Creating a custom phone case using adhesive vinyl is both easy and affordable! Follow the step-by-step tutorial below to see I used Craftables Permanent Adhesive Vinyl and the Cricut Maker to cut and apply leopard print decals on a clear plastic cell phone case.
Estimated Time To Complete: 15-20 minutes (easy)
Supplies Needed:
- Craftables Adhesive Vinyl
- Transfer Tape
- Cutting Mat
- Weeding Tool
- Blank Phone Case (I found mine on Amazon for less than $10)
- Leopard Print SVG
Step One: Upload and Edit Design
As always, start by uploading the design you want to use. I created my own leopard print but Craftables has a similar free download here. Measure the height and width of the phone case and create a rectangle that size on the canvas.
Scale the leopard print to achieve the look you are going for and then select both the rectangle and the leopard print and click the slice tool.
After downloading the SVG and uploading it into Design Space, scale the image to fit on the t-shirts.
*Check out this post on the Craftables Blog for a handy guide to decal sizing.
The slice tool will basically cut the rectangular shape out of the leopard print, creating a perfectly sized decal.
Delete all of the excess shapes from the canvas and if you want you can use the contour tool to clean up the tiny bits around the edge of the design.
Click the make it button and follow the on screen prompts to select the material and adjust the cut settings if needed.
Step Two: Load and Cut Adhesive Vinyl
Place a sheet of adhesive vinyl on the cutting mat with the shiny side facing up, load the mat into the machine and press the start button to begin cutting.
Step Three: Weed
Once cutting has finished, cut around the image to free it from the remaining sheet of vinyl. Then, peel away the excess vinyl from around the cut lines.
Use a hook (or weeding) tool to remove the smaller bits and pieces.
Step Four: Transfer Decal
Now, cut a piece of transfer tape just a little larger than the decal and use the scraper tool to apply it over the vinyl.
Peel the transfer tape away from the vinyl's paper backing and the decal should be fully adhered to the transfer tape. Now you can place the decal inside the phone case and use the scraper tool again to apply firm pressure. The rounded corners of the scraper tool fit perfectly into the rounded corners of the case!
Before removing the transfer tape, use a utility knife to cut around the opening for the camera. This helps to create clean lines around the opening.
Peel away the transfer tape and you're finished!
Now you can snap the case on your phone and show it off! Adhesive vinyl is a great way to update a boring case and the best part is, you can peel it off and change the design as often as you'd like.
About the Author
Kayla
My name is Kayla and I’m a DIY loving mom of 3, living in North Carolina. I absolutely love creating! It doesn’t matter if it’s refinishing furniture or paper crafting, I love it all. I’m a former blogger for Silhouette America and current blogger for Cricut so I know the ins and outs of both machines and love teaching beginners all of the handy tips and tricks. Come visit my blog at kaylamakes.com or follow me on Instagram @kayla_made.