A travelLeRS case
A travelLeRS case
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Procrastination or Inspiration?
The making of my travel case as a last minute creative urge before our week away by the beach at the Sunshine Coast.
Handmade travel case.
It started with making my own diary for the year ahead.
My 2025 DIY junk journal diary.
I decided instead of buying a 2025 diary, I would try my hand at making myself a junk journal diary. With that I wondered if I might take it away with me on our week away to the Sunshine Coast at Christmas so I could have a project - to embellish it, and set it up for the year ahead - in case I had time if the weather was inclement in the unit by the beach.
The first thing to do
when going away on holidays
is to make something
last minute... right?
Packing the rest can wait.
Putting together my junk journal diary then sparked my search for an easy yet fun way to take my diary away along with an assortment of crafting supplies but in a very compact and portable way. I've used bags before but they are soft, sometimes sloppy and I like the idea of a portable desk in a box, a nod to a briefcase but junk journal style.
My inspiration...the days where travelling in style afforded craftmanship travel cases made from natural textiles and cleverly maximising on space. I'm not in a position to afford a lovely leather Galen Leather Co writers medic bag so I thought maybe I could make my own version to see if I would even make use of it.
After some time researching ideas online, I was inspired by the clever designs of yesteryear writers bags, medic boxes and other vintage travelling cases that appear as a simple box, chest, satchel or bag when closed, yet a whole room of notions when opened.
After musing for too many hours online, then finding a used packaging box from my collection (hoard) - this is what I came up with - no real plan, some ideas and lots of 'making it up as I go'.
Supplies used: Reused cardboard packaging box, hessian, cardstock, old gardening book pages, tissue box, tea boxes, acetate from some packaging, brown paper bag handles, stretch lace, ribbon, floral ephemera, lots of glue and much more.
I'm still completing it as more ideas of efficient use and storage come to me. I couldn't decide on a colour theme so I started with the party on the inside then neutrals on the outside.
Inspired by the Galen Leather Co Writers Medic bag, when opening the case, one side of the box lays down and becomes the writing pad.
Inside contains a handmade storage cabinet from tissue and tea boxes and a ribbon tie to hold in an assortment of items and my diary, pencil boxes and more.
The writing pad has a lace pocket for slim items such as stickers, stamps, jewels, and could even hold a few pieces of cardstock or papers for crafting.
The side flaps fold out and are pockets with stretch lace to hold my scissors (I've kept these Owl scissors since primary school days), some double sided tape, tweezers and a few other slim items.
As these tuck on the inside of the box when closed, I had to be mindful of space.
With a ribbon fastened to the back and covered with floral ephemera, it is able to tie up and hold additional items of more stickers, washi tape pages, stamps, my DIY upcycled pencil boxes and of course my diary.
The pencil boxes are also upcycled. The tall box was from a mini salt tin set gifted to me a few years ago - I added stickers, and gave it a new inside lining. The other pencil box is from a blue block glasses case - so I wrapped it in new paper and gave it a new inside lining as well. They both have magnetic closures which is very handy and they keep travel space tidy.
As I wanted to take some stationery items - in miniature form that I already had in my collection for decades - I thought why not make a miniature caddy or removable storage cupboard with shelves and draws.
My husband is convinced I'm making doll houses and I can see why but he is somewhat mistaken even though some ideas are borrowed from portable doll house made out of travel cases that I saw online - they are very cute - and clever.
So here I made out of a tissue box, with tea boxes for the shelves, recycled acetate for the doors, button and ribbon for closure - a caddy to hold stamp ink pads, stamps, clips, paperclips, stapler, heart hole punch, sticky tape, eraser, pencil sharpener, several glues, satin varnish (with a brush in one of the pencil boxes). I've even got space for my Doterra Motivate essential oil roller - I like applying this when I get creative or crafty to keep me inspired and motivated.
Here I show the full contents of the travel case and what I plan to take away with me - I think I can fit even a few more items in.
As a prototype I'm pretty happy with it and have ideas for improvements if I were to create another one - maybe a little bigger.
With the creation process still in flow, I am thinking to add some additional pockets to the exterior of the case to have space for other items, paper or ephemera and junk scraps.
For now I'll be taking the ephemera in a paper napkin envelope until I complete my travel case so it is fully self-contained and compact.
Edit: I ended up adding those additional pockets that I mentioned and here is the final creation.
It's taken me a few days to put this case together from items I already had - I can confirm that NO new items were purchased specifically for this creation. The process has actually been fun to see how much I can fit into a compact, organised and hand made upcycled travel case.
Here's to hoping I actually have a moment of time to use it when away relaxing by the beach.
xo K
December 2024
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