So, I got this wild hair the other day, you know? My phone case was just… blah. Seriously, one of those clear things that everyone has. And I was doomscrolling, probably way too late, and this idea just sort of hit me. I’ve got this old tarot deck lying around, some cards a bit battered, not really my main deck for readings anymore. Why not make something with it?
Choosing the Card – The Big Decision
First up, I had to pick a card. And let me tell you, that was a whole mini-saga. Do I go for something super positive like The Sun? Or maybe something a bit more mysterious, like The Moon? I ended up just shuffling through the deck, not really looking, and one card kind of… well, it felt right. The Star. Yeah, The Star. Seemed hopeful, and honestly, good enough for this little project.
The Actual “Making It” Part
Okay, so I had the card. And I had that boring clear case. My first thought was, this is gonna be easy. Just slip the card in between the phone and the case. Right? Wrong. Well, sort of.
I did that, and it looked okay for about five seconds. Then the card started sliding around. Every single time I picked up my phone, it was crooked. Drove me absolutely bonkers. You know that feeling when something is just slightly off? Yeah, that.
My next brilliant idea involved some double-sided tape. Just a tiny piece, I told myself. Stuck the card to the inside of the clear case. That was better, it definitely stayed put. But then, of course, new problems. Little bits of lint and dust started creeping under the edges of the card, right where the tape wasn’t. Not exactly the aesthetic I was going for. Plus, I started worrying if the adhesive would mess up the actual tarot card over time. Didn’t want to ruin it completely.
I briefly considered laminating the card. But then I thought, am I really going to go through all that trouble? This isn’t meant to be some professional-grade, sellable item. It’s just for me, for fun.
A Slightly Smarter Approach
Then, a lightbulb moment! Or, you know, a dim flicker. What if I scanned the card? Yes! Scan it, print it out on some decent photo paper, and then cut that to size. That way, my original The Star card stays safe and sound. Seemed like a solid plan.
So, I dragged out my ancient scanner. You know the type, takes about ten minutes to warm up and sounds like it’s about to take off. Got The Star scanned. Printed it. The colors were a little bit off, not gonna lie, but hey, it’s a DIY project, right? Perfection is overrated. Then I got out my trusty X-Acto knife and a cutting mat. Actually kind of enjoyed this part, very focused, like being back in elementary school art class, carefully cutting along the lines.
Once it was cut out, I just popped the printout into the clear case. This time, no tape. The printout is thinner than the actual card, so it fits much better, and the pressure from the phone keeps it in place pretty well. And the best part? If this printout gets grubby or I mess it up, I can just print another one. Easy.
So, Was It Worth It?
Is it a masterpiece? Definitely not. Sometimes I glance at it and think, “Ugh, that printout could have been aligned a tiny bit better.” And yeah, if you squint, you can tell it’s a paper printout and not the real, thicker card. But honestly, who’s inspecting my phone case that closely? Nobody, that’s who.
It’s funny, the little projects we take on. I probably spent a whole afternoon messing around with this. Could I have just bought a tarot-themed phone case online in two minutes? Absolutely. There are thousands of them. But it wouldn’t be this one. This one, I fiddled with. I debated over the card, I battled the scanner, I meticulously cut paper. It’s got my own brand of slightly-off-kilter charm.
Sometimes people see it and go, “Oh, that’s a cool case! Where’d you get it?” And I just grin and say, “Made it.” The look of surprise is always kind of amusing. Like, why on earth would a grown adult spend time making a phone case? I guess it’s the same reason folks knit scarves when you can buy perfectly good ones at the store for cheap. It’s the process, the doing it, the making something – even something small – your own.
So yeah, that’s the grand saga of my tarot card phone case. Not exactly groundbreaking stuff, but it was a fun way to spend some time. And now my phone is a little bit less boring. At least, until I get tired of The Star and decide to scan The Fool or something. That’s the beauty of it, right? Always another project.