I may have gotten a little obsessed about my Little Free Library. Too many hours on Pinterest and the official Stewards’ Facebook group have my head swirling with ideas. After reading about a woman who uses a suitcase in the vehicle she uses to transport seniors so they have something to read, I decided that I wanted to make a mobile LFL, too. But what to use?
I scoured eBay for suitcases, trying to find something that would hold books well, be easy to transport, and not cost me a fortune (this really has become an addiction). Several late nights later, I made an offer on an old 20x10x10 doll carrying case. It arrived, and I realized that my math stinks as I expected it to be larger, but it was going to have to do.
The outside has a lot of age and rust, but I think that sort of adds to its charm, so I have no plans to change any of that, though I may have to do something about the edges as time goes on. I also need to replace the handle on top, though I’m going to have to work on finding an inexpensive idea for that. The interior, however, definitely needed some love.
The trunk arrived with that musty, old age smell. Some of the paper had bubbled up, so it had to be removed. The cardboard dividers were weak so I threw those out. I purchased contact paper on Amazon, which worked like a charm, if you count all the effort to try and get it just right.
I left the little hanger exposed and plan to use that to hang my official charter sign when it arrives. I have to add a guestbook and I am going to make a small sign to go on the side to explain how it works. My books have been registered with BookCrossing, I’m just waiting for my official LFL stamp to arrive, hopefully this week. If all goes well, my traveling LFL will make its debut at the Springfield Dog Expo next Saturday!