Learn how to make resin phone grips at home with epoxy resin, molds, glitter, dried flowers, and adhesive bases. This beginner-friendly tutorial covers supplies, pouring, curing, finishing, and common mistakes.
Learning how to make resin phone grips at home is a fun way to turn a small amount of epoxy resin into a polished, practical accessory. Phone grips are small, quick to pour, easy to customize, and perfect for using up leftover resin from bigger projects. They also make thoughtful handmade gifts because every design can be matched to a person's favorite colors, hobbies, initials, or style.
If you are new to resin, this is a friendly starter project. You do not need a large workspace, expensive tools, or advanced art skills. The main things you need are accurate measuring, patient mixing, a clean mold, and enough curing time. In this guide, we will walk through supplies, setup, pouring, decorating, finishing, attaching the grip base, and fixing common beginner mistakes.
For the basics of resin safety and mixing, start with our Resin Art for Beginners guide. If you already enjoy small accessory projects, you may also like our tutorials on resin keychains and resin earrings.
How to Make Resin Phone Grips at Home: What You Need
The easiest way to make resin phone grips at home is to pour a decorative resin disc, cure it completely, then attach it to a blank expandable phone grip base. The resin piece becomes the visible top, while the base provides the adhesive pad and pop-out function.
Here is a beginner supply list with realistic price ranges:
- Clear epoxy resin, 8 to 16 oz: $15-$30
- Silicone phone grip topper mold or round disc mold: $7-$15
- Blank phone grip bases: $8-$18 for a multipack
- Mica powder, glitter, or resin pigment: $8-$20
- Dried flowers, vinyl initials, foil flakes, or charms: $5-$15
- Graduated mixing cups: $6-$12
- Silicone stir sticks or wooden craft sticks: $4-$8
- Nitrile gloves: $8-$14
- Tweezers and toothpicks: $3-$8
- Heat gun or long-neck lighter: $10-$25
- UV resin or strong clear adhesive for assembly: $8-$15
- Fine sandpaper, 400 to 1000 grit: $5-$10
You can make your first few phone grips for about $45-$80 if you already have basic safety gear. After that, the cost per grip can be very low, often $2-$5 depending on the resin, decorations, and base quality you choose.
Choose the Right Resin and Mold
For beginners, a clear 1:1 epoxy resin is usually the simplest choice. It gives you enough working time to mix color, place decorations, and pop bubbles before the resin thickens. Look for an art resin that cures clear, resists yellowing, and works well in shallow molds.
UV resin can also be used for phone grip toppers, but it behaves differently. It cures quickly under a UV lamp, which is convenient for small pieces, but it can yellow faster and may cure unevenly if the piece is thick or heavily pigmented. If you are making your first batch, epoxy gives you more time to learn.
For molds, you have two good options:
Phone Grip Topper Molds
These are silicone molds made specifically for grip toppers. They usually create a flat circular or shaped piece that fits common blank phone grip bases. This is the easiest option because the size is already close to what you need.
Standard Round Disc Molds
A round coaster, cabochon, or jewelry mold can work if the cavity is small enough. Aim for a finished resin topper around 1.5 to 2 inches wide. Before pouring, inspect the mold for dust, lint, old resin, or scratches. A clean mold gives you a glossy front. If your molds need a refresh, our guide to cleaning silicone resin molds will help you keep them usable longer.
Prepare Your Workspace Safely
Phone grips are small, but resin safety still matters. Work in a ventilated area, wear nitrile gloves, and protect your table with a silicone mat, plastic sheet, or wax paper. Keep paper towels and rubbing alcohol nearby for uncured drips, but do not use alcohol on your skin. Wash skin with soap and water if resin touches you.
Set up everything before you mix: place the mold on a level surface, lay out pigments and decorations, keep toothpicks and tweezers nearby, and have a clean box ready as a dust cover. Resin has a working window, so a calm setup is one of the easiest ways to get better results.
Step-by-Step Resin Phone Grip Tutorial
This method uses epoxy resin and a silicone topper mold. Read your resin brand's instructions first, since cure times and mix ratios vary.
Step 1: Plan the Design
Decide whether your phone grip will be clear, colorful, glittery, floral, or layered. Simple designs usually look best on small surfaces. A phone grip does not have much space, so one strong idea is better than five competing details.
