DIY nail stickers: because they’re easy and there’s no reason you need to buy them.
Some nail art stickers you see in the store are super cute, but they’re also like ten bucks (or way more) for what is essentially nail polish that is swirled together and dried. You can make your own DIY nail stickers at home, trust. Not only can you make intricate designs with the polish you already have, but it’s also super easy. Follow along to make mint and pepperminty swirled nail art stickers.
To make your own nail stickers you’ll need a few different nail polish colors and a plastic baggie. You need the baggie because you’ll have to peel the polish off of it, and the bag is non-stick. Plus it’s super easy to just roll the baggie so you don’t crack the polish.
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Make the DIY nail stickers by painting on a thick layer of nail polish to your plastic bag. And you really do want to get a thick layer. If the polish is too thin you won’t be able to peel it off of the bag, which is a bummer because that’s why you’re doing this in the first place. If you think you’ve painted it thick enough, add another layer.
After painting your polish on the bag, use a toothpick to mix colors. This is how you can make designs without the hassle of water marbling or doing intricate looks freehand. Do this step the night before you want to do your finished manicure so the polish can totally dry.
I covered most of the baggie with potential nail art stickers, but ended up liking the first one best anyway. It’s a good idea to have back ups though, just in case the one you like best cracks or gets flimsy. To get the polish off the bag, hold the polished part of the baggie flat and roll the plastic out underneath it.
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After you’ve removed the stickers-to-be you’ll need to cut them into strips the size of your nail.
Like these (OMG we’re almost done with these badass DIY nail stickers, people!). I liked the white half of the design best because the reminded me of white chocolate peppermint bark. You can also see I cut the mint green polish into strips. This way you can get perfectly straight lines without striping tape. This technique also helps if you’re trying to use a less pigmented color over a dark base. The dried nail polish strips are thicker than one coat out of the bottle which gives you better polish color, and it won’t get goopy on your nails. Double win.
Applying nail art stickers and strips works in the exact same way. You will need to paint your nails a solid color and let it fully dry. Then paint a thin coat of clear polish on top. While that clear polish is still wet, apply your nail art sticker and press into place with a finger or tweezers.
The sticker will inevitably be larger than your nail, so take a small pair of scissors to trim away the excess. For tricky parts around your cuticle, you can also use an acetone soaked brush or cotton swab to essentially melt away the extra polish. This makes it super easy to get a clean line and it will mystify your boyfriend at the same time.
Once you’ve applied and trimmed all your stickers, cover your nails in a thick layer of top coat to seal them in.
It’s as easy as that! Making your own DIY nail art stickers is awesome if you want an original look. It’s also super helpful for those of us with shaky hands, you can paint the nail art however you feel comfortable then apply it later.
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