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You are here: Home / Craft Basics / Art / Recycled Craft: Portable Art Case

April 22, 2013 · 41 Comments

Recycled Craft: Portable Art Case

Art· Earth Day - Recycled Crafts

I have a couple of budding artists in my house, and it seems like we have projects and materials spread all over the house. I consider this a good thing- but I still wanted to contain the supplies a bit, and in a fun way.

I made this custom art suitcase out of a thrifted book.

Recycled craft - art caseIt was very inexpensive, and makes a great portable, and customizable art studio!

CCatrfolio 004Supplies needed to make your own portable art case recycled craft:

  • Hardback book with sturdy binding (Make sure your book is large enough to contain your desired supplies, like your sketchbook.)
  • Felt (Colors of your choice, I used dark grey and black. You will need three sheets- one for each cover, and one for the spine and the pocket.)
  • Purse Handles
  • Grosgrain Ribbon (I used black)
  • Sketch Book
  • Watercolor Pencils
  • Prismacolor® Design Drawing Set
  • Fabric Adhesive (optional)
  • Hot Glue Gun & Sticks
  • Craft Knife
  • Scrap chipboard (I used a cereal box)
  • Non Roll Elastic
  • Sewing Machine
  • Stapler or Straight Pins

MARCH2013 432Let’s get crafting!

The first thing you will want to do is prepare your book. You will need to cut the pages out of the binding. This is easy to do, just run a craft knife down the sides of the inside cover. Go slowly, so you don’t damage the binding.

MARCH2013 434

MARCH2013 435

MARCH2013 436You can set aside the book pages for another craft project!

The next step is making chipboard backing for the inside covers, and the book spine. These do not have to be perfect, they will be wrapped in felt. They are just to give the felt some stability when you glue it into place.

Cut the chipboard pieces slightly smaller than the covers, and the spine. This will leave some wiggle room for the felt to fit without hanging over the edges of the book.

MARCH2013 437Do not glue the chipboard into place yet, we are going to wrap them in felt.

Lay the chipboard over the felt, and trim- leaving enough felt around the perimeter to wrap.

MARCH2013 438At each corner, notch the felt as shown.

MARCH2013 439Then, use adhesive to hold the felt in place on the back side of the chipboard.

MARCH2013 440The notched corners should give you a clean fold.

Then, use a sewing machine to stitch the perimeter.

MARCH2013 441Repeat for both covers, and the spine of the book.

Then choose how you would like to design your art case.

I wanted to include pencils and a sketch book.

Lay out where you would like your materials to be, and add elastic.

I used elastic on the top and bottom of my sketch book to hold it in place.

MARCH2013 443I used pins to hold the elastic in place and then when it was placed where I wanted it, I used a stapler to pull the elastic taut and hold it so I could sew it.

Yep. A stapler. I have never professed to be an award winning seamstress, but hey- it gets the job done!

MARCH2013 445Just remove the staples when you are done stitching the elastic in place.

I repeated the same process to add my pencil holder. I marked lines with a pencil every 1/2 inch along the elastic, to house each pencil individually.

MARCH2013 451Then I sewed the elastic in place, stitching on each 1/2 inch interval.

MARCH2013 452I added a pocket along the bottom of the pencils- to hold erasers and a sharpener, and possibly treats. 🙂

I simply trimmed my felt to size, and folded it towards the back.

MARCH2013 455Then I stitched it into place. The nice thing about felt is that it doesn’t require hemming to look finished.

MARCH2013 456Now you can add your purse handles.

Place your finished covers inside the book, and mark where you would like the handles to be- making sure they line up together. Then cut four 4″ sections of grosgrain ribbon.

MARCH2013 446Loop the ribbon pieces through the rings on the purse handles, and staple the loops closed.

MARCH2013 447Place the handles where you want them to be, and staple the loops to the covers.

MARCH2013 448Sew the loops to the covers. Make sure they are stitched on there good and tight, I did four passes. I am the queen of over-kill!

Now you are ready to secure the covers to the inside of the book.

MARCH2013 457I used a good old fashioned glue gun! Seriously, what did we do without glue guns?

MARCH2013 459Be generous with the hot glue- you don’t want those covers peeling up!

Then you are ready to add your supplies:

The sketchbook-

MARCH2013 461And the pencils.

MARCH2013 462There you go! A chic and portable art studio!

CCartfolio 014 CCartfolio 017Ready to inspire any artist.

