So I was strolling through the thrift store the other day and happened upon this trumpet case:
It was empty so it begged the question, ” What happened to the trumpet?”. That is part of the fun of acquiring second-hand items… the mystery that sometimes lies behind them!
Amazing friends, today I am sharing how I gave a new purpose to this mysterious trumpet case! I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love.
I started by tearing out the insides. I took this picture after I had already removed the top part:
That bottom part was pretty stubborn, but I finally got most of it out…
I painted the outside in my favorite white, Bit of Sugar by Behr, made into DIY chalk paint. (Recipe with video HERE.)
Then I added a few stripes using FrogTape in Behr’s Grey Morning, also made into chalk paint.
I embellished the front a bit by adding some numbers using this stencil:
I sanded lightly all over, then waxed with Annie Sloan’s clear soft wax, and voila:
It had a tag on the front that I decided to leave in place…
I don’t think I could have removed it if I tried, but I wouldn’t have either way.
I only added stripes to the top half…
I painted right over the hardware as well…
And the handle…
They were asking $15 for this case, which I thought was a lot, but luckily all yellow tags were 50% off that day. Not too bad for under $8.
Any time I add numbers to something, someone always asks what the numbers I chose mean?
The usually don’t mean anything, but this time I chose 97…
The nine is for my oldest who was born on 9-9, and the seven is for my youngest who was born on 7-7. 🙂
I used black acrylic craft paint and painted in the stencil with a small brush. I used spray adhesive to hold the stencil in place first.
And of course you already know I redid the inside as well…
The JoAnn Fabrics near me is liquidating their inventory to move into a new building, so I got a deal on this pretty fabric.
Using a darker patterned fabric hides any imperfections. See how I lined this case in this tutorial HERE.
This case is a great size for storing so many things, and so fun that it used to be a trumpet case, right?
I’m still curious about what happened to the trumpet, but at least we now know what happened to the case!
This will be off to the shop this week!
I’ll be back on Thursday sharing how I gave this chair I bought to use in our Halloween display last year, some love:
UPDATE: See how this chair got a fresh new look HERE now!
XOXO,
Don’t Miss a Thing!
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Mary Kaiser says
I Love it! That is so funny about the numbers for the birthdays. My husbands birthday is 9-9 and I also have a son born on 7-7. I also have 3 other children who were born on 10-8, 6-17 and one on 10-5 and that one was the day before my birthday of 10-6. Now all I need is an old trumpet case with out the trumpet and some paint!
Christy says
Thanks, Mary! Seems like ya’ll have a busy Fall with birthdays! What precious birthday gifts those two nearest your birthday were. My oldest came just six days before mine on 9-15. Couldn’t have asked for anything better! XOXO
Christina in SW FL says
Christy, this is so pretty and clever! I know it won’t last long in your shop. 🙂
Christy says
Thanks, Christina! I hope you’re right! 🙂 XO
Christiane Lavoie says
Love the trumpet case transformation. I have this old suitcase and will use the idea to transform it !
Thanks for sharing !
Christy says
Thank you, Christiane! Old suitcases make for fantastic extra storage too! Have fun! XO
Lori says
I look forward to Tuesdays & Thursdays every week to see your beautiful transformations… I am new to this but seeing the things you do is such a great incentive and gives me lots of ideas. Thank you so, so much !!!
Christy says
I am so happy to hear you enjoy what I share, Lori, thank you! XOXO
JamieK says
Absolutely Beautiful! Everyone needs a small case for some reason! Wish I lived closer❤️❤️
Christy says
Thanks, Jamie! I know, right? XOXO
Michele Branham says
Another amazing makeover! You’re so creative.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Michele! I’m glad you enjoy this one! XOXO
Marcie Lovett says
Well, I thought it WAS a suitcase. How fun to reuse something that had only one purpose before. As I was reading, I kept thinking this was like a giant flatware box (without the stink!) ???? I hope it sells quickly, along with the formerly pink table and chairs.
Christy says
Yes, Marcie! It is just like an old flatware box ha ha! And I see you recognized the table and chairs… I took pity on them and brought them home last time I visited my booth. Now to make them sellable LOL! XOXO
Ange says
Very cool meaning behind 97.
