101 Uses Of A Vintage Suitcase

Not long ago I posted 101 Uses Of A Teacup as we seem to be swimming in them at the moment! But you can pretty much guarantee that there will be a stack of suitcases at our next fair and the one after that and the one after that etc...so let's think about how we can bring these babies into the 21st century. I've gathered together some ideas to inspire you and please feel free to pass on yours too.

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A wonderful  South African based designer Katie Thompson upcycles old unused furniture into covetable, unique feature items for your home. This suitcase chair looks so luxurious, I can hardly believe somebody came up with such a glamorous idea from an old suitcase. Genius. You can see the rest of her designs here.

Got an old chest of drawers lying around? Breathe new life into them just like the examples below. You could place the entire chest in each drawer, or create drawer fronts from the handle side of the case. It's a lovely way to store things you mightn't need on a regular basis I guess, like this bed side dresser too.

James Plumb for Rossana Orlandi

Painted Home Designs

This has to be my absolute favourite idea! Suitcase shelves from blogger, Red Hen Home. Acting more as kooky artwork than shelving, it's a very impressive display! She has also created a tutorial for you to follow as well as her progress on this particular project. 

Now, this is adorable. Vintage suitcase cat bed. Who would have thought it? Very similar to the way in which you'd make one into a table, but so much cuter. You can find the tutorial to make this very bed at Mouse Breath which is a blog written by cats, for cats. 

The Boom Case have made a name for themselves over the pond for very stylish boomboxes. Yes my dears, that's right, suitcase speakers! They look incredible and sound just as a sweet. I've yet to find a UK seller, but if you know somebody PLEASE get them in touch with us! If you fancy having a go at your own Boom Case, Apartment Therapy have a DIY tutorial for you. 

The humble table will never be the same again. Whether you use a stack of suitcases to put your table top upon as in the first picture from Apartment Therapy, or you use a little more of that DIY spirit and add wooden table legs to a sturdy case just like this example from Salvage Love which also has a very simple tutorial alongside it. Remember, you can keep your cases in working order to store unsightly mess such as magazines or post, or just bits and bobs. 

If you would much prefer to keep your suitcase as a suitcase, but would like to, well, liven it up a bit, there are endless ideas out there. The classic collage effect is probably a little bit out of date (says she, vintage lover over here) so have a couple of ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

A Beautiful Mess floral fabric

Oh So Lovely polka dots

Lace chevron design from Ruche 

If you just can't see your suitcase being something pretty enough to add to your home then why not your garden or balcony? I'd love a suitcase herb pot myself! This link to My First Garden has a whole list of ideas for creative flower beds and planters, but look at his face! Perfect for kids. 

So there you have it. A fair few ideas to get you thinking about what you might be able to do with that old dusty suitcase. And I bet there are a tonne of other ideas just waiting to flow into the comment boxes below (go on!). 

Gina xxx

101 Uses Of A Teacup

Well nearly. Mismatched china has found it's home in the vintage world with teacups, plates and saucers adorning many cafes, shops and displays! Where to find your china? The best advice I can give you is to rummage in your local charity shop. Don't worry if you can't find matching saucers, just keep growing your collection so you too can have a home full of teacup crafts! Oh and don't forget they make lovely gifts too...The crafty among you have thought outside the box and I have gathered my Top 5 other uses of the humble teacup.

These blew me away, so pretty and a real novel use of old china. I believe they were originally the idea from ceramic lights designer Greg Bonasera whose modern designs are very sleek yet stand out slightly. But I've found a very simple and easy to follow step by step DIY guide from Ideas Mag tutorial.  Chandeliers are also quite popular, you can cheat and buy a brand new one from Next.

Sticking with teacup interior design, howsabout this amazing clock? A statement piece for your chimney breast or in your kitchen if you have the room! You could always downsize and just put teacups at 12,3,6 and 9. You can buy these but again, here is a tutorial from Vintage Revivals  whose bright choice of china makes a brave use of colour and a welcome change from the usual pastels we often see.

While we are in the kitchen, grab us a glass of wine will you? Oh, no glasses? A teacup shall do! I absolutely love these, so simple an idea I'm gutted I didn't think of it first. Available from the inventively named Teacup Wine Glasses who are based in London.  If you aren't convinced, here is a review of the clever crafters and their teacup wine glasses from Festival Brides wedding blog.

Now how could I forget the humble teacup candle? These are simply everywhere at the moment, widely available at vintage fairs (including our own) and in shops all over the place. If you're feeling particularly handy then they really aren't hard to make yourself, so who better to trust for a home made vintage trinket than Kirstie Allsop. But if you just can't wait, you can buy your candles from Teacup Candles, Kookie Candles and Eco-Antique Teacup Candles as just a few examples.

 To finish, here is a teacup DIY we can all attempt. The teacup pincushion. A very quaint idea that will suit the vintage fashionista and her customising ways or perhaps you'd rather just display a vintage cotton reel beside it as a unique decoration? The lovely, easy to follow blog Sophie Makes Things has a brilliantly simple tutorial for the pincushion below which has fab photography to boot.

But if you're really just that lazy, then click over onto eBay to browse the home made version for sale. This was my favourite on offer at at £6.99. But go on, give this one a go!

Get the super glue out!
Gina x

Fleur de Guerre Hair Tutorial: Victory Rolls

Fleur DeGuerre is one of my all time favourite vintage fashion bloggers and models. Fleur has kindly given us her victory rolls tutorial to share with you all and though their are many out there, I think Fleur's is incredibly easy to follow and here is the original blog post. The finished do is in a photo below.

Supposedly, the iconic 1940s hairstyle was named after the manoeuvres made by victorious planes at the end of World War II. I'm not going to lie to you, they need some practice! But once you've mastered the victory roll you can include them in any of your hairstyles, up or down. So! Let's hop to it. And if you have a go, send a snap to blog@thevintagefair.com!

You will need...

Kirby grips

Tail-comb

Bristle brush

Strong hairspray - I recommend Tresemme Freeze Hold

Oh and you'll need this too. 

Gina xxx