Easy DIY Nail Art That Even Rookies Can Achieve

By Alexia Gonzalez on April 10, 2015

There is no denying that a gal never feels fully dressed without a flawless manicure. With the amount that we utilize our hands on a daily basis, nothing speaks to our femininity more than a set of jazzed up nails.

Since many of us don’t live in the dreamland of affording weekly professional manicures, we must be able to adapt and learn how to polish our own hands (yes, you even have to paint your own right hand, too).

With all of the creative new nail art trends, unique shapes, and fashionable colors, the ability to be able to polish your own claws is basically a necessity these days.

Not to mention all of the slick hacks for self-manicuring that have flooded the boards of Pinterest, there is no excuse to not start up keeping your nails right at home.

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It doesn’t hurt that you’ll save a ton of cash by harnessing the power of an on-point DIY mani.

Here are some simple tricks and tips for mastering the art of the do-it-yourself manicure for all of the latest trends in spring nail art.

Nude Nail Art

You don’t have to be a nail art fanatic to pull off this easy-to-do nude look: all you need is a flesh-toned polish and a neutral metallic pink.

After your base coat, apply two thin layers of nude polish. I recommend waiting a minimum of an hour before proceeding to the next step. Once the nude layer is completely dry, use regular tape to section off the outer part of your nail.

Place it diagonally, leaving the part you want metallic bare. Paint over with one coat of metallic, and peel the tape off while the polish is still wet.

Repeat on the rest of your fingers, and seal the look with a high-shine topcoat. The metallic mixed with a creamy nude offers a nice play of textures, and the muted look is suitable for even the most conservative workplaces.

French Tip Mani With Half Moon Twist

This look is a fun and unique take on the very traditional french mani and the recently trending half moon design. Try stepping your nail art game up a notch by combining these two techniques.

To achieve this design you’ll need a bright base color such as a vibrant red or pink, a metallic polish (preferably gold because it stands out best), and a striper brush.

Start off by prepping and painting your base coat. File your nails into the desired shape and push back your cuticles (don’t cut). Apply your colored base coat in two layers and let dry.

Now use your metallic polish and outline a half circle at the base of your nail with a striper brush. Using the same polish, fill in the moon.

Lastly, use a regular brush and the same metallic polish to create a smile line along the tip of your nail that’s super curved and mirrors the half-moon at the base of your nail.

Let dry, apply a clear topcoat and you’re set!

Glitter Fade

If you’re a fan of nail polish hoarding, chances are that you probably have a few super sparkly polishes left over from the holiday season bling trend.

Instead of throwing out these over the top glitterati bottles, try pairing them over softer shades like neutrals and pastels for some springtime glam.

Although applying glitter over a solid polish may not be a new technique, there are new ways of amping up the fancy factor for a simple coat of sparkle.

Try this ultra chic and super easy glitter fade look for a dose of shine to any simple mani.

To begin, use any base color that you’d like but I suggest something pastel or bright for spring. Let it dry really well and add a thin topcoat over the base color to avoid smudging with glitter. Use a dense glitter polish and a very thin art brush to add on the glitter effect.

Literally using the thinnest brush that you can, draw a glitter line at the top of your nail and drag it out towards the center carefully. Only drag out to half the length of the nail; you don’t need to drag too much of the glitter because you want it to fade to almost nothing.

Only go about half the length of the nail. Continue to dab glitter over the tip to add more density.

Immediately apply a thin topcoat when you’re finished to help flatten the glitter and settle it into place.

Textile Inspired Nails

If nail art is your thing but you don’t have the steadiest of hands, then this chic look is P E R F E C T for you. This multicolored fabric inspired design is unique, fun, and easy to do on your own, to achieve an effortlessly cool mani look.

Prep and paint. File your nails into a shape that mimics your cuticles (the most flattering of nail shapes), push back your cuticles (do not cut) and apply a basecoat. Then, paint two coats of opaque white polish.

Next, create horizontal stripes with an orangey-red polish. Swipe one or two lines across each nail, leaving some white polish between the lines. Don’t worry about making the lines straight.

Paint one or two more horizontal lines using a burgundy polish. Again, leaving some white space between the lines.

With a gold polish, create another horizontal stripe at the base of your nail or at the tip, depending on the finished look you want.

Using black polish, draw thin, jagged lines around the color stripes. Use a striper brush topped with black polish to make the lines. Just make sure there isn’t a lot of paint on the brush in order to keep the lines precise.

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