This weekend I had the unfortunate luck to drop my iPhone flat on a hard pavement. It landed with a thud that told me what to expect when I turned it over. The back of the phone was covered in small cracks, making their way across the entire phone. I was mortified. I never thought I would be one of those people. I instantly decided that I need to do what I should have done all along - buy an iPhone case.

A quick search showed what a huge variety of creative, unique and cool ideas there are out there for iPhone phones, as well as for Android phones. Before I knew it I had a list of about 4 different types of iPhone cases I wanted - and each idea in of itself was filled with endless ideas and options. The following is a list of those four phone cover ideas, where you can find the phone cases - with options for Samsung and iPhone users, and more.

Design Your Own Cover With Castegram (iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy)

Castegram is the easiest way to get your Instagram photos onto a smartphone case - exactly the way you want it to look. Castegram's cases will set you back about $35, but with the options available, it's worth it. And if you're not on Instagram - not to worry. You can create a case using your Facebook photos, or even just upload the photos of your choice - giving you endless possibilities for your smartphone case.

Castegram gives you a lot of options - you can choose the layout of the photos - from grids, to circles, to using just one photo for the entire case. You can then drag and drop the photos to the exact spots you want them to appear. Best of all - Castegram will warn you if the resolution of the photo isn't good enough. You are also given the choice between a white or black case, and if you don't want to use your own photos, you can always check out the Castegram collection.

Castegram cases are available for the iPhone 4/4S/5, the Galaxy SIII, SII, Note II and Note, as well as for the iPad 2/3/Mini and iPhone Touch 4/5.

Turn Your Phone Case Into a Wallet

We've all seen the leather smartphone cases which allow you to slip in credit cards, metro cards, your ID, cash and more, so you can carry one less item with you. Those however, come with an annoying flap that usually tends to get in the way when you're talking on the phone. Doing away with that problem is simple - you can buy a smartphone case that builds the space for your cards and cash directly into the cover.

The Incipio Stowaway case, available for iPhone 5 and iPhone 4/4s, has a discreet flap which pops up to reveal a space where you can place your items:

iPhone 5 users can also opt for Incipio's Stashback cover, which offers the same idea, but with a different design:

Turn Your Phone Case Into a Business Card

With a combination of a QR code and some basic information, you could turn your iPhone case into a business card - the kind which you're sure you'll never forget at home. If you have the know-how, you can design it yourself and upload the image using a service like Castegram. If you'd rather leave the heavy lifting to someone else, Zazzle has a ton of options available for iPhone 5, iPhone 4/4S and Samsung users.

Even so, you'll still have to create your own QR Code with your information - for tips on how to do that - check out our guide here.

DIY Phone Case

There is no limit to the kinds of materials you can use to create a smartphone case - and it opens up the option to create a case no matter what kind of phone you own. We've found DIY cases using juice boxes, an old tie, felt, napkins and glue, or just about anything you can think of. You can also buy a matte white iPhone case, and create a design of your choice using felt-tip pens. But if you want the design to stick, be sure to place a coat of varnish over the final product.

If you don't have the know-how or skill to create your own unique, one-of-a-kind phone case, a good place to look for phone cover ideas by looking at those made by someone else is Etsy. The site is packed with interesting designs that will turn your phone case into a conversation starter. If you're more interested in an artistic or photographic design, also be sure to check out RedBubble's collection of iPhone cases.

What's your favourite, unique phone case idea? Let us know in the comments.

Image Credit: Breigh