Writing With Style: 5 Bookish Nail Art Ideas

Today, June 1st, is National Nail Polish Day! (It is also National Olive Day, National Go Barefoot Day, National Hazelnut Cake Day, National Heimlich Maneuver Day, National PenPal Day, and National Say Something Nice Day, because apparently, anything and everything can be a national day if you want it to be?? However, since I do not like olives and prefer to keep my shoes on, this post will be focusing on the nail polish 😉 )

Here’s a fact: as writers and reader, we spend a large amount of time looking down at our nails. After all, hands are required to hold books, and fingers are needed to write them! Why not make our nails wonderfully literary, to brighten our days whenever we look down?

I’ve gathered up five literary nail polish ideas that even I, a lowly peasant in the kingdom of nail polish skills, managed to do. Since I figured that actually seeing someone explain how to do the art would be more helpful than a photo of my own subpar nail photos, all of the photos belong to the original creators of the nail art, and I’ve linked to the tutorial in the captions of each.

Lined Paper Nails

Via prettypolishes

The Unofficial Ranking Of Nail Polish Difficulty: 3/5

These nails take a while to do, but they’re not as difficult as they look! Also, they’re super sweet and easily identifiable.

Pencils Nails

Via cutepolish

 The Unofficial Ranking Of Nail Polish Difficulty: 4/5

These are definitely on the harder side, especially when you have to make a pencil point! It’s hard to get the triangle just right. (I would recommend using tape to help your create the shape.) However, the side with the eraser isn’t as difficult, and this manicure always make me smile when I look down at my fingers.

Script Nail Stickers

stickers via amazon and picture via weheartthis

The Unofficial Ranking Of Nail Polish Difficulty: 1/5

OKAY SO IF YOU’RE SUPER BAD AT DOING YOU’RE NAILS LIKE I AM, THESE ARE LITTLE MIRACLE STICKERS. These ‘script nails’ are actually stickers that you put on! Once you get the hang of it, they’re easy to get on, and they last for quite a while. Also, for a few brief seconds, everyone is literally amazed at your nail art talent. (And then you tell them it’s a sticker, but still. It’s cool.)

Newspaper Nails

Via luxuriousnails

The Unofficial Ranking Of Nail Polish Difficulty: 3/5

Aren’t these so cute? Although not necessarily difficult, getting newspaper nails does take a lot of time! There’s not too much painting involved, so for people who have shaky hands, this is perfect.

Harry Potter Nails

Original photo and design via The Nailasaurus, but I found it easiest to follow a tutorial from Nailology.

The Unofficial Ranking Of Nail Polish Difficulty: 5/5

I admit it, I tried to make the deathly symbol look perfect, but it ultimately resembled something beat up by the whomping willow. However, if you are better at all this than I am, this manicure is so adorable and definitely worth trying. 

I hope you enjoyed these nail ideas! I’ve included a little bit of bonus advice from yours truly on how not to make that big of a mess.

An Incompetent Nail Painter’s Tips On How Not To Make A Mess:

1. WAIT FOR YOUR COATS TO DRY

This is a big one. If you’re an impatient writer who had THINGS SHE’S GOTTA GET DONE, and try to actually do things with your fingernails before they dry, you’re going to end up with smudged nails and a laptop keyboard with blue glitter on it. (Don’t ask.)

2. Use tape

I mentioned this throughout the post, but by using tape to cover spots that you don’t want painted when you’re trying to make a shape, you can mess up a little (Anyone else have shaky hands? 🙂 ) and it’ll still look good! It’s like tiny painting tape.

3. Don’t expect it to be perfect

You will be disappointed. “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live,” after all. Just be happy that there’s more color and bookishness in your life!

Thanks for reading. Before you go, check out my survey! (It’s only one question, so it should take less than a minute to answer!)

Now that summer is close, I will have much more time to blog, so I’d love to hear what posts you’d most enjoy. If you’d like to see a post that’s not on the survey, go ahead and tell in the comments below! 

Until next time, you can find me on Pinterest or Instagram.