I am starting a fun iPhone case project series. Each phone case project will have a different look and style with complete instructions on how to create your own. We will have a new iphone case project at least once a month so check back often. The first in my series is the "Queen Bee" iPhone case. I have a thing for bumblebees so when I saw this queen bee pendant at Michaels I knew it had to go onto a phone case. The great thing about this particular project is that it is made with supplies found locally at Michaels. While you can find lots of inexpensive embellishments on Etsy and Ebay, sometimes its nice to start a project without having to order and wait for supplies to be shipped. You can use this same project for any brand phone cover as long as it's hard plastic. You can also make ipod covers this way. For those of you who don't want to make one,  I will be selling my iphone cases on Etsy. The link will be on my site shortly.

For this project you will need:

Blank hard plastic phone case- I found mine at the Dollar Tree store. I used a black one for this design. I also saw them at the local UPS store. You can also purchase blank cases on Etsy.com, and Ebay.com. 

E 6000 Glue or GS Hypo Cement- I personally use E6000 so it is what I recommend, but some crafters prefer GS Hypo. Give both a try!

*Artminds brand plastic embellishments from Michael's. 

*Many styles and colors to choose from.

*The bee pendant is Art-i-cakes brand from Michael's. I used my 40% off coupon on it. You can see they have lots of other cool pendants to choose from.

To get started remove the bale from your bee pendant. Use wire snips. If the edge is still rough (mine wasn't) use an emory board to smooth it. 

Angle your pendant across the front of the phone cover and glue it down. 

Add your plastic embellishments and glue.

*Lay your embellishments out on the phone cover before you glue down. This way you can change your mind before it is permanent. For example I changed my mind and didn't use the flower.

If you are using any plastic stickers as embellishments (the clock for example) remove the adhesive back so you are gluing the plastic back directly to the phone cover (and not the adhesive sticker).

Once you are satisfied with the placement of your embellishments you can start filling in the rest of the case with acrylic flat back gems. 

Take a toothpick and spread a couple inches of E6000 glue. Work in small areas as the glue dries quickly.

Use a gem pick up tool (I use a wax pencil) and carefully pick up and place the gems onto the glue. You can move the gems around for a few minutes if you change your mind, but they will set within 5 minutes. 

Once you have your main row of gems fill in the remainder with tiny gems. 

Let your case dry 24 hours before using. Enjoy! They make great gifts!

More iphone case projects to come. Sign up by email so you never miss one.

XOX,

The Rebel Crafter

I knew I wanted to make my own bling iphone case about a month ago. I was reading my favorite blogger Gala Darling's diary about her adventures in Chicago and in one of the photos she is holding up this fabulous gem encrusted iphone cover she bought. It is sparkly pink, hearts, and pearls, and oooh I wanted it. (I have a thing for pink sparkly stuff, maybe I am still just a teen girl at heart). But instead of caving and searching all over for one to buy, I decided I would make my own version. I wanted to see just how hard they were to make, because I could see that they would make outstanding gifts.

This is not a typical Rebel Crafter project as this project takes a few hours to create. I still give it a big thumbs up for the time invested because when you are done you get to hold that little work of art in your hand all the time.

For supplies the blank iphone cases are sold at dollar stores. I went to my dollar store but they were sold out. They said they get them in periodically and to check back. I ended up buying my cases on Etsy for $7, so try the dollar store first. The cabochon trinkets can be found at the craft stores or on Etsy under cabochon in the "supplies" section. You can be creative and recycle stuff too. Many of my trinkets are scrapbooking stickers that I peeled the adhesive off the back before gluing down. Also, consider Gumball machine trinkets, charms for necklaces, earrings, and buttons with the shanks removed. Or skip trinkets and do an all over gem look. The flat back gems are pretty inexpensive. I bought most at Michael's where they have an area devoted to flat back gems and each container is about $2.99. I also bought a little bag of flat back pearls on Etsy. 

Start by laying out your large trinket pieces on your iphone case until you like the placement. 

Glue those down with E-6000. If the trinket is an adhesive plastic sticker make sure you peel off all of the adhesive back before gluing down as adhesive stickers would never hold up to the iphone use. 

Next start filling in your gem background. 

Take some E-6000 on a toothpick and spread out about 1/2-1 inch area. Do not spread more than 1 inch as the glue dries too quickly. 

Now is the perfect time to start making these little gems for Girlfriends, Sisters, Daughters, and Grand Daughter's. I think any girl would love one of these cases to rock their phone. I sure love mine!

XOX,

The Rebel Crafter

My Husband's before and after Nerium photo at 6 days. Click on the photo if you want to check out my Nerium page. It is a great product with a money back guarantee. Use it for the month and return it on day 29 if you don't love it. But if you are like all my friends you will love it!