Christy says
Thanks, Ange! Just for my babies! ????XO
Becky says
Such a pretty makeover! I love the meaning behind your number choice. : ) How on earth did you manage to give BOTH your boys such neat and tidy birthdays though, haha!?
We can always hope that the trumpet led a long and useful life, wore out, and was steamrolled by a creative dad, framed, and turned into a beautiful piece of wall art… like my brilliant father-in-law did with his daughter’s old trombone! They were paving a local parking lot, so he asked the steamroller guy if he could roll over a trombone for him. The guy was delighted to. …Perfect Christmas gift for a musical daughter. : )
Christy says
Thanks, Becky! Isn’t that funny that their bdays fell like that? LOVE what your FIL did with the trombone…genius!! Here’s hoping the trumpet to this case had a cool story too! XOXO
Gwen LaForge says
Oh my gosh! How cute is that! Great job. Love your small projects. Things I’d tackle. 😉
Christy says
Thank you, Gwen! These smaller projects are fun for me too! Glad you are enjoying them! XOXO
Alice says
Used to have quite a few blogs coming in—too many, in fact—yours is my only “craftsy” one now. And I just love your ideas.
Christy says
That means a lot to me, Alice, thank you so much! I am thrilled to have you following along with me! XOXO
Amy Giannini says
Just curious about how (or whether) you clean the adhesive off the stencil when you are done? I don’t like the “sticky” residue, but maybe you just leave it on?
Christy says
Hi Amy! I just leave it on. ????
Zanetta says
So cute! I like the driftwood pieces too.
I was going to ask why 97 so… we’re really glad you explained that little mystery.
Your work is always beautiful.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Zanetta! Yes I thought it would be fun to give meaning to the numbers this time! The driftwood pieces are part of a swag I picked up to use on my mantel…just love anything driftwood! ????????
Joyce says
How soon after you painted the stencil did you remove the stencil? I would have thought the spray adhesive would permanently stick it to the case. I love it. You did a terrific job. You have a great imagination to repurpose things.
Christy says
Thank you, Joyce! I remove the stencil right away. The surface is more tacky than anything. You really have to spray both surfaces to make it really adhere. XO
Paula says
How fun! Love the redo! We found an empty trumpet case second hand, but my husband uses it to store microphones, cords and other stage equipment. I don’t think that he would let me purdy it up. So I also ask “Where have all these these trumpets gone?”
Christy says
Thanks, Paula! That’s a great use for one of these cases! Yes…where indeed! XO
Marie says
My Dad played the trumpet so seeing this case brought back a lot of memories. Got me thinking, whatever happened to his trumpet? You did such a beautiful job on this case and yes, I did wonder about the significance of #97 😉 Pinned
Christy says
Thank you, Marie! I wonder if your Dad’s trumpet is still around somewhere? XO
Robyn Wright says
I LOVE it!!
Christy says
So glad to hear it, Robyn, thank you! 🙂 XOXO
Brenda Johnson says
That is an amazing make over! I would have passed that case right by never thinking to do that with it, I am always looking for old suitcases, but now I’ll watch for instrument cases as well!
Christy says
Aww thank you, Brenda! This is the first time I’ve come across an instrument case and figured why not? 🙂 XO
Bonnie says
What a great find and love the fabric, got a stash of my own started. Great idea on the numbers. I used to own a very small grocery store back in the south called A&K grocery, A for Amy my oldest and K for Katie my youngest. Shows are children are always weaved in our hearts and minds. Hugs!
Christy says
Thanks, Bonnie! I knew I would regret it if I didn’t bring it home. And yes our babies are always at the forefront! XOXO
MaryJean says
I don’t know why but when you said trumpet case I thought of an oddly shaped case! LOL It turned out really cute and nice size!
Christy says
Oh ha ha…nope it is actually a perfect shape and size! Thanks, MaryJean! XOXO
Larissa ~ Prodigal Pieces says
This is so fun, Christy!
Christy says
Thanks, Larissa!! XOXO
Ivory says
OMG, I love this project. So beautiful, so creative. Thank you!
Christy says
Thank you, Ivory! XO