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Decorating your fingernails is a quick way to spice up your wardrobe and your mood. If running to the nail salon and dropping serious bucks on custom, hand-painted designs isn't your cup of tea, create your own fun nail art with just a few easy steps.

Step 1:

Gather your materials.

  • Color nail polish
  • Clear topcoat polish
  • Nail art glitter pen
  • Nail glue
  • Decals, stickers, confetti – whatever decorative pieces you want to use
  • Manicure sticks
Step 2:

Plan your design. You don't want to get stuck with glue on your nails before you realize that you hate your design or it doesn't fit. Assemble the decorative pieces you want on a flat surface, and then lay them out for the look you want. When planning, decide if you will decorate one nail to make a statement or if you want your entire set of nails to match.

Step 3:

Test design for fit. Fingernails vary in size by individual and by finger. Your pinky nail is smaller than your thumb nail. If you are doing a full set with the same design, test the design by holding it against your smallest and largest nails to determine if you like the look on each.

Step 4:

Prepare the surface. You can apply nail art to a nail already painted the color of your choice or a clear coat. Make sure that your nails are clean and dry before applying decorative items.

Step 5:

Adhere decals, stickers and/or confetti. Stickers, decals and confetti are available with or without sticky backing. The stickers are the easiest to use because they will stick directly to the nail without glue. If you need to use glue, use as little as possible. Put the decal onto the end of a manicure stick; apply a tiny dab of glue to the back, and then position the decal onto your nail. Press lightly with the stick and hold for a few seconds to set the glue.

Step 6:

Draw lines, outlines or shapes. Using a glitter pen or fine line polish, draw any additional design elements you want to add. Remember that your nail is a small canvas and you want to avoid cluttering the design with too much extra embellishment.

Step 7:

Apply top coat. Top coat should be applied once the decorative elements, glitter pen or glue have dried so they will not smear or shift. Apply a layer of topcoat to seal in the design and create level surface. If you used rhinestones or thick decals you may need a second layer of topcoat.

Step 8:

Allow nails to dry fully.

Quick Tips:
If you are planning to experiment with several décor options or have a party with your friends, consider stopping into you local beauty supply store and purchasing a nail décor kit that includes decals, stickers and rhinestones or nail jewels.
Do one hand at a time and let the first dry fully before starting on the second to prevent smearing.
Create a mirror image from your left hand to your right by reversing the design when you do the second hand. This way, when anyone looks at your hands together, they look the symmetrical.

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