Beginner-friendly ideas include clear resin with gold foil, pastel mica swirls, a dried flower on a transparent background, a sealed initial sticker, a fine glitter gradient, or a tiny beach scene with sand and blue pigment.
If you want to use dried flowers, make sure they are completely dry. Moisture can cause browning, bubbles, or cloudy resin.
Step 2: Measure and Mix the Resin
Measure resin and hardener exactly according to the product instructions. Many beginner epoxies use a 1:1 ratio by volume, but not all do. Use graduated cups rather than guessing.
Stir slowly for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the cup. Fast stirring creates extra bubbles. When the resin looks clear and streak-free, pour it into a second clean cup and stir for another minute. This double-cup method helps prevent sticky spots caused by unmixed resin clinging to the first cup.
For phone grips, mix a small batch. A little resin goes a long way in shallow molds. If you have extra, pour it into a small charm, keychain, or cabochon mold so nothing is wasted.
Step 3: Add Color or Sparkle
Divide the mixed resin into smaller cups if you want multiple colors. Add pigment sparingly. Too much pigment can interfere with curing, especially in small molds. A tiny scoop of mica powder or one small drop of liquid pigment is often enough.
For glitter phone grips, use fine glitter instead of chunky glitter for a smoother finish. Chunky glitter can sink, poke through the back, or make the topper uneven. If you love a bold sparkle, add chunky pieces as accents rather than filling the whole mold with them.
Step 4: Pour a Thin Base Layer
Pour a thin layer of clear or colored resin into the mold. Use a toothpick to guide resin into edges and corners. This first layer becomes the front of the phone grip, so take your time.
Pop surface bubbles with a heat gun on low, held several inches away, or pass a long-neck lighter quickly above the surface. Do not overheat the mold. Too much heat can damage silicone or push resin out of a shallow cavity.
Step 5: Place Decorations
Use tweezers to place dried flowers, foil, small stickers, or charms into the resin. Remember that the bottom of the mold is the front of the finished piece. If you are placing a letter, word, or image face-down, check that it will read correctly when demolded.
For paper, stickers, photos, or printed designs, seal them first with clear packing tape, laminating film, or several coats of clear-drying sealer. Unsealed paper can darken, bleed, or create cloudy edges in resin.
Step 6: Fill the Mold
Add a second layer of resin until the mold is full but not overflowing. Slightly underfilling is better than creating a messy dome on the back. The back should be reasonably flat so it attaches cleanly to the phone grip base.
Use a toothpick to nudge floating pieces back into place. Pop bubbles again, then cover the mold with a dust cover.
Step 7: Cure Completely
Most epoxy resin needs 24 to 48 hours before demolding and up to 72 hours for a full cure. Do not rush this step. A phone grip topper that feels bendy or tacky is not ready to attach. Cure around 70-75 degrees F unless your resin brand says otherwise.
Step 8: Demold and Finish the Topper
Once the topper is hard, gently flex the silicone mold and remove the piece. Check the edges. If there are sharp spots, sand them lightly with 400-grit sandpaper, then smooth with 800 or 1000 grit. Wipe away sanding dust before assembly.
If the front looks dull, you can add a very thin clear resin topcoat and let it cure under a dust cover. For more finishing help, our sanding and polishing resin art guide explains how to smooth resin without scratching the final surface.
Step 9: Attach the Resin Topper to the Phone Grip Base
Make sure both surfaces are clean and dry. Lightly scuff the top of the blank phone grip base with fine sandpaper if it is very glossy. This gives the adhesive a better surface to grab.
You can attach the topper with UV resin, a strong clear craft adhesive, or a two-part epoxy glue. Center the resin topper on the base, press gently, and wipe away any adhesive squeeze-out before it cures. Let the adhesive cure fully before sticking the grip to a phone case.
For best results, attach the phone grip to a smooth hard case rather than directly to a bare phone. Textured silicone cases may not hold adhesive well.
Design Ideas for Resin Phone Grips
Once you understand the basic process, try these simple variations:
Pressed Flower Phone Grip
Use a clear base layer and one small pressed flower. Add a few flakes of gold or silver foil, but keep the design minimal so the flower remains the focus.
