Takeover Thursday: Katie from Nails by Katie

Hello everyone! My name is Katie, and I'll be taking over the blog today! I'm SO excited to be doing this, I'm a huge fan of Tamala, and I can't thank her enough for letting me participate!

So before we get started, I'll tell you all a bit about myself. I'm pretty new to the whole beauty blogging scene, I just started up my blog about 3 months ago. I've been obsessed with nail polish my whole life, but I just got into nail art about 2 years ago when I kept seeing it everywhere, and instantly fell in love with it. It's quickly become a passion, and I'm hoping to go to school to get my Nail Technician's license soon. On my blog I post my nail art, swatches and reviews of new polishes I get, DIY manicures that I do (I'm a big DIY fan :p), and things like that.

You can find my blog at: http://www.nailsbykatieee.tumblr.com/

So again, a huge thank you to Tamala for letting me take part in this Takeover Thursday! Now on to the nails! ;)

So today I'm going to show guys a quick, easy way to make your own nail art decals! It's so simple that anyone can do it, and all the supplies you need are things you most likely already have around your house. Making your own decals is not only a cheaper alternative to buying them, but it gives you creative license to make them however you want them, and like I said, I'm a big DIY girl. :)

It's also perfect for those who are just getting into nail art, or those who have shaky hands.

Let's get started!

What you will need:

●Nail Polish of Your Choice

●Clear Top Coat & A Base Color

●Plastic Sandwich/Ziploc Bag

●Nail Polish Remover & Cotton Ball (optional)

●Craft/Hole Puncher

Step 1: Lay the plastic bag down on a flat surface, and quickly wipe it down with a cotton ball soaked in polish remover, and allow it to dry for a few seconds. 

This step is completely optional, but I find that I get better results when I do it because it removes any sort of oils or residue from the plastic.

Step 2: Using your base coat, paint a thin but opaque layer onto the bag and allow it to dry. 

You can use whatever color you prefer, or even a clear base coat, but I would recommend using white because it makes it easier to get your main colors opaque in a minimum amount of coats so that your decals don't come out too thick. I used Sinful Colors "Snow Me White."

Again, you could skip this step, but I would definitely recommend doing it so that your decals aren't too thin or sparse, especially if you are using multiple colors on one decal.

Step 3: Paint your color(s) over the base coat. Depending on the polish you're using, I would recommend doing 2-3 coats just to be sure it's completely opaque. This is the part where you get to get creative! You can use whatever colors and/or designs you want! You could do one solid color, multiple colors, layered colors, you could even top it off with a glitter top coat to make sparkly decals! I did multiple colors for mine. The colors I used where all Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear: "Twisted Pink," "The Real Teal," and "Celeb City."
Once you're finished your creation, gently place the bag on a flat surface somewhere out of harms way, and let it dry overnight.

Step 4: Gently peel the dried polish off of the plastic bag. Using your craft/hole puncher, punch out your decals!
Paint your nails however you'd like, I used Essie "Lapiz of Luxery" with Wet'N'Wild "Sparked" on the accent nail, and let them dry completely. It's super important that they are dry to the touch, so you don't mess up your nail polish when you place your decals.(Trust me, I learned that the hard way! :p)
Once your nails are dry, it's time to place your decals! Do this by postioning the decal on your nail the way you want it, and smooth it down so it lays flat on your nail. Seal it 1-2 coats of your clear polish, I used Sally Hansen Advanced Hard as Nails Strengthening Top Coat, let your nails dry, and you're finished! :)

The finished product is beautiful nail decals, that you made yourself out of real polish!
If you have a steady enough hand and detailing brushes, you can even cut out the hole puncher and freehand designs!
I know that there's a lot of tutorials like this out there, I by no means invented this idea, but I just thought I'd share so that anyone who hasn't seen it yet can give it a shot! Share the wealth and all that. :p
These decals come in super handy if you're like me and can't paint with your non-dominant hand to save your life, LOL. :p


Well, that's it for me! I hope you all enjoyed this tutorial! :)
If you did, you can check out my blog if you'd like! I'm just beginning so its a small little following, but it's a lot of fun! I'd love to answer any questions or feed back you might have.
Have a wonderful day, everyone! :)
~Katie

Links of where to find me:
My Blog: http://nailsbykatieee.tumblr.com/
My Blog Twitter: http://twitter.com/nailsbykatieee
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/katiemichelle94/


Great Job Katie!! I may have to give this a try!! I knew there was a way to make your own, I just never kow how!! Thanks again.

Please don't forget to follow her on her above links!!

Thanks for reading,
xoxo -Tamala