This DIY journaling station uses an old rattan suitcase and some metal legs! It is easy to make and is a clever way to keep art supplies in one convenient place. It doubles as a writing center and triples as a coffee table for any time of day.

This DIY is for you if you’ve always wanted a journaling station, craft desk, or writing center! It has plenty of space to store your gel pens, art supplies, or writing materials and uses a recycled suitcase.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Upcycling suitcases

You can often find old suitcases at garage sales, thrift stores, estate sales, or on-line. They come in a variety of surfaces including rattan, vinyl, thick plastic and even leather.

I found mine in an antique store for $40 which I later found out was a steal. Some of the rattan was unraveling and the lid was a little wonky. But inside was in excellent condition with plain, unpatterned paper which I could leave as is or paint later.

The main supplies needed for this journaling station are a suitcase, some legs, and paint. And if you’re going to add a shelf, you may also need glue and tape.

I chose the bench legs I did because the two center strips would ultimately hold a shelf to store class journals, supplies or works in progress. (plus both legs cost under $40!) The shelf uses two books and an old 18″ x 24″ upcycled canvas board.

But the shelf is completely optional! if you want an alternative leg style, here are some more ideas in metal or wood. Choose the legs’ height based on the space in which you’ll be using it.

Journaling Station – Supplies needed:

• An old flat-surfaced suitcase
• A cleaner for the suitcase and sandpaper
• Chair or bench legs – I found this pair on Amazon for under $35 – screws and rubber floor protectors included.
• Paint. (I used Pop of Color chalk paints in Lamb’s Wool and Royal Blue. Not only do their paints have high pigment levels, but they also come in small jars and are very affordable!
• Masking tape or Frogtape. (optional: if you aren’t painting stripes or patterns, you won’t need this)
• Cotton twill tape or heavy elastic band for holding art supplies or writing instruments inside
• For the shelf (optional), you’ll need: two old 8″ x 5″ book covers, one old or new 18″ x 24″ canvas panel, or a strong adhesive like E-6000 glue, OR you can use an 8″ x 24″ 1/4″ wooden board cut to size.
• Handles (optional) for sides

Tools needed:

• Paintbrush (I use a 1.5″ chip brush — they dip perfectly into the small paint jars and are inexpensive!)
• A screwdriver for the legs
• One heavy-duty staple gun
• Scissors for cutting the twill or elastic sandpaper
• Boxcutters to cut the canvas board and book covers
• A glue gun for making the bookshelf

Preparing the surface

Before painting, use a cleaner like Spic and Span to remove any dirt from the surface. Rough up the rattan or the surface of the suitcase with sandpaper, then remove the dust with a wet rag. Let the suitcase dry thoroughly before adding paint.

To paint or not to paint?

My most significant decision was whether or not to paint the rattan. I struggled with this because I loved the weathered look of the rattan. But my home decor is lighter in color, so painting happened.

I chose the Pop of Color brand because they offer small jars of quality, highly pigmented chalk paints. They have a huge variety of colors and sets that are super affordable!

Use a 1.5″ chip paintbrush at roughly a 135 -150 degree angle to paint. Lightly skim the rattan surface with the sides of the brush and a small amount of paint. To keep the paint from falling into the crevices of the rattan, work quickly and brush very gently. You can add additional layers as needed.

If using a plastic or another surface, angle the brush as you usually would.

The photo above shows the suitcase after one coat of paint. The brown rattan still shows through in places and looks gray versus off-white. Because I want the finish to be a bit more white, I am adding a second coat.

Attaching the legs

After the paint dries, turn the suitcase over and measure where to install the legs.

For mine, I centered the legs at the ends. The table legs came with 1.5″ screws which I used to attach the legs to the bottom of the suitcase. The screws came through the bottom on each suitcase side, and I panicked initially.

But as you can see in the photo below, I used the screw tips to hold plastic palettes on one end. And the screws on the other side are holding up old service manuals and sample letters.

TIP: If using a thinner surface suitcase, add a metal washer and screw the legs in from the inside and outside. This will give you some additional support even though the tips of the screws may show outside.

I was pretty happy with the outcome of the legs and was ready to move on to the next step.

THEN I NOTICED …..

The two brass hinges holding the top and bottom of the suitcase together are loose. And opening the lid causes the hinges to separate from the wood.

