Getting your nails done is expensive, particularly if you’re a girl on a college budget who likes to do her nails every two weeks. Those costs add up, but that doesn’t mean you should give up on the idea of a fun manicure whenever you want.
I’m sure there are several ways to solve this problem, but I’d like to think that my solution is simple: DIY press-ons. That might sound daunting, especially for people with little experience, so here are five tips to help you improve your DIY nail game.
Before you start, you need to assemble your materials. All you really need for at-home nail art is nail polish, but if you want to help make the process a bit easier, there are a few supplies I’d suggest.
I personally enjoy painting press-ons because I can use my right hand to paint all of the nails, which keeps the art more precise, so I like to invest in sets of clear press-ons and good nail glue. I’d also suggest both nail brushes and potentially nail polish pens if you want to do more ornate designs, simply because they offer more precision. You definitely don’t need all of these, but as someone who does this regularly, they absolutely make the process easier.
- French Manicure
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French tips are one of the most classic nail designs, and for good reason. That elegant arch over the top of the nail is timeless and classy, and definitely one of the simplest designs to learn how to do.
That’s not to say they’re always easy to pull off. My first few attempts were incredibly shaky and uneven. Now that I’m well-practiced, though, here are my tips.
Instead of trying to freehand the arc, I’d suggest marking a point in the center of the nail to indicate how thick you want the center to be, and then marking points on either side for where you want the line to end. Once you’ve made the points, just use a thin brush to connect them, fill in the marked region, and you’ve got the perfect French tip!
French tips don’t just have to be plain, though. You can make them colorful, add polka dots to the tip, or add a scalloped edge to look like lace on the border. Really, the world is your oyster!
- Vines
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Vines are another simple design, but they can add so much fun to a nail set. They’re also easy to make; all you need to do is use a fine brush to make a curved line and add a few leaves on either side, and then you can call it a day.
They also make a really fun addition to a French-tipped nail, which is what I did for high school graduation! A gold vine design in the bottom corner of a classic white French tip was cute and elegant, but that’s far from the only thing you can do with a vine. They can curve around the edges, arc across the top of the nail, or even slice clean through the nail. It’s just up to your imagination.
- Spirals
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While I personally wouldn’t decorate every single nail with a spiral, they’re really great for adding visual interest to a set. I like to paint them on my ring fingers, but you can do them wherever you want.
All you have to do is paint a spiral starting in the center of the nail and moving out toward the edges in whatever color you want, and then you’re done. You can also do this with a thicker polish and add chrome powder on top to make the spiral more distinct, which is a look that I positively adore. If you do add chrome powder, though, just make sure that you add a layer of clear topcoat to seal that powder on the nail.
- Florals
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There are so many ways to add flowers to nails, and I love them all. You can make simple, round-petaled blossoms with a round tool by stamping five little circles of nail polish together. To paint hibiscus flowers in the corners, create petals with a triangle of circles as the scalloped outer edge, then use a fine brush to draw lines from the outer circles to the edge of the nail.
If you’re doing this, make sure you repeat this process for as many petals as you want, as this will only create one petal. You can even use short, curved strokes with a fine brush to paint tiny, stylized roses on the borders of a French tip.
What’s really fun about floral designs is that there’s no limit to what you can do with them. You can paint whatever kind of flower you want, ranging from adorably simple to eye-catchingly intricate. They can be central designs on the nail, border designs, or even a repeated pattern across the nail. These designs are so fun to make, can be easily varied, and always look adorable in a set.
- Something Nerdy
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This is less of a step-by-step and more of a concept, but I’d be slacking in my duties if I didn’t champion basing a nail set on your favorite things. So many of my favorite nail sets I’ve ever made have been based on my favorite franchises. My set based on How to Train Your Dragon was probably the best I’ve ever done.
You can base them on movies, shows, music artists, or anything else you can think of. That can be a bit daunting, though, so if you’re not sure where to start, I’d suggest adding any symbols, motifs, or even scenes that you love.
When designing a passion-based set, I love to do a different design on each nail. I like to try to convey everything I love about the inspiration on the nails, whether that is through painting the resistance logo on a nail in a Star Wars set or my favorite driver’s number on my Formula 1 set. It’s a way to express your personality and share what you love, and I find that so wonderful!
You absolutely don’t have to try all of these designs, nor do you even have to start DIY-ing your nails if you love getting them done. At the end of the day, all that matters is that you feel good in whatever you do. However, if you do decide to try any of these, I hope you have so much fun and fall in love with the process. Stay creative, and I wish you the best of luck.
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