How to Paint Squiggly Lines on Your Nails

Squiggly lines on your nails can break up the usual look of a plain nail polish color and turn it from ordinary to funky. The squiggly lines are fun to make and they look super when done. Here's how!

Edit Steps

Part 1: Preparing the Nail Polish

Clean off all the old polish and let dry. Apply a light base coat of your desired color after fixing up your nails.

Lay down paper towel over the surface you'll be working on. Open the chosen polishes in readiness.
- Check that the paper towel is thick enough to handle the nail polish being dabbed onto it. Several layers might be needed.

Remove the brush from the first color's bottle. Dab the color onto the paper towel (see image). Repeat for each color you're using. Dip a toothpick into one of the nail polish colors in readiness for painting.

Part 2: Creating the Squiggly Art on Your Nails

Draw a squiggly line design on one nail first. Simply do a wavy line from the base of your nail to its tip, being careful to keep it neat. Repeat across the nail, leaving plenty of space for the insertion of an alternate colored squiggly line in between these lines. Once this lot are done, switch to drawing a totally differently colored squiggly line in between the lines already created; or, as shown in the image, you can cross over the existing lines for a really squiggly look. Repeat until all of your nails are completed; if you want to switch around different colors for the lines on different nails, feel free to do so (see image).
- If you're using a range of colors, it's a good idea to ensure that they match well, or be prepared for a more eclectic look!

Clean-up the painting area. Once you're done, put away all of the nail polishes, toss away the paper "palette" and clear up any mess.

Finished.

Edit Tips

Drawing the lines requires patience; be sure to set aside enough time to do all of your nails without rushing. If you rush, the end result will not look neat and you'll need to remove it all and start again.