Store-bought phone cases do a pretty awesome job at cushioning your delicate phone from dings and drops, but many look bland and generic. Those that do look beautiful ad inspiring are often quite expensive. So, what’s a person wishing for a unique phone case to do?

Transform your phone case with these 11 cool DIYs. The best part? You can use these ideas to transform as many phone cases as you want, creating more options to switch from depending on your mood for the day.

1. Steampunk DIY Phone Case

Love the Victorian aesthetic with a gothic twist often present in steampunk designs? Why not transform your bland phone case into a unique-looking, steampunk design phone case? It’s not the easiest DIY project, but it’s certainly one of the best. The results will well be worth every minute you spend creating one.

For supplies, you’ll need copper sheets, solder, and a gas torch to attach the necessary parts as described in this easy-to-follow tutorial in Instructables. If you successfully complete this project, you can check out these unique DIY phone charging station ideas to complement your upgraded phone!

2. DIY Penguin Phone Case

If you’ve got a good hand at art, and you love animals, you’ll love this cool DIY phone case idea. It’s super cute, not forgetting, super easy to create one as you only need nail polish or paint in white for the penguin’s body, yellow for the mouth and feet, black for the eyes, or whichever color options tickle your fancy.

Do you want your penguin to appear more realistic and the phone case more unique? Add some penguin wings. For this flatten, out some polymer clay in the shape of tiny penguin wings and stick them to the side of your phone case—as shown in the above YouTube tutorial.

3. Pressed Flower or Leaves Phone Cases

Sometimes, all it takes to transform a boring phone case into an instant icebreaker is a few petals from your favorite flower. And if you’re not a flower person, leaves or even weeds are available right on your lawn. Once secured, leave them to dry for a few hours or days (depending on how much water the plant contains).

Press them and use a resin to harden them on your plain phone case, and voilà! You’ll have a unique flower case, and everyone will want to know where it’s from. Check this guide on Instructables to complete this project.

4. Hot Glue Phone Case

hot clue phone case screengrab

If you prefer to choose the design on your phone cases or are trying to fix your already fancy but broken phone case, this DIY hot glue phone case done on Instructables is just a perfect fit for you.

You can choose to do a fancy butterfly design, a spooky Halloween spider, a flower, or whichever tickles your fancy at the time of the DIY project, as long as you have the other supplies needed to complete it.

5. DIY Gem Phone Case

Screengrab of DIY Gem Phone Case

Aah! Gems! We love them, but getting a brand-new gem phone case means you have to part ways with a couple of hundreds of dollars. Luckily, there’s always a DIY for everything when it comes to tech, and the gem phone case is no exception.

The most surprising bit? It’s one of the simplest options on our list, and you’ll only need three supplies; sparkles, glue, and the phone case you’re looking to transform. Check the step-by-step guide on Instructables to complete this project.

6. Rainbow Button Phone Case

Love a colorful phone case? You’ll never go wrong with rainbow colors, and this easy to follow DIY rainbow phone case idea on Instructables not only makes the transformation a breeze; it also grants you a phone case guaranteed to protect your phone from any dings and dongs. Why? Because these are not just rainbow stripes; they're rainbow-colored buttons. In addition to using old buttons to conserve the environment, you can also check out these DIY ideas using old cables and wires that you can try out.

7. DIY Galaxy Phone Case

Nothing screams unique like galaxy artwork, and if you’ve been looking for unique ways to transform your phone case, you can never go wrong with this form of art. The best part about this DIY galaxy phone case project? It’s no rocket science as you pretty much only need nail polish or paint (in different colors), a paintbrush, and glitter glue to achieve the illusion of space on your phone case. Check out the YouTube tutorial above to complete this DIY.

8. Phone Leather Case

Screengrab of Phone Leather Case

Leather is tough and timeless. Leather is naturally beautiful and luxurious. Leather also appears neutral, making it incredibly versatile. So, using the material to transform your phone case is certainly a good idea. One of the best ways to protect your most-used device: your phone. See how to pull the design off in this easy-to-follow leather phone case DIY in Instructables.

9. DIY Starbucks Phone Case

Can’t go a day without a cup or two of Starbucks coffee? Prove your allegiance and simultaneously transform your bland-looking case by trying out this simple DIY Starbucks phone case tutorial.

10. Balloon Phone Case

Screengrab of Balloon Phone Case

Need to instantly transform your phone case but lack the time for DIYs that require more than three steps to complete? You’ll undoubtedly love the balloon phone case. To make it, find a balloon (in your favorite color), blow until it's big enough to hold your smartphone, put your phone at the center, and let the balloon go. It’ll deflate to cover your phone, so only the screen remains uncovered—as shown on Instructables.

11. DIY Felted Pokeball Phone Case

Screengrab of DIY Felted Pokeball Phone Case

Are you a Pokemon Go Fan? Do you love running your fingers across felted items? If you answered yes to either or both questions, this DIY felted Pokeball idea is the perfect way to transform your phone case. It’ll have you put your needle felting skills to the test, but once complete, it’ll be worth the effort.

Besides a felting needle, you’ll also need wool, cheese cloth, and warm soapy water to ensure it all stays put, so you don’t have to start over again, and this step-by-step tutorial on Instructables to make one.

Transform Your Phone Case Into a Unique Accessory

If you’re anything like most of us, then your phone is always in hand. So, it’s only fair you transform it into a beautiful accessory by getting a cute phone case for it. While you can always buy one, creating one from scratch lets you add a personal touch to your everyday accessory, saves you money, and—as shown in the 11 DIY phone case ideas above—fun! Have a blast creating one!