Cell phones are a huge part of our lives; this has become an indisputable fact. The accessories we decorate them with have been and will always continue to be a unique and functional way to express ourselves. And we believe that the ultimate form of self-expression comes with the opportunity to create something of your own!
Creativity has no bounds, and your next creative project does not have to be something intimidating. Show the world who you are by crafting your own accessories and decking out your phone with your very own resin DIY phone grip. We’ll guide you through the basics of casting your own phone grip, adding and mixing in coloring, glitter, and other effects,
These techniques are applicable to a variety of epoxy resin projects, so not only is this particular project approachable to varying skill levels, but these basics will become the foundation for a continued learning experience.
HOW TO MAKE RESIN PHONE GRIPS
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
- ProMarine Supplies Table Top Epoxy Resin
- Phone grip molds
- Glue
- Measuring cups
- Stir sticks or popsicle sticks
- Gloves (always be safe when using epoxy resin products!)
- Additional decorative objects like glitter, color-shifting powder, colorants like Pro Mica Powder
- Safety glasses
LET’S MAKE A DIY PHONE GRIP
To build the strongest structure, you need a great foundation. In the case of a custom phone grip, you can typically find blank phone grips in a variety of colors for sale online. For our purposes, we purchased a set of white ones to build off of and a silicone mold with which to cast our custom grips. Molds made from silicone work best with resin because the resin won’t stick to it, which will allow an easier demolding process.
In this tutorial, we use our Table Top resin, which has a simple 1-to-1 by volume ratio. Regardless of whatever epoxy resin you decide to use, it’s super helpful to read over the products instructions prior to use. This will give you insight into several factors, including how to measure this product.
Measure out and mix your resin thoroughly, using a folding motion like you might when combining baking batter. This helps limit the possibility for introducing bubbles.
How many phone grips do you think you’ll make? Since we have a mold with six available spots, we decided to experiment with color and additives. If you plan on doing several different designs, it helps to split the resin up into separate cups ahead of time and then mix in what you want after.
If there are some specific designs you’re planning, make sure you have a pretty solid idea ahead of time. Keep your utensils set up nearby, including any potential additives like glitter or mica powder. Otherwise, it’s 100% fine to have fun with it or experiment with the type of designs you want for your phone grip. After all, this is all about your expression!
Once you’ve combined everything, it’s time to pour! Here are a few shots of our pouring process for this project:
In the case of one of our designs, we actually poured in clear resin and then added drops of alcohol ink for a cool bi-colored effect. Using different types of colorants can change the overall finish and look of your project!
Once you’ve poured all of your designs, there is a chance that bubbles will show up. You can use a variety of tools and techniques to get rid of them. Today, we’re relying on our trusty blow torch.
Now, you wait. It doesn’t really seem like much of an actionable step, but each individual resin product has a recommended time you need to allow it to cure. Make sure your project is set up in an environment where it can properly cure without accumulating dust or debris. For detailed information on your resin’s curing process and time, you can read the instructions.
Once they’re done curing, you can demold them. Since their shape is relatively simple and, in our case, we used a silicone mold, we should be able to remove them easily.
And we’re done with using resin! At this point, all we have to do is properly adhere our phone grips to the appropriate side of our phone grip blanks using whichever glue we prefer.
Although the designs we used in this tutorial are relatively simple to achieve with proper mixing techniques, there are a huge number of opportunities for the creator to play around with this project. Beyond mixing colorants, glitter, or gold foil, you can embed stickers, pressed and dried flowers, sprinkles, seashells, and more.
A little note on encapsulating organic material like flowers. When it comes to flowers, leaves, and porous woods, they create an opportunity for more bubbles to form in your resin. There are ways to limit the chance of bubbles, such as by drying them out or applying a seal coat layer of epoxy resin. In the case of a seal coat, be sure to let it cure before you begin the embedding process.
How did yours turn out? Did you experiment or try something different with your design? Whether you’ve worked on a similar project or something completely different, we always appreciate seeing the pictures of your creations on our social media.
Speaking of, we hope you’ll find some inspiration in the incredible phone grip projects we get the chance to see from the resin crafting community. There truly is no limit to what can be created!
DIY PHONE GRIP IDEAS
@cmoreart203‘s custom crystal geode phone grip shines bright like a diamond!
All that glitters is gold… or is it @resinbyval‘s glitzy golden phone grip?
@arttreasures_bypj has captured every color of the rainbow with their masterpieces!
Our thumbnail image, which is by @wildcanvasdesign on Instagram, is also a beautiful example of ocean art on a phone grip.
TALK TO US AT PROMARINE SUPPLIES
If you have any questions about these crafty applications, feel free to reach out to us on our Contact Us page or check out our FAQs section. For sharing your own creations with us, you can visit any one of our social media, like Instagram, and tag us!
Happy crafting, everyone!
