DIY Decals

​When I first started doing my own nail art I used to struggle using my left hand. Don't worry though, it gets much easier with practice. Until you master the art of non dominant hand nail art, you can make your own decals!

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So you're new to nail art and aren't comfortable using your non dominant hand yet. What do you do? Stick with boring plain colours or........make your own decals! It's super easy and inexpensive and both hands will look stunning. If you're new to nail stamping you can check out my detailed post here because I won't be going into much detail with the stamping process.  Here's what you need to get started:

Base colour polish-

​ I used China Glaze "In Lime Light" on my left hand and ​"Bottoms Up" on my right hand.​ Use whatever colours you like! You could even use clear polish for a negative space look.

Stamping plate

You can use any stamping plate to make your decals with. I used this plate.
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Stamping polish

This is my favourite stamping polish.  Don't use regular polish to stamp with, only use stamping polishes. They're thicker and more pigmented so the images come out bolder and crisper than regular polish. It really makes a difference in your print quality.

I used a silicone mat to make my decals on. If you don't have one, you can use a plastic sandwich bag or wax paper but tape it to your table so it doesn't move around while you stamp. 

Start off by painting a thin coat of your base colour onto the mat and let it dry. 

Stamp the image onto the dried polish using the black polish. If you're new to nail stamping, check out a tutorial here. It doesn't take long for the stamping polish to dry, so you can move onto the next image quickly. I stamped the same image in silver polish, and then white for a funky marbled look. I moved the stamper slightly  with each stamp so you can see all of the colours. It's best to use a clear jelly stamper so you can see exactly where the image will be stamped. Add a thin layer of clear top coat over the decal and let it completely dry.

Once it's dry, You can peel it off of the mat. Lift a corner of the design and it should peel right off. Use scissors and cut the decal to fit the size of your nails. I always leave a little tab on the end of my decal, so I have something to hold onto when placing it on my nails.

Paint a thin layer of clear polish onto your nail and then place the decal on top (Don't wait for the clear coat to dry). Press the decal down so it sticks to the clear polish. Once that's dry, gently file the edges of your nail to remove any excess decal that may be hanging over the edge. Add a topcoat and you're done! You've just made your own nail decals. Don't give up on non dominant hand nail art. You will get it, it just takes practice. Is there any other nail art technique that you're struggling with? Comment below and I'll try do a tutorial for you!