Story and photos BY CHLOE BEAVER, St. Petersburg High

Nail art is not as tough as you might think. Want to impress your friends, or yourself, with some snazzy designs on your fingertips? We’ve got you covered!

Or at least your nails.

Snowflakes
Loving the perfect Florida “winter” weather we’ve been having? Make winter last a little longer with this nail design. You need some tape and a thin-tipped blue nail pen for this one (check Target or drug stores). Paint your nails evenly with French manicure color. When dry, place a piece of tape on each nail leaving a little space at the top for each tip. Paint the white tips and don’t worry about getting it on the tape. Once you take it off, you will have a perfect even line. With your nail pen, sketch some snowflakes wherever you want, and finish off with a top coat of glittery clear polish.

Circle ’round
A super easy trick to getting these bubbly circles on your nails is using a plastic straw. Pour a layer of nail polish into a small cup and dip the end of your straw into it. Slowly hold the straw to your nail and you have a perfect circle, or half circle, depending on your design! If you’ve got patience to let each color dry, you could get really creative.

Black and white and read all over
Can’t get enough of tb-two*? Have us at your fingertips. Literally. Apply your favorite base coat and then a coat of white, let your nails dry completely, then soak each nail (one at a time) in rubbing alcohol. Hold a piece of newspaper print on for about 30 seconds, and when you remove you’ll have your favorite article on your nails!

Water marbling
This design is a little more difficult, but is worth it. Start out by painting your nails with a clear base coat and then a coat of white polish. Cover the skin around your nails in tape (Scotch or masking) to keep polish off your skin. You’ll need a wide cup of water filled to the brim, toothpicks and brand new nail polish (not shaken up yet). Drip two or three colors of polish into the water; it will float on top. Using a toothpick, swirl around to make a marble design. Hold your nail flat just on the surface (fleshy part up) as still as you can for about 20 seconds. Blow on the surface of the water, and the polish on the water around your finger will actually dry on top. Put the toothpick back in the excess polish and twist a number of times. The excess polish will stick to the toothpick, leaving nothing but clear water again! Then lift your nail from the water, remove the tape, and repeat for each nail.