Recently, I noticed an interesting phenomenon: there are more and more sellers offering customized phone cases on WeChat Moments. One of my students quietly told me that she makes personalized phone cases using a printer and now consistently sells 50 cases a day, with an average order value of 38-68 yuan. Today, let’s talk about how to run this low-threshold, creative small business. (There’s a bonus at the end of the article—don’t forget to claim it!)

1. Why are custom phone cases so popular? Last month, while shopping with a friend, I witnessed a young woman spending half an hour at a phone case stall. She tried out seven or eight different layouts with photos of herself and her boyfriend, as well as cartoon images of her favorite celebrities, before finally paying 88 yuan with a satisfied smile.

This scene made me realize: young people today don’t buy phone cases just to protect their phones; they’re more like buying a “personalized display board.” According to data from a certain e-commerce platform: the search volume for the keyword “DIY phone cases” has grown by 213% year-over-year, with women aged 25-35 accounting for over 70% of users. Order volumes surge by 3-5 times during holidays. Even better, this industry has no seasonal restrictions.

In spring, you can release cherry blossom designs; in summer, go for a cool breeze theme; during the Mid-Autumn Festival, create a moon rabbit theme; and at Christmas, play with snowflake elements… As long as your creativity keeps up, you’ll never run out of business.

2. Essential Tools for Beginners Don’t be intimidated by the equipment at first! Several sellers I know started with a home printer. Here’s a basic equipment list: Hardware essentials: an Epson L805-type six-color printer (for accurate color reproduction), high-definition transfer film (search for “phone case printing film” on Taobao), and a UV curing lamp (to make the patterns more durable).

Software setup: Install Canva on your phone (tons of templates) Install Photoshop on your computer (for detailed editing) Xiaohongshu/Douyin (essential for finding inspiration) Important reminder: Never use celebrity portraits or anime IPs! A friend of mine used Disney patterns and was sued, costing over 3,000 yuan. Now we only use original illustrations or customer-provided photos—safe and hassle-free.

3. Comparison of tested order acquisition channels After trying over a dozen promotional methods, I found these three channels to be the most reliable: WeChat Moments targeted marketing: Every time a new product is released, post a 9-grid layout with the caption: “The second person to comment gets a free order!” A mom used this tactic and added over 2,000 customers on WeChat in three months. Xiaohongshu user-generated content: Post comparison photos: “38 yuan DIY vs. 288 yuan store-bought phone case.” Note that you should take Instagram-style photos and use hashtags like #niche design #phone case DIY. Someone used this post to attract over 500 inquiries in a week. Offline Market Stall Set up a small stall at a creative park on weekends, take photos of customers with a Polaroid camera, and deliver the finished product in 10 minutes. I’ve seen stall owners make over 1,600 in two hours.

4. Pricing has its tricks At first, I also thought selling for 38 yuan was too expensive, until I discovered the industry secret: Basic model: 38 yuan (single-sided pattern) Upgraded model: 58 yuan (double-sided + 3D decorations) Limited edition: 88 yuan (glow-in-the-dark/temperature-sensitive effects) Smarter sellers use “price-upgrades”: “Buy two and get 10 yuan off” “Add 15 yuan and get a matching AirPods case” One seller used this tactic to boost the average order value from 45 to 72 yuan!

5. Pitfall guide: Three common mistakes for beginners: Insufficient white space around the pattern edges (printing will trim it) Not testing different phone models (iPhone 15 and 14 have different hole positions) Using low-quality adhesive (the case peels after two weeks) Recommendation: Test with a sample first. My current process is: Print test image → UV curing for 24 hours → Water immersion and scrubbing test → Send to existing customers for free trial.

6. Advanced Strategies Meet a pro earning over 50,000 yuan monthly—her secret: releasing a zodiac series monthly (100 limited-edition pieces per zodiac sign), collaborating with local cafes (free custom case with purchases over 88 yuan), and securing corporate orders (year-end gifts/company mascots). Recently, she’s explored a new approach: teaching customers to DIY. Selling material kits + tutorial videos at 99 yuan per set actually yields higher profits than selling finished products! Ultimately, the custom phone case business is all about “putting your heart into it.” Treating each order as if it were a gift for a close friend naturally leads to repeat customers. Recently, a customer purchased 12 phone cases from me, saying she wanted to match them with different colored bags—you see, a woman’s wardrobe is never complete without one more item of clothing, and her phone is never complete without one more case!