iPhone case makeover
First
step - removing the fabric backing from my case. I gently picked at
one corner of the fabric with my finger nail and I was surprised at how
easy the fabric came up. It was very easy to gently pull the fabric
back and remove it from the plastic case.
I
tried to use goo-gone to remove the dried glue from the plastic case,
but it didn't work. So I just left the dried glue on the case.
Next,
using the old stained purple fabric as a template, I carefully traced
the shape onto my new fabric. I had decided to fussy cut out one of the
skulls from the Alexander Henry
'skullduggery' line of fabric.
Using permanent markers I colored in the rose next to the skull.
Before cutting out the fabric, I traced around the lines with
Fray Check and let it dry.
After
I cut out the fabric I put more fray check along the fresh cut edges. I
did not want to take any chances of having the fabric fray while
working on it.
Originally, I thought I would
mod podge the new fabric onto the case, but then I remembered that I had
Nunn Design UV jewelry resin which I had not tried yet. I decided this would be the perfect project to test out the resin.
I
followed the steps in the kit, first using the glue to adhere the
fabric to my plastic iPhone case. I put the glue on using an old paint
brush. I had a hard time getting the corners to stick down and actually
put a bit of glue on top of the fabric (as if it were mod podge) in
order to get it to stick. I let it dry overnight.
The
2nd step is a sealant, that only needs 20 minutes to dry. Again I used
a paint brush to apply it, but I let it dry overnight.
The
3rd step is the UV gel. The gel was a bit smelly, I recommend doing
this in an area with ventilation. I also wore latex gloves to protect my
skin in case I got messy. Let's face it...I make lots of messes. The
gel itself was very thick and a bit hard to apply. Then again, the gel
that I had was two years old, so a newer bottle might spread more
evenly. After applying the gel with a brush I put the case under my UV
light. It "baked" for 20 minutes. When I took it out, it was slightly
tacky. The instructions said it would continue to harden for the next
two hours. I decided to let it sit overnight.
The
next day it was hard and shiny and pretty. But I could see where I had
applied the gel unevenly. So I did a second coat...again letting the
case harden overnight.
The
end results are great. The case looks cool, and it's unique. The gel
isn't 100% even, but I'm okay with that. I think it turned out fantastic
for my first attempt using UV gel resin.
The
case has also been holding up well to normal every day use. It's been
tossed in my purse, pants pockets, gym locker and even spent some time
in an ice rink and it's just as shiny and new looking as the day I made
it. Overall I love it the case and I'm impressed with the Nunn Design
UV resin. I can't wait to make more stuff with it.
