DIY Miniature Vintage Suitcase Ornament

This past year has been a whirlwind of activity for us.  We became full time RV’ers in April and spent quite a bit of the year in Maine, along the east coast, and now in Florida.  While in Maine, I looked for a fun Christmas ornament that would represent our time there and never really could find something that truly fit.  So, why not make my own?

miniature vintage suitcase ornament

With the help of my new HP Deskjet 3632 All-in-One Printer/Copier/Scanner, I created a fun miniature vintage suitcase full of some of my favorite photos and tiny trinkets from our year of traveling.  This project is so simple to do and is a perfect way to capture the memories from the past year!

Want to know how to make one of your own?

miniature vintage memory suitcase ornament diy

Let’s start with the photos…

Being on the road, I found it necessary to own a copier/scanner/printer, and discovered the HP Deskjet 3632 at Walmart.  What drew me to it was the fact that you can easily print photos from your smart phone or tablet using the wifi network in your home!

To create the tiny photos for this tutorial, you can use either WORD or Powerpoint to load your selected photos onto one page and adjust them to the size you would like.

miniature vintage memory suitcase ornament diy

My photos measured approximately 1″ x 3/4″.  Print out the page of tiny photos and you are ready to begin!

miniature vintage memory suitcase ornament diy

For this project I used:

1 (4″ x 3″ x 2″) Paper Mache Box
Sandpaper
Assorted small wood pieces
Scrapbooking paper
Tiny printed photos (approximately 1″ x 3/4″)
Brown felt
Miniature trees
Assorted miniatures
Matte Mod Podge
Hot glue
Gold acrylic paint

miniature vintage memory suitcase ornament diy

Begin by measuring 1″ from the bottom of the box and using a craft knife, cutting the box along the marking to make the box 1″ tall.

miniature vintage memory suitcase ornament diy

Cut two strips of sandpaper about 3.75″ long by 1″ wide to use as hinges.  Use the craft knife to cut off the back side of the lid.

miniature vintage memory suitcase ornament diy

Using hot glue, glue the sandpaper along the cut edge of the top, attaching it to the bottom of the box.

miniature vintage memory suitcase ornament diy

Glue the other sandpaper piece to the back of the box as shown.  Cut two long strips of brown felt, about 3/8″ wide.  Using hot glue, glue them in place as shown.

miniature vintage memory suitcase ornament diy

Cut a small strip of felt (3/8″ x 1.5″).  Glue in place as the handle.  Cut pieces of scrapbooking paper to fit the inside of the box.

miniature vintage memory suitcase ornament diy

Use Matte Mod Podge to glue the paper in place.

miniature vintage memory suitcase ornament diy

To help create a few different levels for interest, use a few small wood pieces to create a shelf.  Glue in place.

miniature vintage memory suitcase ornament diy

Cover with scrapbooking paper.  Glue another piece of wood in as shown to create another layer and cover with scrapbooking paper.  Add tiny beads to the handle of the suitcase.

miniature vintage memory suitcase ornament diy

Now begin to assemble all the miniatures that you would like to use.  Try to find miniatures that best fit the memories that you would like to save from your year.  In our case, I chose miniatures of trees, deer and lobster; things that remind me of our travels this past year.

miniature vintage memory suitcase ornament diy

Cut out all the miniature photos, leaving a tiny white space around the edges.  Use a dab of hot glue to glue them in place.  (Do not use Mod Podge over your printed photos).

miniature vintage suitcase ornament

Final details included using gold acrylic paint to the beads and corners of the suitcase, tiny miniature snowflakes, and painting the deer, adding the year 2015.

miniature vintage suitcase ornament

You can save any of your memories from the year in this tiny little suitcase!

To display, either punch a hole into the top lip of the suitcase and hang from your Christmas tree, or display sitting out on a table for all to enjoy.

For more Christmas ornament ideas from the Sitcom:

christmas ornament tutorials

Paper Mache Santa Ornament
Skiing Penguins Ornaments
Vintage Snowglobe Ornaments

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For over 200 crafty tutorials for all ages, visit my Tutorial Page!