Maybe you've seen a dusty old suitcase in the attic or basement? Or did you inherit one from your aunt or grandmother that she traveled with decades ago? Letting these nostalgic specimens gather dust is a waste. And if you're thinking about how to decorate your home in an original way for the festival of all celebrations this year, an old suitcase can be used wonderfully as a decoration for Christmas. Below you will find 16 great inspirations and helpful tips for perfect Christmas decorations with old suitcases.
Great decoration ideas for travel essentials
The classic old suitcases in the style of the 50s are suitable for Christmas decoration, but also as a wonderful addition to the vintage ambience. They are usually made of faux or real leather, wood or sturdy pressed paper. Very nice nostalgic examples also have metal elements such as fasteners, bound edges and ends. Even if the good piece is not very well preserved, the scratches and defects give it a charming character. Of course, the old suitcase must first be thoroughly cleaned. You can also color it if you wish. Pastel colors and of course white are very current.
Old suitcase as a decoration for Christmas in vintage style
Goes best with a nostalgic suitcasea vintage style Christmas decoration. This perfectly complements the pleasant, cozy atmosphere. Namely, old objects that have a story and bring back beautiful memories in us contribute to the right atmosphere that belongs to this family celebration. Maybe you ownChristmas decorations or other Christmas decorations, which you have kept from your childhood. The valuable pieces are best presented in an old suitcase.
Small or large, any old suitcase can be used as a decoration for Christmas. Depending on the size, one place in the apartment is more suitable than the other. You can fill a small suitcase with little things like fragile Christmas balls in different colors and sizes and place it on a sideboard. For the larger version you will find an impressive space on the floor.
It's not just old suitcases that make charming Christmas decorations. Old disused hat, makeup, jewelry boxes and tool boxes that your parents or grandparents have used in the past also have the same vintage character. You can nicely arrange cones, holly and cinnamon pieces in slightly smaller boxes. Add a fresh touch with a few real pine branches.
You don't necessarily have to open an old suitcase and decorate it for Christmas. When closed it looks just as romantic and nostalgic. In addition, this is a good way to add more tension to the decoration through different heights. This means that smaller or equally sized objects in the foreground or background stand out better.
Closed, open or half, you are spoiled for choice as to how you decorate your old suitcase for Christmas. A medium-sized suitcase looks particularly nice if you put a few fresh pine branches inside and decorate them with cones and Christmas balls. It will definitely be helpful if you have a hot glue gun at hand to attach the selected decorative items to the desired locations.
You will definitely need more space in your apartment for the slightly larger old suitcases, although these can also be arranged very nicely on top of each other. If the old suitcase is big enough, you can even hide Christmas presents inside. Maybe no one will suspect what's actually inside.
Large old suitcases and boxes are the best way to decorate the entrance area or theDecorate the hallway for Christmas, if there is enough space. These create a good atmosphere, especially when they are wrapped with large ribbons, strings and bows as huge Christmas presents.
You can beautifully arrange your Christmas presents in a suitcase under the Christmas tree. Leave the suitcase closed and open it on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day when everyone is allowed to find their presents in the suitcase. It's also practical because you don't have to hide every gift and worry whether someone has already found their gift. This way you can keep an eye on everything and keep it under wraps.
Even if you don't want to design the entire Christmas decoration in the popular vintage style, but are really into old suitcases, you can simply choose a small corner in the apartment where you put together beautiful old things in a suitcase. It looks particularly chic if the suitcase is colored white and the remaining items inside are also white.
If you don't have space in your small apartment for a large Christmas tree or for great Christmas decorations, you can reduce everything to a 40 - 50 cm large artificial tree and a few Christmas balls. Place the small Christmas tree in the middle of an old suitcase and distribute the colorful Christmas balls around its base.
Even the most minimalist and simple Christmas decorations look special and atmospheric when arranged in or on an old nostalgic suitcase. In addition to the aesthetic effect, there is also a practical benefit: in or on a suitcase, the objects or Christmas decorations are more mobile and easily adjustable.
An old suitcase not only serves as a great decorative element for Christmas, but also as a particularly creative pedestal for the Christmas tree. A not very large Christmas tree will look better on one or even two suitcases stacked on top of each other. In addition, this makes it easier for you to change its position in space. In addition, it is always better if the lavishly decorated Christmas tree is a few centimeters above the floor. This means that it is unlikely that the Christmas tree decorations hanging at the bottom of the tree will be damaged.
A wonderful idea for nature lovers who would rather have a real Christmas tree in nature than at home and at the same time don't really like the commercially available plastic versions is a homemade Christmas tree made from old suitcases. For this you need several suitcases in different sizes. Don't have any available to you? Then browse the flea markets and second-hand shops. There are sure to be wonderful retro examples that you can purchase for little money.
This DIY idea with old suitcases as Christmas decorations is aimed at the passionate crafters and artists among you. Small vintage suitcases and especially disused hat and tool boxes can be imaginatively colored and decorated for Christmas. Before decorating, we recommend cleaning the case thoroughly and sanding the surface that will be painted afterwards. First apply a base color and then you can paint beautiful Christmas motifs on it. Alternatively, beautiful decorations can be created using the decoupage technique.
