Whether you're sitting at home enjoying your favorite show on Netflix or planning to hit the streets for a fun night out with friends, the one thing you may always make sure look perfect are your nails.
Nails are pretty much like built-in accessories. You can dress them up any way you want to get them to match your outfit, use a variety of designs throughout the year and use one or more colors to make your outfit pop. Some people choose to get their nails done by a professional and fork out $25 or more every week for a fresh, new design, but this isn't something that everyone has to do or can even afford, which is why an at-home manicure works just fine. In fact, there are several ways that you can get your nails looking as if they have been done by a professional for only a fraction of the cost with items you already have in your home.
You're going to need some nail polish for these nail art hacks. Stop by DealsPlus to subscribe to and find coupons to your favorite beauty retailers such as Sephora and ULTA, as well as drugstores like CVS, Walgreens, and Drugstore.com.
1. Lace
Source: Lucy's Stash
Love that sexy lace pattern? You can have it on your nails, too! Just cut a piece of lace, place it over your nails and paint on the color of your choice. When you remove the lace, you'll have the cool pattern on your nails.
2. Band aids
Yes, the strips you use to cover your small cuts and scrapes can be used for nail designs. Most Band aids have tiny holes on the adhesive part that lend a hand at creating one specific design: dots. If you want dots on your nails, just stick on the Band aid and paint. When it's dry, you'll have a bunch of cute, tiny dots on your nails.
3. Scotch tape
Source: New Nail Designs
Scotch tape can be used for a French tip or to create a number of different designs. You can create straight lines, zigzags, criss-cross lines and more. Just cut the tape, lie it across your nails and paint. Be sure to let the paint dry before removing the tape.
4. Newspaper
A cool design that many people like to try is having words on their nails. For this design, pick out words from the newspaper, lie the paper on your nails and use a cotton ball to soak the paper in alcohol. After a few moments, pull the paper off and you should see that the words have been transferred to your nails.
5. Cornstarch
Source: Brit + Co
Do you love that matte look, but don't have the appropriate polish? Just add cornstarch to your clear topcoat for that instant matte finish. It works great for any color and can save you a few bucks since you won't have to go buy matte polish.
6. Mechanical pencil
Mechanical pencils can be used for more than writing. For another cool way to add dots to your nails, you can dip the tip of the pencil lead in the color of your choice and use it to dot your nails.
7. Pencil erasers
Source: Pinterest
Pencil erasers are perfect for creating a stamp for your nails. Just carve out the design, dip the eraser in polish, and press it against your nails.
8. Sharpie
Sharpies can be used to draw designs on your nails the way they are used to draw designs on paper. Just grab the sharpie color of your choice, choose a design and start drawing.
9. Toothpicks
Source: Live Modish
If you're looking to create a few shapes, such as hearts, squares, and diamonds, toothpicks are the perfect tool for the job because of the sharp point. Just dip the tip into the nail polish and draw the shape of your choice.
10. Saran wrap
The marble look can really work great with certain outfits. After you have applied your base coat, you'll want to choose your second color. Cut a small piece of saran wrap and crinkle it up between your fingers. You can use the nail polish brush or pour out a bit of polish onto a safe surface, but you will want to put some nail polish on the crinkled saran wrap, then press it against your nails. You should see the marble design start to form after dabbing the nail polish a few times.
