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Get ready to surf (see what I did there?) in style with this Crystal Mermaid Laptop cover DIY! Use shells, gems, metal charms and more to create a sparkly accessory any sea or land creature would love!
It’s a matter of carefully placing and gluing your components in place and then simply waiting for them to dry. I’ve got the full step-by-step instructions below for you to follow along with!
Step 1: Gather materials. You’ll need glue (E6000 or GemTac, more on this below), a variety of shells, coral acrylic or metal pendants, large flatback gems, AB crystal flatback gems, mermaid cabochons (find them on Amazon or Etsy) a laptop cover and a wax stick.
So, let’s talk about glue! I’d highly suggest using E600 here—its tackiness and thickness work great with larger objects like the shell and coral. However, I can’t stand the smell of it! I always use GemTac in its place—it’s thinner and a bit harder to work with for this project, but I gotta do what I gotta do! If you can stand the E6000, it’s definitely a better choice for easier application.
If trying to use hot glue—this will NOT WORK!
If using E6000, it helps to have a toothpick to help spread the glue. GemTac comes in a squirt bottle that’s a bit easier to apply (but you have to wait longer for it to dry—oh, the pros and cons!).
Step 2: Take a bit of your glue and spread an even layer on the back of your coral pendant or shell. I start in the corners when decorating, especially because this laptop cover has a bit of a gradient to it. Press down gently.
Step 3: Fill it up! Keep spreading glue on the backs of your shells, mermaid cabochons, metal charms etc. Make the corner very full, spreading towards the middle and edge. I love the mixed media look!
Once you’ve got one corner pretty full, start working on the other corner. For an asymmetric look like I did, keep the bottom corner a little fuller than the top.
When gluing on the smaller crystals and elements, it really helps to use a wax stick. They sell these at most major craft stores. I love the Crystal Katana or Crystal Ninja tools—they save so much time when doing a lot of gluing!
Keep adding crystals for a fuller look. Radiate out from the corners.
Keep the colors mermaid-y, like teals, greens, purples, etc.
Step 4: Glue on the smallest crystals—use bits of GemTac here to fill in any open spots in the coral/shell cluster.
Use your discretion—if you want a totally blingy look, fill it up! I like to radiate outwards with the stones, mimicking ocean bubbles!
Keep adding your crystal “bubbles” in the middle of the cover. Use the wax stick for easy placement!
One corner complete!
Step 5: Repeat the last step, but with the other corner.
Step 6: Add in crystal “bubbles” to the center of the case. Sprinkle them in the empty spots until you see fit!
Let everything fully dry overnight before clipping to your laptop.
Hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Catch all my others on my site, quietlioncreations.com.
Allison Cooling
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