DIY Splatter Nails

It's #manimonday. I love doing my nails so on Monday (not every one) you can expect a post that's nail related. This time I'm showing you how I did this splatter, speckled, marbled (???) manicure. I saw a variation of this on Pinterest and I decided to make it my own. That's what I love about doing manicures at home, you can make them unique by choosing different colors.

What you'll need:

At least 2 different nail polish colors. *I used 4 (one as a base color and 3 for the splatter effect)

2 straws *I cut 2 straws in half because I worked with 4 colors

Top coat and base coat *Optional (I didn't use either for this look)

Cotton swabs *To clean up because it can get messy

Paper towel *To rest your hand on so nail polish doesn't get everywhere

Nail polish remover *Again to clean up

Step 1

Apply base coat (optional)

Step 2

Apply 2 coats of whatever color polish you've chosen as your base (I chose Essie Playdate)

Step 3

After both coats of your base color is dry, it's time to splatter. Lay your hand on a paper towel to prevent polish from getting every (a flat surface is ideal). Next, using a straw, dip one end into the color of your choice. Using the other end lightly blow into the straw to splatter the nail polish onto the nail. Repeat on all fingers.

*Optional

You can just use 1 color to splatter but I used 4. The process is the same. Just dip one end of the straw into the polish and blow into the other end. This creates the splatter effect. You can use as many colors as you want, but make sure to use a different straw for each.

Step 4

Clean up any polish that may have gotten on your cuticle with a cotton swab dipped in nail polish remover.

Step 5

*Optional

Apply top coat to seal in the design and allow to dry.

Step 6

Enjoy your work!

I think this looks really cool and I love that each nail is different. I can't wait to try this with different colors. Hope you enjoy!

*There may be other tutorials like this elsewhere. I am aware that I didn't "invent" this technique. I just thought it looked easy and I wanted to try it out for myself. 

JaToya Creates: DIY Gallery Wall

I'm obsessed with gallery walls. I loved the idea of having one in my room, but since my living situation is one that I hope isn't permanent, I didn't want to spend a ton of money on one yet. I know that when I get my own space having a gallery wall will be something I spend more time on, but for now, something easy and temporary would do the trick. I love the way it turned out and it's perfect for my room at home which doesn't have much space. It looks harder and more expensive than it actually is so I'll show you how I did it. Remember the best part about this is that is can be easily customized!

1. Choose the images you want to print.

I chose a combination of quotes and fashion illustrations that I mostly got on Pinterest. When I get my own space I definitely want to order some prints but hey, a girls gotta work with what she got.

This is also the stage where I figured out what size I wanted the prints to be. I did a combination (with no rhyme or reason) of 4x6, 5x7, and 8x10 prints.

2. Print out your images.

I just used regular printing paper which is something that I would recommend if you're just starting out and I used a regular printer. Nothing fancy yet.

3. Find your frames.

Again, we're doing things the inexpensive way so I just got frames that were sleek and plastic. I think the frames I have are around $1, maybe a little more. If I were really decorating a space that was mine, I would get better frames. These work just fine for now.

4. Cut your prints to fit the frames.

Most inexpensive frames come with a cardboard insert. That is what I used to trace along the back of the images. I did this lightly with a pencil. It's an easy way to make sure your prints fit in the frame you're using. Just make sure you have the cardboard centered around your image and that you don't press too hard with your pencil. After you're done tracing, cut around the line you traced and your print should fit perfectly in the frame.

5. Figure out how you want to hang your prints.

You can get all fancy with this step, but I didn't at all. There are tips on Pinterest (really what doesn't Pinterest have) that show you how to figure out how to hang pictures. I just went with it and hammered nails in the wall in a way that I thought would look good. I don't recommend that, but it's what I did. I liked the idea of the frames being hung in different ways but also creating a uniform shape. Again, it worked for me but you might want to take more time on this step.

6. Hang your prints.

Once you've figured out how you're going to hang your frames and you've placed nails in your wall; it's time to actually hang them. You can play around with this and have fun until you're satisfied with how it looks.

7. Enjoy.

Again, I love the way it turned out. It looks really chic and no one would know I did it myself.