Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Classic Chevron Nails (+ Tutorial)

Hey everyone! It's my first time ever using tape to create chevron nails. :D This chevron pattern is one of the most popular patterns going around these days and it's personally one of my favorites. ;) I'm sure most have you have seen this design float around Instagram and on Pinterest but I wanted to try it out for myself. :) Keep reading to view more photos plus watch a video tutorial that I created!




I know a lot of people only use the classic black and white chevron nails for accent nails but I wanted to get my zigzag on. ;)

So I decided to do all 5 of my nails in this chevron print! Mooohahaha! 
I think they turned out pretty spiffy. ;)
I used Wet n Wild White Creme as my base color and then added Wet n Wild Black Creme
And here's one last cutie thumb shot! 

Even though there are a ton of tutorials on how to make your own chevron nails using nail stickers or vinyls, I have a tutorial for cheap skates like me. xD Vinyls are amazing but sometimes we don't want to spend $5 on them. :/ Instead, I used my own zigzag crafting scissors and some masking (painter's) tape to make my own chevron sticker things. Call me cheap but it works and you can make big fat chevrons or itty-bitty tiny ones using your own scissors! Yes, this is a little more work but I'm trying to save you all a few bucks in the long run. ;) Go ahead and take a look!

Learn how to make your own chevron nails with this video:

You will need:
- Zigzag Crafting Scissors (Find these at any crafting store/asisle)
- Masking/Painter's Tape (You can use clear tape like Scotch tape but I totally prefer masking tape! This is much less sticky and does NOT pull up your nail polish as easily as clear tape.)
- 2 Different Color Nail Polishes
- A Clear Topcoat

Chevron Nail Art Tutorial:
1. Start off by cutting a ton of chevron stickers out of the tape. My nails are relatively long so I used 2 stickers per nail. It takes some practice making all the chevrons the same size but don't give up! 

2. After you have a dozen or so stickers, go ahead and paint your nails a base color. Of course I used white but knock yourself out and try your favorite color combo! Make sure this polish dries completely before trying any tape mani! And when I say dry, I don't mean like 20 minutes dry, I mean like 6 hours or even a day dry. There is NO POINT in painting your nails a perfect color and then having it be ruined by sticking tape on there and peeling it off. You will get frustrated and mad if you don't wait long enough! I had my nails white for a whole day before trying any tape mani. Yes, you can use a quick dry topcoat but seriously, I recommend just using a polish you've had for a day already. :)

3. Next, apply 2 or 3 chevrons onto your dry nail. It depends on what size your chevron stickers are and how long your nails are. As you can see, my nails are kinda long and my chevrons are medium sized. Just play around with these. :) Press down firmly so you don't have any air bubbles underneath your tape!

4. Now apply a coat or two of your 2nd nail polish color. This is where I add my black! 

5. Once your nail is totally covered, gently peel away the chevron tape. There is no need to rush this process, take your time. :)

6. Finally, remember to clean up around your cuticles, add a topcoat, and you're done. ;D Great job on your fabulous chevron nails!

So there you have it! This is my 3rd nail art tutorial and I am sorry they're so short but they're intended for Instagram. xD I still need a tripod for my iPod/iPhone (hehehe.. it rhymes, so cute!) in order to make full time YouTube videos... Has anyone bought one before or knows where to get one? Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoyed my chevron nails!

Your Polish Pal,
Jenna

5 comments :

  1. Great tutorial on chevron nails! It turned out amazing for you. I have a bucket of craft scissors I bought so I love to do chevron nails using a craft scissor like you. Its so much more affordable and you can customize it to your liking too :)

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  2. Cute mani! Thanks so much for the tutorial too! I have craft scissors but didn't know that painters tape works better than clear scotch tape and doesn't pull up polish... I'll have to give it a try! :)

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  3. Great tutorial and design! I have scissors for this type of mani, but I always avoid to use them and I try to make them freehand. Of course they never looks so good as yours!

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  4. I love how you made a matching tutorial for this pretty manicure :)

    Xx julia

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