How to Make Easy DIY Suitcase Shelves

Today, I am sharing how I made my vintage suitcases into unique looking shelves and added a much needed unique accent to our space! They are both beautiful and functional.

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Who doesn’t love vintage suitcases? They can be used in so many different ways to add that unique look to any room or space. Today I will be sharing a tutorial for DIY suitcase shelves that I put up last year.

 

Image contains two photos of DIY Suitcase Shelves, one from the side and one from the front

 

I got the idea of creating DIY suitcase shelves from a home vintage magazine my husband had brought back from France for me (so kind of him, I know). It was just a photo of 5 cases on the wall – no instructions or how to so I had to figure it out on my own! I apologize in advance for the lack of progress photos. This space was created before I started blogging… I only cared about the finished version back then haha!

 

Materials I Used:

  • Saw
  • Drill
  • 2 x suitcases
  • MDF wood
  • screws

How I Made DIY Suitcase Shelves:

1. Draw a line down 3/4 of the suitcases (You will only need 1/4 of the suitcase’s original size to make your shelves – but this also depends on your personal choice).

Close up, top down view of a suitcase cut in half

 

Using the line you have drawn as a guide, cut through the suitcase using the saw (This part was quite devastating to do as it was such a beautiful case!).

 

Inside view of a suitcase cut in half as it is turned into a diy suitcase shelf

 

2. Drill 2 holes to the top of the suitcase and 2 holes to the bottom of the case. It should be about 0.5cm to 1cm from the back edge of the suitcase (the side you have cut off)

 

Drilled holes in a diy suitcase shelf

 

3. Make 2 wooden brackets using thick hardwood blocks about 6cm long and 2cm thick. They should be the exact height of your suitcase.

 

 

4. Screw these ‘brackets’ onto the wall to the height you want.

 

Diagram of how to attach suitcase to brackets in the wall

 

5. The suitcase should fit over the brackets and then you just screw everything into place using the pre-drilled holes. (see diagram above)

I decorated the suitcase shelves with picture frames and nautical ornaments!

DIY suitcase shelves decorated with nautical decor

 

 

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To see more projects from our group members, click here. To see Grillo Designs DIY projects, click here. To submit your own project click here.

 

12 comments

  1. This is SUCH a fantastic idea!! I have got a vintage suitcase and have been toying with ideas of what to do with it!! This has given me great inspiration β€” thanks so much for sharing πŸ™‚ Thanks for linking up:) #HomeEtc β€” Caro x

  2. These are GORGEOUS! I might surprise my other half with them in the bedroom as we both love vintage suitcases. Thanks for the tutorial! πŸ™‚ x

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