3Doodle Your Own Swirly iPhone Case with Fun Tutorial from Anna Kelly

Anna Kelly’s winning Mother’s Day design

3Doodler is constantly thinking of fun little competitions to highlight 3Doodling talent among the Doodling Public. For example, the company recently sponsored a 3D printing pen design competition for Mother’s Day. The winner was Anna Kelly, who made an adorable panda bear and cub. This quickly put her on the 3Doodler radar as another creative and skilled designer/Doodler, and the company soon asked her to share her knowledge and a bit about herself, too. Since phone cases are such a popular Doodled item, Kelly takes us through the steps for making this lovely swirly iPhone case.

Kelly describes what first attracted her to the 3Doodler: drawing. She started off drawing, and then discovered that the technology had grown a little more sophisticated since the days of pen and paper. She also found that the 3D printing pen was much cheaper than a 3D printer, so she had to try it out. Kelly explains:

“I’ve always been into drawing. Initially I actually wanted to get a 3D printer, but the cost was prohibitively steep. I found the 3Doodler V.1 while window shopping for 3D printers. I love Doodling because it is a different take on drawing, first of all. Second, there are just so many different methods of Doodling in 3D—freehand in the air, freehand on a flat surface, with templates, on non-flat surfaces, etc. I think that all the different possibilities and techniques keep me engaged.”

She also explains how she went about designing the case. She began by tracing the phone on paper and then Doodled on a transparency film “to get a smooth finish.” She encountered bulging from Doodling on the sides, so she got the bright idea to get a dummy phone:

“I purchased one online, wrapped the back and sides in filament tape, and Doodled directly on it. While I didn’t have the smooth finish I had with the first one, the second case fit perfectly. This tutorial is based on the second case.”

This seemed to work great. If you’d like to make one of your own cases, you’ll need a 3Doodler, (optional) nozzle set, FLEXY plastic in your choice of colors, marker, scissors, and masking/painter’s tape. A wire cutter, tweezers and a dummy phone are also highly recommended by Kelly. Start by tightly wrapping the back of the (dummy) phone with tape, and use a marker to outline where all the buttons and openings are because you’ll want to avoid these later.

Next, start Doodling front to back around the phone’s parameter, then Doodle back and forth between the front and the back, too. Kelly Doodles in beads to create many points of contact, but you can Doodle in straight lines as well. Then you should “form a foundation” using horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines. This will make the case tougher and more durable.

Finally, after all of the above, peel the case off (the “Moment of Truth”!) and style it however you choose. Kelly’s design was aqua and white freehand swirls, which are quite appealing to the eye. I’m not sure if her case would make me want to use my phone more, or just sit and stare at it. Either way, there are many ways to customize this basic design idea with your own flair.

You can find more details in the full post from 3Doodler following Kelly’s swirly, dreamy creation. Have you used a 3Doodler? Discuss further in the 3Doodler Designer forum over at 3DPB.com.