Summer Travel Altered Suitcases

Today I want to talk about summer travel or any travel for that matter either flying or road trips. Most of us remember when flying used to be fun. Oh the days, when we had leg room, food and drinks on flights. No hassle with security. I loved to fly. It was so exciting. Not so much now, although I still love road trips. Most of us travel with suitcases. Even those are a hassle since as far as I know only Southwest and maybe Jet Blue don't charge for luggage. So I say how about bringing a little sunshine back into your air travel with altered suitcases. You could have a NAKED suitcase shown above.  Now what fun would that be ????  You can never find your suitcase. Most everyone's looks the same except perhaps for the color.  Oh, I know you tie scarves and strange neckties on them, but still you have to LOOK for those items.

These flowers are fabric and were modge-podged on the suitcase, and I painted black and white checks on it.  A better floral fabric would be more exciting, but I did this probably 5 years ago and I have learned alot since then.

What about fun luggage tags. I made these about two years ago.  Family members, friends and grandbabies got these for Christmas presents. They measure about 4"x6" and have traveled well.  They definitely help identify your luggage.

How about painted luggage.  I painted this with fabric paints about three years ago.  I have flown with this piece and taken it on road trips and it has done very well. A little worn  on the sides where the black and white checks are. But other than that, it still looks great.  Even with the rough treatment they get on airlines and in our car.

Now for the very latest of my altered suitcases. 

I had so much fun with this suitcase.  We have had this piece for about three years, and I just never got around to painting it.  After a flight on a plane recently with my husband, and we had trouble identifing this piece of luggage, I decided I needed to alter this piece so we could identify it easily.  Now I know you will laugh, but my darling hubby, who is often my partner in crime will be using this piece of luggage.  I asked him if he minded what I was going to paint on the luggage, and he said no, as long as he could tell it was ours'.  I don't think he will have a problem identifing this piece from a long distance away.

I drew the flowers and face on with a chalk pencil.  I did two coats of white fabric paint as a base and then painted the black and white checks, the face and the flowers with fabric paints.  To finish up I painted several coats of Delta Ceramcoat Exterior/Interior Varnish over the painted areas.  I actually wasn't going to paint anything on the sides but the black and white checks, but once I got started painting I had trouble stopping.  Now how much fun are these?  I have received many compliments on my painted luggage from the airline check in people and the passengers that I fly with and I NEVER have trouble locating my luggage.