About nine months ago, Meredith became interested in different types of nail art. Her first exposure to it was from Emelie, our oldest, but Emelie’s interest in nails didn’t go very far–giving way to an obsession with vibrant hair color and mixed media art.
Meredith views nail art as a form of expression, painting her nails two times a week. She spends several hours online researching and viewing different techniques, polishes, styles, tips, tricks and the tools of the trade. Her stocking stuffers this year will contribute to her current stash of tools; primarily, she wants a nail art stamper/scraper and corresponding stamping plates.
While Instagram is where she typically begins her search for inspiration, Meredith finds that ideas come from anywhere and everywhere. Last week we found an adorable set of monster tattoos in the Target $1.00 bins.
Oh, yea.
You know where this is going…
I quickly purchased a set, and she mimicked the monsters on her nails, applying the tattoos along the length of her fingers, and wore them that evening to Wednesday night youth group at church.
They were a hit!
Meredith even takes requests. I loved her Monarch nails (featured at the top of this post) and asked her if she’d do mine. These were my Thanksgiving nails. I selected the nail colors I wanted, and she created the background ombre from silver to turquoise, applying the black lines with a paintbrush and the dots with a dotting pen.
My job was the hardest, of course; I had to hold still–very, very still. Why is it that when I try to hold still little nerves shoot off in my fingers? Am I the only one with wiggly fingers?
I could never be a surgeon.
Because Meredith is right-handed, when she began, her left hand’s nails never looked anywhere near as nice as her right. Naturally, this frustrated her, but she persevered. Now, it still takes a concerted effort to paint with her left hand, but no one would know by looking at her nails.
She calls these “Galaxy Nails” and this design is one of my favorites.
Before Meredith knew whether or not nail art was going to be an ongoing interest, she did not have any “proper” supplies, which made it more difficult to accomplish the looks she wanted. After reading several websites and reviews, she decided to use her commissions to purchase:
» A quality brush set – most importantly, a long, thin brush for striping without tape and a shorter thin brush for detailed painting.
» Different sizes of dotting pens – some people use toothpicks and the ends of bobby pins for this purpose, but the dotting pens also create swirls and marbling patterns.
» Nail striping tape – makes for quick and easy designs, but it is also inexpensive enough for her to cut and use as “stencils” or “boundaries” in some of her designs.
» Polish – she prefers Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri Nail Enamel and Sinful Colors Professional Nail Polish (Sinful Colors are available at our Walmart for $1.98/bottle, which is CHEAP.).
While I know this isn’t a “homeschooling” post in the strictest sense, watching my kids discover areas of interest and pursue them independently is rewarding. I never suggested that the girls look into nail art as a creative outlet or way to expand their sense of style. Nail art is personal to Meredith, and she works hard at it. She’s come quite a way in her abilities, and she intends to get better. I’m proud of her for the effort and the enthusiasm she applies to her nails, so I just wanted to share.
What kind of activities, hobbies or creative outlets spur your kids’ interest outside of their regular coursework?
Heather Sanders is a leading homeschooling journalist who inspires homeschooling families to live, love and learn. Married to Jeff, Heather lives in the East Texas Piney Woods where she currently home schools two of her three kids.