Winter Storm Jonas has had us all cooped up in our rooms—and bored out of our minds—these past few days. Unless you’ve felt the need to venture out into the blizzard, you may be experiencing a severe case of cabin fever. There hasn’t been too much to do within the walls of your dorm, and you can only play so many board games and watch HSM so many times before you go crazy.
One way I passed the time was by forcing everyone in my hall to let me decorate their nails to match the winter wonderland outside. If you can’t make it out to the nail salon, you might as well do it yourself! If you’re lacking inspiration or need a little help, here are step-by-step instructions for you to be a nail art expert and create your own adorable winter nail art!
Before you begin, here are a few tips and tricks:
- You don’t have to have fancy nail art tools to create amazing nail art. Be creative and use things you have lying around, such as a toothpick, the end of bobby pin or the tip of a pushpin to create different sized dots and draw thinner lines.
- A good base coat and top coat make all the difference when it comes to the survival of your nail art. If you’re going to spend a prolonged amount of time drawing intricate designs, you’re going to want it to last. Spend a few extra dollars and buy a high quality base coat and top coat. You’ll thank me later.
- If you suck at painting your nails, use petroleum jelly or white craft glue on the skin around your nail before you being painting. If you miss your nail, you can wipe or peel it off of your skin for easy clean up!
Snowflake
- Paint the entire nail any color you prefer (shades of blue are cute because they look wintry).
- Start the snowflake by creating a white cross, then make a white X through it to create the look of an asterisk.
- Make little V shapes coming off each end. Remember, it doesn’t have to look perfect—all snowflakes are different!
- Add some glitter and/or a top coat!
Penguin
- Paint the entire nail black.
- Paint a half-circle on the tip of your nail to create the white belly of the penguin.
- In the black, make two white circles with smaller black dots inside to make the eyes.
- Draw a small, orange triangle for the beak and two dots on the bottom of the nail for feet.
- Finish it off with a top coat!
Snowman
- Paint the entire nail any color you want (except white).
- Draw three white circles stacked on top of each other to create the snowman.
- Make three small black dots in a line down the middle circle for buttons.
- Create the face of the snowman on the top circle by making two small black dots for the eyes, a few underneath in the shape of a smile, and an orange triangle in the middle for the nose.
- To make it super simple, paint the whole nail white and draw just the face following the directions from Step 4!
- You can add other accessories, such as a hat, scarf or arms—anything you want. Be creative!
- Finish it off with a top coat!
If you try any of these designs out, take a picture and tag us on Instagram @hercampus_wvwc and on twitter @HerCampusWVWC! Happy painting, collegiette!