara Boone
    December 8, 2011 at 9:23 am

    i’m going to be in the uk next week, whereabouts can you buy this paper? A lovely make over! I live in London where it’s pretty easy to find it so hope you are able to get your hands on some! There is a good makeover.

  • Reply
    Cornelia Duke
    February 18, 2012 at 5:37 am

    i’m going to be in the uk next week, whereabouts can you buy this paper? great idea to jazz up your suit case! Oh my its lovely!

  • Reply
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    aunty caca
    June 29, 2016 at 5:40 pm

    Wonderful! ! Xx

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