How to Decorate Your Cell Phone

Doing Temporary Designs

Cover a clear or colored plastic cell phone case with washi tape. Cut strips of washi tape and lay them across the case. Leave small gaps between each strip of tape so that the color of the case shows through. Flip the case over and cut out the camera and flash holes with a craft blade. Use scissors to trim off any excess tape hanging over the edges as well. You can create horizontal, vertical, or diagonal stripes. You can even create a herringbone pattern! Washi tape comes in all sorts of widths, colors, and patterns. Feel free to mix and match! For a retro look, try holographic duct tape trim. It is cut thinner than regular duct tape and does not have the woven texture.

Decorate your phone with stickers if you prefer something simple. You can do this directly on the back of your phone, or you can decorate a separate plastic case instead. Stickers with a clear background will work the best because they will look like actual designs. Stickers with a white background won't work as well, because the white border will stand out too much. Rather than using random stickers, use different stickers that come from the same strip. This way, you'll have a theme. Choose stickers that go well together. For example, you could do unicorns, rainbows, clouds, and stars. Don't get too carried away! You only want 3 to 5 stickers at the most. If you cover the entire case, it will look tacky. This might add unwanted texture though, which you may not like the feel of.

Try self-adhesive rhinestones if you want non-permanent bling. Unlike regular rhinestones, which you have to glue on, these come on a sheet, just like stickers. You can find them in the sticker or scrapbooking aisle in a craft store. The downside to this, however, is that they can fall off if you are not careful. If you want to create your design, buy a sheet of individual rhinestones. If you want a design, like a flourish, buy a sheet of pre-arranged rhinestones instead. For an all-over look, buy a full sheet of rhinestones, where the gems are arranged side-by-side. Cut the sheet to the size of your phone case, and stick it on.

Use a clear case and printed images for an interchangeable design. Print off a high-quality image that is a little bigger than your phone. Set a clear cell phone case face-down onto the picture and trace around it, including the camera and flash holes. Cut the picture out, including the holes, and place it face-down into the case. Snap the case onto your phone, and you are done! The case must be clear, otherwise, you won’t see the picture. The clear plastic will cover the picture and protect it from getting dirty. You can use scissors to cut the main shape out, but you should use a craft blade for the holes. This will make them more precise. To replace the image, simply pull the case off and take the paper out. Put a new image into the case and snap it back onto your phone.

Stylize your phone with themes and wallpapers. How you get to these on your phone depends on the type of phone you have. For example, if you have an Android, press and hold the home screen to bring up a menu; “Wallpapers and Themes” should be 1 of the options. An app store, such as the Google Play store, may also have themes. A wallpaper only changes the background of your phone, while a theme will change the background, font, icons, and overall color scheme. Be wary when installing themes from an app store. Many come with ads. The themes available directly through your phone’s wallpaper and theme app are ad-free and designed specifically for the phone you are using.

Add charms to your phone for something cute and simple. There are 2 types of charms that you can use: the type that dangles from a piece of string, and the type that plugs into the audio jack. The dangly charms need to be secured to a hook with a slip knot. The plug-in charms are usually just a small figurine with an audio plug at the bottom. You can find these charms in mall kiosks and online.

Adding Permanent Decorations

Use temporary tattoos and decoupage for a simple project. Cut out 1 to 3 temporary tattoos, then apply them to your case following the instructions on the package. After removing the paper, let the tattoos dry, then apply a coat of clear, glossy decoupage glue. Wait about 30 minutes for the decoupage to dry, then apply a second coat. Wipe your case down with rubbing alcohol first for better adhesion. Let the decoupage dry and cure completely before you use your case. This may take anywhere from a couple of hours to an entire day.

Use strips of tape to mask off designs when painting your case. Take the case off of your phone and wipe it down with rubbing alcohol. Next, apply strips of masking tape to create your desired pattern. Apply 1 to 2 coats of spray paint, allowing each coat to dry. Wait for the paint to dry completely, then peel the masking tape off. The color of the case will show between the sections of paint. Choose 1 color for the case and a different color for the paint. This will make the masked-off lines stand out better. For example, you could do a white case and gold paint. Lay the strips of tape down on a cutting mat, then cut them into thinner strips with a craft blade. This will create a more unique pattern. You can seal your case with a clear, acrylic sealer afterward. Do this after you remove the tape.

