Going to Grandma's Laptop Case
By Jennifer Perkins
They just don't make suitcases like they used to. Remember the luggage of our youth with bright floral patterns and kitschy little slogans printed on the side that said things like "Going to Grandma's"? Well, you are going to hope that Grandma has wi-fi with this suitcase revamp, because it does not hold a week's worth of clean underwear — it holds your laptop!
Materials
Suitcase
Butter knife
Foam
Liquid fusion glue
Vintage apron or fabric to cover suitcase
Scissors
Triple Thick top coat
Krylon spray paint
Painter's tape
Cotton fabric for lining
Collage pauge
Sponge brushes
Directions
Step 1: After you have scoured your local thrift stores (or in my case flea market) to find a suitcase compatible in size to your laptop, it's time for a face-lift. Using painter's tape, cover all of the silver hardware on the suitcase.
Step 2: Head outside for some ventilation and coat what was once a barfy doo-doo brown blah plastic suitcase with hot pink goodness. Spray paint comes in a myriad of colors — just be sure if you are spraying a plastic suitcase like I did, you use paint suited for plastic.
Step 3: Choose your groovy fabric wisely. Remember that fabric does not have to come fresh off the bolt. I tore up an old 70s floor-length apron for this flashback to awesomeness.
Step 4: Using decoupage and a sponge brush, coat one side of your suitcase. Cut your fabric to roughly fit and apply more decoupage on top. (Don't mind the pictures; I did one side of the suitcase with fabric before I decided I had better spray paint first.)
Step 5: A little-known trick of the crafty trade is that a butter knife is good for a lot more than just spreading butter. Use your knife to stuff the edges of your fabric into the seams of the suitcase. If your suitcase does not have seams, trim with scissors to get as close to the edges as possible, and then perhaps apply a decorative trim to hide any rough edges or imperfections.
Step 6: When your decoupage has dried completely. cover with 2 coats of top coat. I'm a fan of Triple Thick. This will make sure the fabric does not get tacky with humidity and stick to any overhead compartments or station wagon floorboards.
Step 7: Next, it's time to bust out the foam. We chose craft foam in a 1" thickness. Using scissors and your laptop, cut the foam to fit into the suitcase. You are going to have to eyeball this step for the most part, adding foam here and there to get a tight fit. Don't forget to add foam to the top of your suitcase too!
Step 8: Drape your fabric over the foam, and using your scissors, knife, and glue pull a Project Runway and "make it work." This step is not exact — it's lots of cutting, stuffing, gluing, trimming, and more. Eventually you should be able to get a snug fit. Allow your glue to dry completely before placing your laptop inside.
Step 9: Pop your laptop inside and beam with pride! Congratulations — you have just made the cutest laptop case of all time. Now pack a real bag, call your grandma, and tell her you are coming for a visit.
Head on over to Naughty Secretary Club, where I have more suitcase fun in store for you!
About the Author:
Jennifer Perkins lives in Austin, Texas, where she spends her time thrifting, making jewelry for her company Naughty Secretary Club, and hanging with her girl gang, The Austin Craft Mafia.
What kind of glue did you use on the inside with the foam, fabric, etc? I'll read through the post and comments again later. A wee bit distracted by kiddos at the moment. AWESOME PROJECT! ;)
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In the materials she lists "Liquid fusion glue". It's a great strong glue!
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I've been itching to do a craft like this but had no idea where to start, thanks so much for taking the time to make this tutorial!
For what it's worth, I've always called "that knife" a butter knife, too. Maybe it's a cultural thing? In the midwest we used it to spread butter on our white bread, ever present at the dinner table. *grin*
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This is just the kind of thing I was looking for to revamp a train case I was given from my boyfriend's grandmother's estate. Its already a fabulously retro teal so at least I won't need to paint it XD
I've no idea how to make a new inside for it, though.
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WOW.What are the odds? That is the exact material my prom dress was made of.I'm not even joking.....
Sweet idea though!
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I like this idea! My daughter would love it! I've bought several of your magazines in the past and I always find something i like. Magazine is a bit pricey for me, but i do like a lot of the ideas.
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Ooh!! I have a Dell Inspiron too!!
...Except mine is completely covered in stickers and rhinestones. I would LOVE to make a case like this for it.
As a suggestion, I think it would be prudent to leave a little space for accesories-- namely the battery charger.
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That is a very nice laptop case, however that is not a butter knife. That is a dinner knife. A butter knife is much smaller. There are master butter knives, which are used to serve the butter on to your individual bread & butter plate or your individual butter plate. There are then individutal butter knives, which when the table is set would be placed across your bread & butter plate. A dinner knife is the knife you use when you eat your meal, unless of course you need to use a steak knife. Sorry, I'm a place setting freak, it really disturbs me how few people these days know how to set a table. Maybe I should do a tutorial on that?
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I think if this was a place setting tutorial, we might care if the knife was referred to by the wrong name...however, it is not. It is a laptop case tutorial. Also, congratulations on leaving what is possibly the most ridiculous comment I have ever seen left anywhere. And I'm not new to the internet, either. Oops, I mean "world wide web." I wouldn't want to use the wrong term while I'm setting the table.
That being said, this tutorial is great! :D
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Please do a tutorial on place settings! I'd be interested in reading it. I'm sure a "real" butter knife would work in this case, too.
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are you kidding me? it really disturbs you? people being tortured every day is really disturbing. people starving to death every day is really disturbing. people being raped and murdered every day is disturbing. not knowing place settings is NOT disturbing. *eye roll*
now back to THE PURPOSE OF LEAVING COMMENTS . . .
this suitcase is super cute! i love the colors and it looks super professionally made!
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yes, indeed, the world is a terrible place, however, did you ever think that if people learned some basic manners that the world would not be so terrible? Don't you understand that the basic human nature to be either good or evil starts at home. If you are taught to behave politely, treat people nicely, not hurt or steal, then you don't grow up to be a murdering, raping, pillaging adult. Basic table manners are a great place to begin to teach your children how to interact with others. Besides, many a job interview takes place over a meal just to weed out people without manners. So yes, table manners are very important. If your host/hostess has spent the time to set an elegant table, the least you could do is eat politely, and at least try to use the proper utensils. Unfortunately, even if you are taught to behave politely, people still steal from you, probably, because they weren't taught manners when they were growing up.
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umm. . . I don't think being ignorant of the difference between a butter knife, a steak knife, a fish knife, a dinner knife makes you a murderous person. yes, manners matter - being rude to people who make small mistakes is not o.k. she was sharing her suitcase/lap top conversion. Play nice - or her Mummy will be quite within her rights to send you and your knives home.
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