Glitter Ombre Phone Grip
Mix one clear cup and one glitter-filled cup. Pour them into opposite sides of the mold, then blend the center lightly with a toothpick.
Initial or Name Phone Grip
Place a vinyl initial, tiny name decal, or monogram face-down in the mold. Pour clear resin over it, then add a colored backing layer after the first layer thickens slightly. This makes the lettering easy to see.
Mini Ocean Phone Grip
Use sandy beige resin on one side and blue resin on the other. Add a thin line of white resin where the colors meet and move it gently with a toothpick. This project pairs nicely with ocean-style resin skills from our resin coaster project ideas.
Confetti Phone Grip
Use tiny polymer clay slices, holographic flakes, or small shaped confetti for party favors, teen gifts, or craft fair inventory.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Even small resin projects can go sideways. Here are the issues beginners run into most often.
The Resin Topper Is Sticky
Sticky resin usually means the ratio was off, the resin was not mixed long enough, or the room was too cold. If only the back is slightly tacky, you can sometimes seal it with a properly mixed thin topcoat. If the whole piece is soft, it is better to discard it and start again.
Bubbles Are Trapped Around Flowers
Dried flowers and paper can trap air. Seal them before embedding, pour in thin layers, and use a toothpick to release bubbles around petals before curing.
The Topper Does Not Fit the Base
Measure your blank phone grip bases before choosing a mold. If the topper is slightly too large, it may still work, but it can catch on pockets or feel awkward. If it is much too small, save it for a magnet, charm, or keychain instead.
Decorations Sank or Shifted
Let the first resin layer thicken slightly before placing heavier inclusions, or work in two pours. Very heavy charms may need to be glued to a cured base layer before the final resin coat.
The Adhesive Failed
Make sure the resin topper is fully cured before attaching it. Clean both surfaces, lightly sand glossy plastic, and use an adhesive made for plastic and resin. Let the adhesive cure for the full recommended time before use.
Product Recommendations for Beginners
You do not need premium supplies for your first batch, but reliable materials help. Look for a 16 oz beginner epoxy kit ($18-$30), a multi-cavity phone grip topper mold ($7-$15), blank expandable bases ($8-$18 per multipack), mica powder ($10-$18), fine glitter ($8-$15), pressed flowers ($6-$14), and UV resin for assembly or tiny clear details ($12-$20). If you plan to sell phone grips, test several blank base brands before buying in bulk.
FAQ: Making Resin Phone Grips at Home
Can you make phone grips with epoxy resin?
Yes. Epoxy resin works well for decorative phone grip toppers as long as the piece is fully cured before assembly. Use a shallow silicone mold, avoid overfilling, and attach the cured topper to a blank phone grip base with strong adhesive or UV resin.
What size should a resin phone grip topper be?
Most resin phone grip toppers look and feel best around 1.5 to 2 inches wide. The exact size depends on your blank base. Measure the flat top of the base before choosing a mold so the resin piece covers it neatly without being oversized.
Can I sell handmade resin phone grips?
Yes, handmade resin phone grips can be sold at craft fairs, online shops, or as custom gifts. Test durability first, use quality blank bases, price for materials and time, and avoid copyrighted logos or characters unless you have permission.
Why is my resin phone grip bendy?
A bendy topper may need more curing time, especially if the room is cool. It can also happen when the resin ratio is inaccurate, too much pigment was added, or the piece was demolded too early. Let it cure longer before deciding whether it can be saved.
Do resin phone grips stick to silicone cases?
Most adhesive phone grip bases do not stick well to soft silicone or heavily textured cases. A smooth hard plastic case gives a stronger bond. If you use a silicone case, check the grip manufacturer's instructions before attaching.
Conclusion: Start Small and Make It Personal
Once you know how to make resin phone grips at home, you can create a whole batch of custom accessories from a few ounces of resin. Start with simple designs, measure carefully, cure fully, and attach the topper to a sturdy blank base. From pressed flowers to glitter ombre to tiny ocean scenes, phone grips are a low-pressure way to practice resin skills while making something useful.
For your next small project, try matching your phone grip with a resin keychain or a pair of resin earrings. Small projects build confidence quickly, and every pour teaches you something new.