CCartfolio 010

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Shaunte

Shaunte is a 30-something, chocolate-loving, SAHM from Utah. She has been scrapbooking since 1997, the dreaded era of photos cropped with deco scissors. Since then, her work has evolved into a clean, linear, photo-focused style. Her favorite subjects to scrap are her husband and five kids (never a lack for subject material there).

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Comments

  1. Peggy Mazzell says

    December 29, 2017 at 10:47 pm

    Great ideas!!

    Reply
  2. Courtney says

    December 9, 2015 at 2:14 pm

    This is awesome! Your instructions look great! I’m making one for my daughter for Christmas! This is going to solve the problem of traveling with a rubber-banded tin case of colored pencils and bound sketch pad that slide all over the place and come apart.

    Reply
  3. Rara says

    February 15, 2015 at 6:09 pm

    Do you suppose a binder would work for this, too?

    Reply
    • Emma says

      February 25, 2015 at 2:14 am

      I’m gonna make 2 using binders for my children for car journeys x

      Reply
  4. MonaMonn says

    September 26, 2013 at 4:50 am

    I adore and love it, it is amazing, thinking to make this for my personal organizer with pen and maybe calculator ect. But I do not think I will find purse handles just like that to buy separately 🙁

    Reply
    • Sarah {Crafts Unleashed Editor} says

      September 26, 2013 at 9:06 am

      Hi MonaMonn,

      We’re so glad to hear you like Shaunte’s project! You can actually purchase the purse handles she used here: http://www.consumercrafts.com/store/details/catalog/jewelry-findings-specialty-findings/1972-12
      Towards the beginning of the post is a supply list. All of the orange text links to where you can buy the supplies she used. Let us know if you have any other questions.

      Sarah

      Reply
  5. Bella L says

    June 28, 2013 at 7:50 pm

    Kinda hard but I did. I’m not even 13! I did it pretty impressive. Thanks so much

    Reply
    • Shaunte says

      June 30, 2013 at 9:39 pm

      Way to go Bella!! I am so proud of you! Enjoy your cute Art case! 🙂

      Reply
      • Tonya says

        August 6, 2013 at 10:29 pm

        I used this tutorial to make a case for my makeup brushes! Thank you! 🙂

        Reply
  6. Frances Clements Fawcett says

    June 28, 2013 at 6:12 pm

    What a delight to find your post via Kate Robertson’s blog (and Link Love today) – super creative way to re-use a book AND make a portable sketchbook supply holder for all of our missions!

    In Delight from Yes and Yay HQ,
    Frances

    Reply
  7. martha says

    June 18, 2013 at 1:09 pm

    😀 I totally love it… 😉

    Reply
  8. Robin says

    May 2, 2013 at 3:35 pm

    This is soooo amazing! My jaw literally dropped! I am so making these for gifts!!

    Reply
  9. GASHLYCRUMBTINY says

    April 28, 2013 at 3:43 pm

    OKAY THIS IS FREAKING AMAZING!!!!!
    Gonna have to try to make this for myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    keep up the great work!

    gashly!

    Reply
  10. Shelley says

    April 27, 2013 at 12:02 pm

    Great idea & a very clear tutorial, thank you for posting this. I totally want to make one for myself 🙂

    Reply
  11. Nash Khan says

    April 26, 2013 at 5:19 pm

    Genius Shaunte!Pinned!

    Reply
  12. onel says

    April 25, 2013 at 10:44 am

    This is such a neat art case! 😀

    Reply
  13. Vivien says

    April 23, 2013 at 10:55 am

    Love how it turned out! Great idea!

    Reply
  14. Charlotte says

    April 23, 2013 at 8:13 am

    Such an awesome idea, these look so fun!

    Reply
  15. Sarah says

    April 22, 2013 at 10:33 pm

    That’s so cool! I know a few people who’d love one of those.

    Reply
  16. Amy Renea says

    April 22, 2013 at 7:57 pm

    SOCOOL!

    Reply
  17. Shauna says

    April 22, 2013 at 2:53 pm

    This is awesome! I love the look and it looks fun to make.

    Reply
  18. KimM says

    April 22, 2013 at 2:23 pm

    I love this. LOVE it! (Forget making one for a kid, though… I totally want one of these for myself!)

    Reply
    • ShaunteW says

      April 22, 2013 at 3:09 pm

      I know! I totally wanted to keep it! 🙂 I had to make two- one for each daughter. Now I have the hang of it, and I am scouting the thrift store for a book for myself.

      Reply

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