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How to Create Your Own Wii Remote Skins

While the Nintendo Wii is fun for all ages, its aesthetic is anything but---the Wii consists of a plain white console and remote. While modern and crisp, the minimalist design does not appeal to all users. It's not surprising that many Wii enthusiasts use skins to bolster the look of the otherwise blandly decorated Wii remotes. Skins are essentially thin covers that go over the hard plastic shell of the Wii remote. Some are held on via static cling; others use adhesives. Skins come in many different designs, but if you can't find just the right skin, you can make your own.

Things You'll Need

Craft knife
Static-cling vinyl
Cardboard

Instructions

- 1
  Purchase a craft knife and static-cling vinyl. Using static-cling for skin creation is ideal because adhesive-based skins can leave a residue when removed, and they are often harder to make at home. Static-cling vinyl, purchased at many office supply stores, comes in two varieties: inkjet-compatible and laser-compatible. Get the right variety for your printer; the wrong type of vinyl will cause the ink to rub off easily.
- 2
  Measure your Wii remote. Depending on the model, the dimensions may vary. Measure each side of the remote individually; you'll be making a separate skin decal for each side. It is best to avoid skinning the very tip of the remote, where the sensor is, and the very bottom, where the nunchuck add-on is attached. You should end up with four skin dimensions matching the top, bottom and two sides of the Wii remote.
- 3
  Design your remote skin using a computer-based photo-editing program. Crop the edges of each skin image to match the dimensions recorded in Step 2. Luckily, Wii remotes are almost perfect rectangles, so applying dimensions to a computer image is easy.
- 4
  Print the skins onto the static-cling vinyl.
- 5
  On a cardboard surface, carefully cut out the four vinyl skin pieces using the craft knife.
- 6
  Measure the distance and position of the buttons on the top of the Wii remote. Using an accurate ruler, make a small mark indicating the button positions on the skin. Cut out button holes using the craft knife.
- 7
  Repeat Step 6, measuring for the remote's D-Pad and bottom trigger. It is easier to just cut a circle around the D-Pad's position, but cutting more precisely is possible with careful measuring.
- 8
  Apply the decals to the Wii remote. The oils naturally secreted by your fingers and palm can sometimes cause the ink to fade; to better protect the skin design's vibrancy, you may want to cut out additional, blank skins to place over the colored skins for protection.

Nintendo Wii