The Traveling Trunk

Very soon, I will be driving across the country to deliver my youngest to his college campus and move him into his dorm room...this is only a small part of the load we will be carrying...ahem.

Clearly some organization is needed.

Behold the traveling trunk!  I say traveling because it has been in my family for 3 generations and has traveled to Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, & Wisconsin so far, as well as 2 colleges; University of Michigan and Michigan State University (Go Spartans!)

They don't make them like this anymore, real metal on the outside and real wood on the interior.

Remnants of stickers from Interlochen Arts Camp, where my mother attended as a camper.

Real leather handles and markings from being mailed UPS to Camp Timbertops and back
where I worked as a counselor; teaching rock climbing/ropes course for 4 summers.
When I took possession, the interior looked something like this.

I love this vintage 1950s print now,
but my 20 year old self did not.

 

So I changed it to this.  Contact paper circa 1982

My youngest is not going to
enjoy this print as much as I did.

   So I changed it again.  Contact paper circa 2015.  Contact paper has been around forever.
 

I chose a neutral gray.  Gray is trending.  We are so on point.

Notice the real wood pieces on either side?
Try as I might, the contact paper wouldn't stick to them.  I think they look better this way, don't you?

HINT:  Turn off the fans when using contact paper!   It was a hot and humid day and as we don't have air conditionning in my art studio, I had a fan running full blast.  Let's just say that contact paper and wind don't mix. 

I also got out my toolbox and reattached this broken hinge.  This girl has skills.

Then I got the most brilliant idea!  I created a surprise inside the lid.  I stuck postcards of our little town and pictures of family and friends; even our dog is in the mix.

Another brilliant idea came to me...
Wouldn't it be fun to have all the guests at his grad party write messages in here?
Ah too late the grad party was 3 months ago.  (Somebody do this for your senior.)

And now the best part!  Nearly everything from all those shopping bags, fit inside the trunk!

And the finish.  He's all packed and ready to go.

Trunks make excellent companions for college students.  They serve as storage as well as a seat, or even a table.  I hope my youngest loves it as much as my mother and I.  Isn't it amazing it's lasted this long?

Do you have a trunk?  What are you storing in it?

Where has it traveled to?