4 Ideas For Decorating Your Cast

Broken bones occur frequently, and just about everyone can expect to have to wear a cast at some point in their life. Many people associate cast treatment and cast decorating ideas with kids and childhood injuries. But everyone should have a cast they can be proud of.

Having a cast is usually not as much fun as we thought it would be when we were kids. So why not make the best of it and brighten your day, as well as those around you. Here are some favorite ways to brighten your cast.

1

Get a Cool Color

red cast on an arm
Anna Fredriksson/Getty Images

Most doctors who apply casts carry a variety of colored cast options. Popular colors are the bright neon pink, green, and oranges. Some people prefer the color of their favorite sports team or school color. There is even glow-in-the-dark cast material.

One suggestion, if you are going to have trouble keeping your cast clean (be honest), you will want a darker color. Kids often want their friends to be able to sign their cast; there is a marking pen that can work for even the darkest colors (see below). Try a silver ink pen on the dark color casts.

Combining cast colors or having a two colored cast can work, but generally for longer casts (ones that go both above and below the elbow or knee). Cast colors usually come as one color on the roll and using different colors only works if you are needing multiple rolls of cast material.

If you want a multi-colored cast, there are some cast materials that come in camouflage or other multi-colored patterns.

2

Have It Signed by Friends

Not that it needs to be suggested because having your cast signed has been the favorite of broken bone sufferers for generations, but it is harder to sign fiberglass casts than the older style plaster casts. It can be done, though. Just buy a thick marker. If you have a darker colored cast, you can buy a thick-tipped silver marker that should work well.

Just keep in mind before you hand the pen over, that most ink will be on the cast for the duration of your treatment. While your friends may find their witty markings humorous, it's you who has to live with the cast.

3

Cover It Up

Several companies and entrepreneurs make decorative cast covers. You can find these available for order online, including on Amazon and Etsy.

An example is CastCoverz!, a company that produces stylish covers for casts, splints, boots, and slings. Available in a large variety of designs and fabrics, CastCoverz also prevents snagging and scratching and they are easily removed for washing.

One of the advantages of these types of covers is that your cast can change with your mood or your style. Unlike the aforementioned decorations, a cover is removable, replaceable, and probably most important, washable.

A cast cover is a great way to keep your cast clean, and for those obsessed with matching their attire, this is a method to keep you in fashion.

4

Get a Casttoo

Casttoos are tattoos that are made for casts. It can be hard to draw an intricate design on the rough surface of a cast, but a casttoo can take care of that for you. All you need is a hairdryer to get the casttoo design to stick to your cast.

The terrific thing is that there are casttoos available for all sizes and colors of casts not to mention for all types of people. These are also a great get-well-soon gift idea for your friends who have a broken bone.

1 Source
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. KidsHealth. Cool cast facts. Updated January 2014.

Cluett

By Jonathan Cluett, MD
Jonathan Cluett, MD, is board-certified in orthopedic surgery. He served as assistant team physician to Chivas USA (Major League Soccer) and the United States men's and women's national soccer teams.