Bling Bling... Hello?

Yes, this is my craft. Yes, I've kept it a bit of a secret. No, I'm not worried about losing potential customers. I'm about to reveal the secret of the bling phone.

Here are the stats. It costs about 40 bucks. It lasts about 2 years. It takes 2 hours per side, with 24 hours of drying time between sides. You can consult this website to figure out how many rhinestones you need. I order them from Papi on eBay. Hotfix rhinestones have a little glue on the back for use with an iron. The hotfix iron is not really useful for bedazzling your phone. I was very dissatisfied with the results, and found it to be a waste of money. The real reason you're using hotfix rhinestones is because they are glass, which is less expensive than crystal, and more durable than plastic. You need a rhinestone tool to lift and affix the rhinestones. If you're doing more than one color of rhinestone, get some sort of dish that has sections so that you can easily discern and separate. Turn on the radio and get ready to bedazzle.

Find a comfy place to sit with lots of light. Pour out your rhinestones in a dish. Pour a tablespoon of Gem-Tac into a dish and use the toothpick to spread a little around your phone. I like to start on the edges--it makes the finished product look more perfect. Just spread a little glue, maybe a 1/4 inch square. Take the rhinestone tool and form the beeswax tip into a point. Pick up a rhinestone from the pretty side, and place the flat side down into the glue. If the tool holds onto the rhinestone, just use a toothpick to loosen it onto the surface of the phone. You'll see it takes a very gentle touch. There should be a little glue beading up around the edges of the rhinestone, but not gloppy. It will take practice to get it right. If you don't get at least a little glue around the edges, the rhinestone will pop off easily. Don't worry, it dries very clear, and the overall effect is super shiny. When you have filled your glue puddle with rhinestones, spread a little more glue and repeat.

During the blinging process, your dish of glue might get tacky and thick. Pour a fresh batch out and enjoy. Be careful not to cover holes in your phone, and be cautious of moving parts and buttons. You don't want your rhinestones to get dinged too much. Let one side dry for an entire 24 hours before attempting to finish the second side.

When it's ready for the outside world, you might want to invest in a fabric cell phone holder so that it doesn't get bumped in your bag/purse/backpack. Also, keep all your supplies handy in case you need to do some repairs. It happens.

Now, get ready for people to talk to you every day about your phone! I'm totally serious. You should let them touch it, and then give them my number if they want it done!