How To: Newspaper Nails

If there's one thing I've had time for during my funemployment tenure, it's been finding trendy new project ideas on the interwebs. Me and the interwebs have wasted many an hour over the last couple of weeks. Do I have much to show for it? Sure don't, but I'm going to make the best of what I have learned!

I had come across the newspaper nails trend during one such funemployment day on the couch ... and promptly bookmarked it with plans to try it soon. I kept meaning to and forgot. And then this weekend, during the rain-that-wouldn't-stop, when serious cabin fever was starting to set in and I needed a distraction, Not A Lucky Girl tweeted a picture of her newspaper nails. And then I resolved to spend the afternoon working on mine.

Here's the thing. This isn't a quick manicure, really. There are several steps and you have to wait for your nails to dry completely before imprinting the newspaper on them. So it's best for a weekend afternoon when you plan to spend it on the couch, not doing much else anyway.

How To:

1. Give yourself a normal manicure with a fairly light-colored polish for best results. As with any manicure, try to be patient and let your nails dry between coats. Applying the second coat too soon will leave tiny bubbles in the paint.

2. Seriously, let everything dry. Use a quick-dry top coat or spray to help things along if you really have no patience, but I'd give it a good 30 minutes at least before you move on to the newspaper. If the polish is only dry on top, it will still "smush" when you push the newspaper onto it, if it isn't completely dry.

3. Get out some newspaper and cut yourself some little strips that look about nail-size. And pour yourself a little glass of rubbing alcohol. If you don't have rubbing alcohol, vodka actually works just fine ... and a shotglass is the perfect size glass to use!

4. One finger at a time, dip the whole nail in the alcohol and then press a strip of newspaper to the nail. You want the newspaper to get all wet, like applying a temporary tattoo, and hold it on the nail for about thirty seconds. Try not to move it around once you've pressed it down, or the ink will smudge. Pull off the newspaper and move on to the next nail with a fresh strip.

5. Once you've printed each nail, clean them up. I had newsprint on my cuticles and around the edges of my nails, but a cotton swab dipped in vodka worked well to clean all that up. Finish with a top coat and let them finish drying!