I have to resolve this issue, or else my upcycled suitcase journaling station will be a plain old coffee table.

The answer? ….. an old leather purse strap!

I found an old leather purse in my closet and cut the thin strap into two 6″ pieces. Secure the straps to the inside of the suitcase’s top lid and bottom portion by using 1/2″ screws and 1/2″ metal washers.

Before securing the straps, poke in the leather with a hammer and nail – this allows the screws to go through the leather without it twisting.

The strap folds inwards and leaves a slight gap between the lid and the base of the suitcase. This allows the top to close perfectly and stay open without falling back too far.

A piano hinge could work too if you want to forego my leather strap option!

On the back, I cut three 3″ pieces of the leather strap and poke holes into the ends. Three 1/2″ screws will be used to secure each piece of leather to the case. And three 1/2″ hooks are securing the bottom to hang supplies, paintings, etc.

Because of the warping lid, I’ve added two more hinges for additional support and painted them white. The lid is now very secure, and the inside straps stop the lid from falling back too far.

Adding storage to the lid of the journaling station

Use a 1″ cotton twill ribbon, elastic band, and a staple gun to add slots for supplies or tools. This adds great storage opportunities for holding brushes, palette knives, and other art or writing supplies.

Organize the supplies you want to store on the lid, and lay the ribbon or elastic over them. Staple the ribbon in place and secure the objects.

Now you can open the top of your journaling station, and nothing falls out of place!

NOTE: If you use a plastic suitcase, cut a piece of wood and glue it inside the lid. You may want to use silicone for gluing the wood to the plastic and allow it to dry overnight before attaching your ribbon for the supplies.

The book cover shelf – OPTIONAL

If you want to add a shelf, you can cut a piece of 1/4″ wood to size and paint if desired.

Or try using an old canvas panel and cut it into two 8″ x 24″ pieces with a heavy-duty utility knife. Attach the two board pieces using a glue gun or strong glue.

Seal the edges with tape (I used black painter’s tape) to give the sides a finished look. (NOTE: you can also paint the edges to match the project colors or add an accent color).

You can leave the canvas boards as you want and use them. Or if you want to add another creative touch, use old books!

First, cut the covers off of two 8″ x 5″ books (a pretty standard size). I do this by using box cutters and slicing the covers away from the first and last pages of the book.

Then grab all the pages and pull them away from the book’s spine. They should remove pretty easily but may leave some glue and torn page residue.

NOTE: Save the book pages to use for future art projects!

Lastly, lay the open covers and spine on the table and measure their width. It’s OK if they overlap the sides of the canvas board a little, but if you want them to fit precisely, you may need to cut the ends of the books or not use the spine(s).

Once you’ve got the desired width and orientation of the books, glue them onto the canvas boards, and allow the glue to dry overnight.

Fit the new board onto the horizontal metal supports on the legs, and now have a new shelf!

NOTE: if you want additional support, cut two yardsticks into 24″ lengths.

Just tuck them lengthwise between the metal brackets and the bottom of the shelf or board.

Handles – OPTIONAL

Even though this last step is optional, it does add a nice finishing touch. I put two black handles on either side of the suitcase bottom. Each handle is 5″ wide and uses 2″ screws in the handles secured from the inside.

Lastly, it’s time to fill the suitcase’s bottom part with your art or writing supplies. I filled mine with paints, brushes, palette knives, paper, and some small jars of gesso and gel mediums.

With my art supplies and journal in one place, now I’m ready to journal whenever the urge hits!

THE FINAL PROJECT:

I also use my journaling station for making beach rock word stones and for writing blog posts.

Alternative uses

If you’re in first grade or even a medical student, this journaling table is perfect for your personal use!

Try using it for a teaching station or a portable kindergarten classroom to help teach your child to read. Glue a small chalkboard to the inside lid or on the outer sides for word walls to develop writing and fine motor skills. The inside is perfect for storing flash cards and other educational materials, and when the lid is closed, it doubles as a desk.

This project can also become a writing station where you can keep your laptop and writing papers out of sight when you’re not writing on it.

A journaling station encourages creativity and is a great storage place. And it is undoubtedly a piece of furniture that will inspire many conversations.

Make this journaling station project to add a creative touch to your home and inspire many future artsy endeavors. If you make this DIY journaling station, please let me a comment and send a photo below – I’d love to see it!