A Nostalgic Train Case Makeover with a First Dibs Offer to my Readers

It seems that the majority of the makeovers I feature on my blog involve chalk paint. While that may be true, every once in a while I stumble on a piece that has a lot of character, and just a little accessorizing puts the charm factor over the top.

This train case is an example of that.

With a warm black, faux crocodile covering, a clear plastic handle, and rusty, darkened hardware, this piece already had a lot going for it in the way of vintage charm.

Although to some, the wear to the covering, fraying, dings, scuffs, and exposed wood might not seem attractive, I think it shows it’s potentially eventful history, and I like it that way.

Therefore, I only touched up a few dings here and there, keeping the vintage authenticity intact. I waxed all the covering, to seal it and give it richness and even sheen.

The real fun to this piece lies inside. There was a perfectly good mirror inside the lid, so no sense in removing it. The removable tray, that is usually in a train case, was gone, but I left the wood ledges that it rests on, so the next owner could put their own tray on
if they chose to.

Behold! Nostalgic Panache!

I have some small catalogs that are reproductions of 1909 Sears catalogs. These repros are vintage from 1979, so they have gorgeous browned/yellowed pages. I thought it would be fun to use the jewelry and shoe pages, and decoupage them to the inside. It seemed an appropriate choice for a train case.

I love love love how it turned out. I sealed the inside with several coats of gloss varnish, to extend the new life of this piece. I also painted the border paper of the mirror and the wooden ledges a gloss black to gel with the exterior.

Recently, it was suggested to me by one of my customers that some of my blog readers might be more interested in puchasing my creations more than attempting DIY. So I'm trying out that theory right now.

I am offering first dibs to my blog readers and Facebook followers to purchase this train case from my blog, before I list it on Etsy. I also want to find out what types of projects and makeovers attract the majority of my readers.

UPDATE: Offer has Ended, and now listed on Etsy.
Purchase price for my readers is $36 + shipping, via Paypal. Otherwise, I will list it in my Etsy shop for $48 plus shipping.

This piece measures 11-1/4” long, 7” high closed, and 6-1/2” front to back. It weighs 3 pounds before packaging, so I can ship it Priority or Standard Post. You can email me with your zip code, so I can quote you exact shipping before you purchase it. To purchase this piece, I will email you a Paypal invoice, which you can pay with
your Paypal account or credit card.

If this sells via the blog, I will visit the possibility of selling more of my creations here as well. I’ve also been wanting to offer newer items with vintage style and farmhouse chic, since this type of merchandise does not qualify to be sold on Etsy. Time will tell!

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