A temporary customized design solution.
I got a clear, transparent case (with lens covers) to protect my phone. I customized a part of the case with a temporary marbled design solution.
In case it's helpful, below are the topics covered in this post:
The Case
I got a clear, transparent case from Amazon for my new Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra just so I could customize it regularly. It happened to come with a set of lens covers that fit beautifully on my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. In case you are interested, below are the items that came in the package:
Clear phone case with camera cutout
Camera lens covers with installation tray
Dust-absorber sticker
Guide stickers
Wet wipe
Dry wipe
To install the lens covers, I cleaned the camera lenses with the wet wipe followed by the dry wipe. I used the dust-absorber sticker to remove lint and other dust particles on and around the lenses.
I didn't know how to use the guide stickers, so I went ahead and pressed the lens covers into place. The installation tray made it easy for me to line up the lens covers over the camera lenses, so there was no room for error from what I could tell.
There were protective films on the inside and outside of the clear case. The outside had a lip that created a sunken area within. It seems ideal for a resin design that I will try one day in the future.
For now, I wanted to make a quick, temporary design to customize the case. The lip on the outside of it made it easy for me to create a template.
Making a Template
I used tracing paper because it was thin and semi-opaque. I was able to see the inner edge of the lip through the paper to trace for a template.
At first, I used a weeding tool, just something with a hard tip, to trace and make an impress within the lip and onto the paper. Instead, I went over the impression with a pencil to better see where to cut the tracing paper.
I could have used a craft knife to cut along the lip edge, but it did not cross my mind at the time. I imagine that would have been the easier solution by turning a two-step process into a single step.
The final cutout wasn't a perfect fit, but it at least fit within the sunken part of the outside of the clear case.
Marbling Paper
A couple years ago, I did an Acrylic Pour on a Phone Case that I really liked. I wanted to do something similar with my new case, but with marble inks instead of acrylic paints.
I selected four Marabu marble inks I wanted to use for the design: yellow, green, blue, and black. I shook the bottles well and removed the caps in preparation for the marbling process.
I filled a baking tray (only used for crafts and not cooking) with water. I did not need anything deep since I was only marbling a sheet of marker paper.
I used marker paper because it was thin enough to fit within the sunken part of the clear case. I had hoped it would handle water better than other thin sheets like copier paper. Fortunately, I was not wrong about that guess.
To create a marbled design, I shook drops of the different marble ink colors over the water. Unfortunately, the black ink did not show well in the final design. Perhaps I should have added it to the water before the lighter colors?
If I wanted to, I could have used a pick to swirl a design or pattern with the ink colors. I opted not to since I wanted to place the paper sooner than later. The marble inks, as well as spray paints if I had done a more typical hydro dip, dries and thickens quickly.
I placed the marker paper onto the water's surface and pressed down on it gently to ensure all the colors adhered to the paper's surface.
After I pressed down on the marker paper a few times, I used a scrap piece of paper to remove the excess marble inks from the water. Doing so prevented "double-dipping" from potentially creating an undesirable effect.
With the excess mostly removed, I lifted the marker paper from the water and set it out to dry completely. In my case, I set it out in the backyard to dry under the sunlight for a few short minutes.
The paper was partially saturated and wrinkled as it dried, but fortunately it was not damaged. I placed a heavy book over the marker paper to eliminate some of the wrinkles. I could have also ironed it within sheets of parchment paper to smooth it out further.
Putting it All Together
Once the marker paper dried completely, I placed the tracing paper cutout over a part of the marker paper that I found most visually appealing for the clear case.
I used a pencil to trace the outline of the template and scissors to cut it. Again, it wasn't a perfect fit, but it fit within the sunken part of the clear case.
I used double-sided (non-permanent) tape to adhere the marker paper cutout to the outside of the clear case.
Since I knew I would one day want to change the design, the tape I used will leave less adhesive residue, thus making it easier to clean and prep for another customized design. I also did not add a sealant or protective coat knowing that the design will fade, show wear and tear, or fall apart with time.
My Thoughts
I have been using my clear case for over a week at the time of writing this post. While I have not dropped my phone, the case seems to be sturdy enough to protect my phone from short falls and slight bumps. It will certainly protect the back of my phone from scratches.
Making a tracing paper template, marbling marker paper, and putting it all together took no longer than a half hour. This may be because I have experience marbling a variety of objects for years, but I cannot imagine this taking a novice that much longer to replicate the steps I took.
I know the first problem I encountered was struggling to clean the stains left by ink splatter from shaking the bottles carelessly. A paper towel or something to wipe up marble ink spots is essential to maintain a clean work area.
If I wanted, I could have made this a more permanent design by using stronger adhesive and a protective coat on the marker paper. However, I like changing the look of my phone case, so I will happily create a new design once the marker paper shows signs of deterioration.
What's Next?
I have been working on several creative projects recently, one of which I will share with you very soon.
Do you customize your phone case? Comment below to share how you like to decorate a phone case to showcase a part of your personality or interests.
Don't forget to subscribe below to be notified by email when I post something new.
Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
Comments