I love mother of pearl, and so when I wanted to create a more summer appropriate iPhone case, I jumped at the opportunity to use some tile samples from the Home Depot to create a new look.
The diy is fairly simple; take an inexpensive iPhone cover and paste the tiles from a sample (which generally cost around $5) on top. These almost perfectly fit the case, and the only sanding I had to do was around the corners and on a half-tile I used around the camera (I clipped the tile in half using shears and then sanded down).
To create a more polished look, I glued bendable wire around the case. I am still debating whether this was the right move; on the one hand, I do like the look, but there is an open space above the camera that is slightly bothersome. Also, the wires connect with hot gun glue, which I don't love; if I were to improve this diy, that would be the focus.
Overall, however, I'm really happy with how it turned out, and hope that it might offer some inspiration for anyone else wanting a phone case change.
In terms of specifics, the glue that I used was Hard as Nails. The tile is no longer available from the Home Depot, but a similar one can be found here.
All in all, the diy took less than 15 minutes and cost around $10.
DIY TILED IPHONE CASE:
Supplies:
Tile Sample
Old thin iPhone case
Bendable wire (optional)
Hard as Nails glue
Sanding block
Cutting shears
Hot glue gun
Directions:
Line up the tiles onto an inexpensive cell phone cover in a pattern that appeals to you;
Sand down the tiles at the corners to get rounded edges. If needed, clip and then sand a tile to fit by the camera lens;
Attach the tiles onto the case using a glue like Hard as Nails;
If desired, wrap wire around the tiles to add a finished touch;
Use glue once more to attach to the case; use a drop of hot glue to connect the ends of the two wires;
Enjoy!
