DIY Phonecase Cafe: DVStory, Hongdae 디비스토리

This week of September a typhoon came passing through Seoul, leading to a forecast of gray skies, on-off rainstorms, and heavy winds inverting umbrellas left and right. My friends and I had planned on visiting the Han River this week, but as that quickly became out of the question we opted to look for something fun indoors. Luckily for us, Seoul tops all else in terms of endless activities with cafés being its main attraction. Still new to Korea, we were itching to begin our deep dive into café culture and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so! Perusing cafés online, I came across DV Story: a café promising a chill make-your-own phonecase experience. Intrigued, we decided to go and see what it was all about!

DV Story is located in Hongdae, close to Hongsik station (홍대구입역) exit 8. Situated on a second story, this little café is easy to pass by with its exterior being rather dull and the entrance tucked away on the side. However, upon entering you’ll experience an explosion of color and the vivid atmosphere from within. The place is small, giving off a comfortable and cozy vibe. Decorated with a surplus of plants, cute knickknacks like figurines, plushies, toys, and dreamcatchers suspended from the ceiling, the environment automatically puts you in a good mood.

On the left of the door is the counter where you order drinks. Served is a simple selection of coffees, teas, and aids all priced at around 4,000 won. I ordered the hot lemon tea while my friends order the lemon cider and strawberry latte, all of which we happily finished off. I found the lemon tea extremely delicious. Once you place your order the staff gives you a small tray and clear phone case. They have both Samsung and Iphone cases; I'm not sure what versions are all available, but they did have mine which is a S7. From there, you can head over to the accessories section to pick things to decorate your case!

There is endless selection to choose from, from mini animal, food, and character pins to flowers, popsockets, chains, and gems. One could take forever exploring the different decorations and deciding what to choose. Luckily, if you get stuck there’s example phone cases displayed all around to give you inspiration!

Different accessories cost different amounts and it was a little difficult to know the prices of everything, but from what I could conclude each piece cost between 300~1,000 won. Items like finger rings, chains, and mirrors were specially marked and cost about 1,000~2,000 won each. There’s also a stand for adhesives like gel and cream paste along with mini gems and pompoms which are unlimited with a flat rate of 3,000 won.

'If you shake a light shines!'

Once my friends and I picked our ornaments we sat down and got to decorating. The whole process was incredibly therapeutic; the act of crafting combined with the café’s cute atmosphere really transports you to feeling like a kid again. Looking around us, I noticed an array of different people too: parents with kids, couples, and friend groups such as ourselves. In total we spent about 2.5 hours at DV café, decorating, sipping our drinks, and happily enjoying each other’s company.

unlimited adhesives and gems

Once we were done, we handed our creations over to the employees who put them in a special drying machine for a few minutes. After that, they determine how much the cases costs depending on the accessories used. Finally, they package them in these cute little boxes! My phone case was the most money of the three, coming in at 17,000 won. My friends’ cases, which were less blinged-out, came in at 11,000 and 13,500 respectively. We were also told to wait 2~3 days before using the cases to ensure they solidify properly.

waiting for our new phone cases!

Overall, I was highly pleased with my experience at DV Café. I had been wanted a new phone case for a while, so not only did I get to customize my own, but I got to make memories with my friends! I spent in total 21,000 won for my tea, phonecase, and 2.5 hours of fun which I feel was well worth it. If you find yourself in the Hongdae area and aren’t sure where to go, I highly recommend DV Café!