DIY : Make your own phone case

So I’ve been using an iPhone 4 for the longest time, and part of the fun of having a popular phone is the abundance of cheap cases. I cleaned up my cupboard recently and tossed out cases that were broken or spoilt. I have some that were given my friends while others were bought.

(Quick promo of the case on the top left – it’s a high quality etched case by local cartoonist/blogger Jian of MiaoWafuPafu and he has various designs for iPhone 4/4s and Samsung S3/S4. Click on this link to check it out!)

Well today I’m gonna show you how I made the bottom left one. Well not technically made but modified? Well you’ll get it when I explain it more.

You’ll only need two things – a translucent case and fancy paper. Oh and of course scissors and/or an x acto knife/cutter. it really doesn’t matter as long as its somewhat translucent, clear or lightly tinted. I prefer the clear types. For the paper I used a picture from a calendar that I liked

[Aff links] I usually buy my clear cases from DealExtreme.com. You can buy a hard plastic case like “Protective Plastic Case for iPhone 4 (Translucent)” or a softer one like this “Protective Crystal Silicone Case for iPhone 4 – White”. I have both below, the bottom one is the plastic case, and the top one is the silicone case.

So most of these cases have a paper iPhone inside it which is great because you can use it as a template to cut out your paper. But I prefer to wing it. Place the case face up on the paper and move it around until you like what’s in the case. For example below, I might want the image of the bird perched on top of the cage. Note: DO NOT draw the hole for the camera like I did in the pic below (its terbalik). Just outline around the case roughly. Then cut out the pattern and place it into your case. Cutting a bit more and adjusting as required

Then trace out the hole for the flash based on the case. This might be a bit difficult but you can try to pop in your phone to help make the paper flush against the case and its easier to trace out the hole. Cut out the hole for the flash, making sure its as big as the hole on the plastic case.

And there you have it. Unique designs with you can change at any time. The one on the left is one I did earlier from the same calendar but a different section of the art. While the one on the right is actually a black and white design that I printed out and cut. There are a whole lotta free images/patterns out there where you can cut this. This should work on ANY phone as long as the case is somewhat see thru. Go try it out!

* Photos taken with a BlackBerry Z10