I receive several mystery magazines each month that appear at my door without me requesting them. If that sounds familiar, try turning them into a creative nail project. Alex and I put a stack of old magazines to use and made this playful ransom note manicure. It’s an easy, affordable look you can recreate at home with basic supplies and a little patience.
DIY Ransom Note Manicure
Total Time: About 45 minutes
Supplies
Magazines
Scissors
Nail glue
Nail polish in the color of your choice
Top coat
Directions
1. Decide what word or phrase you want to spell. Look through magazines for letters that are small enough to fit on your nails and have enough clear space around them so you can cut each letter out cleanly.
2. Paint your nails with your chosen base color and allow them to dry completely.
3. Cut out the letters from the magazine. Trim closely so each letter is as small and neat as possible.
4. Apply a small dot of nail glue to the back of a letter and spread it gently to cover the entire back surface.
5. Place the letter onto your nail and press lightly to adhere. Repeat for each nail.
6. Seal the letters with a top coat. Dab the top coat on rather than brushing it to avoid smudging or bleeding the magazine ink. Allow the top coat to dry thoroughly.
Photos by Jeff Mindell | Manicure by Beautilitarian
It worked out perfectly that “Girl Power” fit so well — what would you spell on your nails?
p.s. This technique also looks great over a holographic base for extra sparkle.