If you’re out and about a lot and find yourself taking lots of pictures with your iPhone, you might find a DIY macro lens very handy indeed. A macro lens allows you to take close-up, detailed shots of small objects. So a macro lens on your iPhone is perfect for capturing the detail of everyday life.

You can buy macro lenses, but it’s easy to make your own for your iPhone, iPad or any camera phone. It’s not hard and you’ll have the satisfaction of having made one yourself.

You’ll need:

  • cling film
  • Sugru (available from the Sugru website)
  • old broken lens (or small magnifying glass)
  • baking paper
  • scissors

Step 1

Gather your supplies.

Step 2

Begin by covering the camera lens and corner of your phone with the cling film.

Step 3

Pull apart the lens or magnifying glass and isolate the glass.

Step 4

Clean the lens and set aside for later.

Step 5

Cut your Sugru from the packet.

Step 6

Using about half of a small packet of sugru, roll a couple of “spaghetti” strings. This is likely to stain, so roll on the baking paper and protect your surface area.

Step 7

Lay your lens onto your string of Sugru and roll the lens along the string to enclose it.

Step 8

Use your scissors to cut the excess Sugru. You should now have a lens enclosed in Sugru.

Step 9

Now position your magnifier over the camera lens. Gently press the Sugru to ensure a tight fit around the glass and optimum positioning.

Step 10

Turn your phone over and attach another spaghetti strand as pictured in the below images.

Step 11

Roll the remaining sugru into a ball and press flat. Fill in the corner. Double check your lens position and fit of the lens corner onto the phone.

Step 12

Once you are happy with the fit of the lens corner, remove the cling film and the lens from your phone and leave to cure for 24 hours.

Step 13

After 24 hours, remove the cling film from the inside of your lens corner.

Step 14

Clean lens to remove oily residue from the Sugru.

Step 15

Fit to phone. You’re done! You’ve got all you need to let the detail of life shine.


iPhone 5 Cases are be available at CaseBuddy along with iPad Cases.

IpadIphoneIphone 4Iphone 5Iphone case

Leave a comment

All comments are moderated before being published