11 Nail Art Ideas We’re Stealing From Instagram for Our Next Mani

No nail appointment, no problem

With nail salons across the country closed for the foreseeable future, there’s never been a better time to take our manicures into our own hands. If you’ve already mastered gel polish removal and salon-quality manis, why not give one of these simple nail art ideas a try? All you need to get started is a bottle of polish and a bobby pin.

From new takes on classic French tips to minimalist dots and whimsical brushstrokes, these are the prettiest (and easiest!) nail art designs you can DIY at home this spring.

French Update

Classic French tips are back, with a twist! Whether it’s a pop of neon or a thin, half-moon line painted on with a nail art brush, unexpected accents give this timeless design a fresh new look. To create the perfect tip, try stick-on stencils.

Negative Space

Playing with negative space is a foolproof way to experiment with nail art. Instead of painting your whole nail in a bold colour, let your sheer base shine through in places. To give your mani that glossy gel polish finish, seal it with a high-shine top coat.

Read this next: Now’s the Perfect Time to Learn to Use Press-On Nails

Minimalist Dots

This minimalist design is a great starting point for nail art newbies. All you need is two polish shades of your choosing (one for the base, one for the dots) and a dotting tool. For a chic, barely there version that’s impossible to mess up, use a clear base coat as your background.

Pro tip: If you don’t have a dotting tool on hand, the end of a bobby pin works just as well.

Line Drawings

All you need to recreate this high-impact design by Vancouver-based nail artist and CND Ambassador Winnie Huang is a fine nail art brush. “Invest in a good striped brush, it makes all the difference when painting on fine lines,” she says.

To make your swirly lines pop, opt for a sheer base colour.

Read this next: The Coolest Nail Art Ideas for Short Nails

Tonal Ombré

Give your pastel manicure an edge this spring with gradient shades. Anything goes, but the key to an ultra-polished result is to pick shades in a similar tones.

Flower Power

Nothing says spring like fresh blooms. Don’t be fooled by how advanced this dainty daisy design looks—it can easily be done with a few pastels shades and a brush (or a bobby pin and a lot of patience!).

Stitched Tips

Brushstrokes

This pretty pastel design is done by layering different polish shades over a sheer base by slowly drag your polish brush across the nail and fluttering it up for a brushstroke effect. The key? Making sure there’s just a tiny amount of polish on your brush. Be sure to let each shade dry completely before applying the next.

Graphic Designs

When it comes to bold, graphic tips, let your imagination run wild with a mix of shades of shapes. It’s all about letting negative space shine!

Honeycomb

All you need to recreate this sweet nail art look at home is a few bottles of nail polish, a fine brush…and a very steady hand. Add a coat of sheer, sparky polish to the nails that you want to draw the honeycomb on to give the look even more dimension.