DIY: Sorority Chapter Nails

In preparation for Rush, many sorority girls wear their letters throughout campus. From tanks to personalized bags, nail art is another great way to advertise your chapter. The following are some fun sorority based nail designs for each chapter at the College of William and Mary.  

Alpha Chi Omega:

Colors Needed: scarlet red, olive green, white

Start by painting your ring finger olive green on and the rest red. Once they are dry you can use a skinny brush to draw the lyre with red on the ring finger by drawing a U-shape with two straight lines inside. On the thumb paint three stars in green. You can do this by putting three dots in a line and using a toothpick or skinny brush to create the five points for the stars. On the remaining three fingers, use green to paint and fill in a diagonal line. Once this is dry, use the edge of your brush to paint white dots to represent the pearls on the edge of the diagonal line created.

Chi Omega:

Colors Needed: red (cardinal), yellow (straw), black, white, blue, orange

Start by painting your pinky and middle fingernail black. On your ring finger paint white dots to show over the black filling them in with yellow and red paint, alternating. On the pinky, use the same paint-white-first technique to make a yellow skull with red eyes. Similarly, paint yellow Chi and Omega letters, on over the other, on your ring finger, using the red nail polish as a base. Paint your pointer white. To make a red owl, paint a trapezoid on the bottom of your nail filling in the rest. Then, make a yellow semicircle for the owl’s stomach with red dots if you want to get creative. Finally, use two blue dots for eyes and an orange dot for the nose. Finally, according to this design, you write “ChiO till I DieO” with a skinny black brush. If that is too complicated, you can always repeat one of the other nail designs using opposite colors or paint dots to create a more collective pattern.

Delta Delta Delta:

Colors Needed: blue (cerulean), gold, silver, black, red

Start by painting your nails blue- use a double coat if the blue isn’t as dark as you would like. On your thumb, paint a silver trident by painting a straight diagonal line with a U-shape at the top cutting through the line. The pointed triangle at the tip of each line adds a good finishing touch. On the pinky paint a silver D with a heart on the bottom corner of the letter. To do this, put a red dot and use a toothpick or skinny brush to fully form the heart. On the remaining three fingers, paint and fill in a gold triangle on each tip. Outline each triangle in black.

Delta Gamma:

Colors Needed: blue, pink, bright pink, yellow

Start by painting your pinky, ring and thumb light blue and the other two fingers pink. On the two pink nails paint the Delta Gamma letters. Paint a carnation on the edge- the bottom left on your pointer finger and top right on your ring finger. To make the carnation paint a yellow blob where you want it. Using a skinny brush, make little squiggly lines starting small in the middle and expanding in a circular motion using the bright pink to highlight the carnation. Paint pink anchors on the blue nails (painting two on the thumb) to contrast. If you have enough space you can also add a carnation to that nail or add dots of the opposite color by the other anchors.

Gamma Phi Beta:

Colors Needed: pink (or mode), brown, white, light pink

Start by painting your nails pink. On the pointer, middle and ring finger respectively, paint the letters Gamma Phi and Beta. Using the brown. Using the brown once again, paint a moon on the top right corner of your pinky nail. Finally, paint a carnation with white so that it will show up against the pink. Using a skinny brush, make little squiggly lines starting small in the middle and expanding in a circular motion. Once this is dry, coat the nail with light pink to make it a pink carnation.

Kappa Alpha Theta:

Colors Needed: Gold, black

Start by painting your nails a solid coat of gold. You may need to paint a second coat if the gold is sheer. Now, using the black, paint the letters Kappa, Alpha and Theta on the pointer, middle and ring finger respectively. Paint a kite on your pinky as well as one on your thumb, but in an opposite diagonal direction. On your thumb rouchly outline the kite with broken lines to fill up the nail.

Kappa Delta:

Colors Needed: olive green, white

Start by painting the pinky and ring finger olive green and the remaining fingers white. On the pinky and pointer finger paint a diagonal line and fill it in using the opposite color and use the tip of the paint to make dots off of the edge of the diagonal line. On your ring finger, paint a Kappa Delta and fill in the Delta symbol. Paint a green dagger diagonally on the thumb with a semi circle of green dots around it. Paint a white rose on the top left of your middle finger. Make little squiggly lines starting small in the middle and expanding in a circular sense

Kappa Kappa Gamma:

Colors Needed: light blue, dark blue, sheer French light pink

Start by painting a base with the sheer French light pink. Using the dark blue, paint a slightly thick French tip. Once this is dry, paint normal French tip with the light blue leaving a dark blue outline to the light blue tip. For a classy finish, paint a light blue fleur using a skinny brush on both ring fingers.

Pi Beta Phi:

Colors Needed: red (wine), silver blue, silver, white, silver/blue glitter

Start by painting your nails red. Paint a silver arrow on your ring finger facing the bottom of your nail. On the opposite edge of the tip of the arrow paint a light coat of glitter. On the pointer, middle and pinky finger, paint a point facing the tip of the nail and fill it in with the blue paint. Outline this with silver and paint second border with the silver leaving a small gap from the first line. On your thumb paint the letters Pi Beta Phi in white and alternate short blue and silver lines on the tips.