Apply lace behind a clear case with decoupage for an elegant touch. Paint the inside of a clear cell phone case with decoupage glue (e.g.: Mod Podge). Cut a sheet of lace fabric a little larger than the case, then press it into the glue, making sure to get it into the corners. Let everything dry, then trim off the excess fabric. Cut out the camera and flash holes with a craft blade before putting the case on your phone. The color of your phone will show through the lace. If you don't like the color of your phone, repeat the process with an additional layer of solid-colored fabric. You can seal the lace in with the second coat of decoupage glue, but this is not necessary since it will be on the inside of your phone. Depending on the weave of the lace, you may have to cut other holes for the headphones and charger.

Decorate a case with extra-fine glitter if you like sparkly things. Apply a coat of decoupage glue to the outside of your case. Shake extra-fine glitter onto the case, then tap off the excess. Let it dry for about 30 minutes, then apply a second layer of decoupage and glitter. Wait for everything to dry, then seal it with a clear, acrylic sealer. Extra-fine glitter is not the same thing as craft glitter. It is cut much finer and is typically sold in the scrapbooking section of a craft store. Apply a sticker after your first coat of glitter, then use glitter in a contrasting color for the second coat. Peel the sticker off before sealing the case to reveal a neat silhouette.

Bling up your case with rhinestones, studs, and cabochons. Wipe down your case with rubbing alcohol first. Layout your desired items on top of the case. Once you are happy with the design, secure them with a strong adhesive, such as E6000 or Gem-Tac. You can combine this with the lace look, but don’t get too carried away. Decorate your case with white silicone fitted with a star-shaped piping tip. This will make it look like a cupcake! Apply extra-fine glitter to your embellishments to make them sparkle. Choose items that go well together. Try a theme, such as decora, cute, girly, gothic, or punk.

Paint your phone case with nail polish if you want a durable finish. Unlike acrylic paint, nail polish is enamel-based, so it is less likely to chip off. Clean the inside of a clear cellphone case with rubbing alcohol, then do a reverse glass painting with nail polish. Let the nail polish dry completely, then snap the case onto your phone. Simple designs, such as marble or an all-over color will look the best. You can paint the outside of your case or even the back of your phone, but you will need to seal it with a clear topcoat. Let the nail polish dry for at least 1 to 2 hours. Do not use gel polish.

Decorating the Cables and Chargers

Cover the cables with Perler beads. Use scissors or a craft blade to slice open a bunch of Perler beads. Pry open the beads, then pop them onto the cable of your cellphone's charger or earbuds. Use enough beads to cover the cable from end to end. Perler beads are sometimes called melty beads. They’re the ones that you create designs with on a pegboard, then melt with an iron. They’re not the same as pony beads. You can use beads that are all the same color, or different ones to create a pattern.

Wind embroidery thread around a cable for a colorful look. Tie the end of your embroidery floss to the end of your cable. Hold the tail end against the cable, then wrap the floss around the cable once to make a loop. Pull the floss through the loop to tighten the knot, then repeat the process until the band is 2 inches (5.1 cm) long. Cut the floss then hold it against the rest of the cable. Add a second color of floss, and repeat the process until you reach the end of the cable. You can use as many colors as you want, or you can alternate 2 colors. The bands don't have to be 2 inches (5.1 cm). They can be 1 inch (2.5 cm), or you can make the entire cable 1 color. This will work the best on charger cables, but it may work on earbuds too. If the cable is damaged, repair it with electrical tape first.

Bling up your cellphone charger instead of the cable. Cover 1 side of your cellphone charger with strong glue, such as E6000 or Gem-Tac. Apply tiny rhinestones to the charger, and let it dry. Repeat this step for each side, except for the side with the prongs. Stagger each row of rhinestones like bricks. This will prevent gaps from showing through. If rhinestones aren't your thing, use decoupage glue and extra-fine glitter instead. Seal the glitter with more decoupage glue so that it doesn't shed.

Wrap washi tape around chargers instead. Take some patterned washi tape, and wrap it around the sides of your charger. Start at the bottom and work your way to the top. Trim off any excess tape from the top and bottom edges with a craft blade. Complete the look by wrapping solid-colored washi tape around the cable part as well. You can cover the entire cable or just bands for a striped look.