Steamer Trunk with Hotel Labels

I can't believe it's Thursday already. I have been in a flurry of activity all week, ever since I got the call to do a Flea Market next week! I have had a number of antique projects that I have been collecting, and now I need to get them all ready at once. Yikes! 

Deadlines make me crazy! Apparently they make other people crazy too, because I have been reading about them all morning on other blogs. Anyone at Haven this weekend? Say hello to all those in Blogland! Maybe I will make it there next year!

Above is a picture of my current favorite project. It's a beautiful old steamer trunk. I haven't ever seen a trunk quite like this one. Most of them are taller, an made of lighter wood. This one is very dense, low and solid. I found it at a garage sale for a whopping $5.00! The deal of a lifetime to be sure!

The gal I bought it from told me it was her Great Grandfather's trunk, and that she had moved to WI from Seattle, and then LA, and simply couldn't haul it around anymore. Sad for her, great for me! This is such a unique piece, I decided to do some unique things with it.

The first thing I did was give the trunk a good scrubbing with hot soapy water and a bit of vinegar. It had been kept in a damp place (Seattle perhaps?) and had mold growing along the sides and back of it. It also was very musty inside, and I let it sit out in the hot sun for a couple of days to air it out.

This piece has canvas covering the wood. In most of the trunks I re-do, I remove the canvas, but this one was in excellent shape, and after I cleaned it, I decided I liked the patina of the worn off paint that was on the canvas, so I opted to keep the canvas intact.

Who ever painted the canvas, also painted the hardware black. I know from experience that the hardware is often made of brass so I decided to clean the paint off and shine it with a mixture of white vinegar and coarse salt.  Look what was underneath all that paint...copper!

Have you ever felt like you won the lottery? Finding copper on this $5.00 trunk was just like winning the jackpot. I have never seen copper hardware on a trunk. It's beautiful!

The inside of the trunk, also has old fabric in it. But, it's not ripped or damaged, and it wasn't even moldy. I decided to leave it intact as well. Many times old fabric can attract moths, or add a musty smell to anything kept inside the trunk. I do not plan to use this piece for storing anything delicate, so it won't be a problem. But, I will add a lavender sachet to it just in case!

Remember the other day, when I was Mod Podging some cool hotel labels on the Chicken Coop? I have more of them, and I decided that this trunk was the perfect thing to use them on. 

These labels come from my Great Grandfather's collection. He traveled all over the world selling horse hames in the early 1900's. At that time, each hotel used a label on your bag or trunk for advertising. The well traveled individual would have lots of labels showing all the places they had been. Isn't history fascinating? I love it! These labels from Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Germany, France and the USA.

I photo copied the original labels for safe keeping and used the copies on this project.

I can't help but feel like we have lost something beautiful over time. The artwork on these labels is amazing.

 I love pieces with character, and this piece screams of it. I Mod-Podged the labels on in random places all over the trunk.

 I also repaired the leather trunk handles by cutting apart an old belt with a utility knife. The belt was just the right width to fit into the existing hardware, then I added a couple of small screws to hold it in place. It looks pretty authentic, don't you think?

I even added one to the inside. Often trunks have pictures or graphics on the inside of the lid. The Mod-Podge worked just fine on the fabric interior, although it would not do to get it wet. This label is actually for some sort of washing machine, I thought it was fitting to put it inside where you could hide your "dirty" laundry! Ha, Ha!

After the Mod-Podge was dry, I coated the outside of entire piece with paste wax. I have been reading about using wax on fabrics and furniture. I like how it turned out. It is not a good idea to varnish over canvas, because if you ever want to strip the piece, the canvas will be impossible to remove. Wax gives a soft luster but still protects the piece from moisture and scratches. I will definitely be using it again!

For now, this trunk will be part of our Man Cave. I still can't decide if I want to sell it or keep it!

Oh, by the way...Exciting news!

Hometalk has asked me to start a Travel Inspired Project Board on Pintrest! I am thrilled to have this opportunity and this trunk will be one of the first Pins! More to come!

Have a blessed day!