Knitting Your Nails with Gel Polish
A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving the Knitted Nail Art Look
Are you looking to expand your nail art skills this season? As the weather gets chillier, cozy knitwear is on our minds. Why not translate the popular knitted fabric texture into a unique nail art design that your clients will absolutely love?
In this blog, I'll walk you through how to create abstract, knitted-style nail art using basic gel polish you already have on hand. You'll learn techniques for using clear gel top coat to build up texture and dimension for a stunning, salon-worthy manicure.
Gather these supplies:
- Gel polish base coat
- Gel polish base colour of your choice
- Clear gel polish top coat
- Glossy top coat
- Detailing brush
- Nail file
- Cuticle pusher
Step 1: Prep and Prime
Start by properly preparing and priming the natural nails - file into the desired shape, push back cuticles, then dehydrate and apply base coat. This provides the perfect blank canvas for your nail art.
Step 2: Paint the Base Colour
Apply two even coats of your chosen gel polish colour and cure each coat fully. This creates the base for your knitted design.
Step 3: Outline the Knitted Pattern
Here's where you'll get creative! Using a detail brush or dotting tool and clear gel top coat, carefully outline a knitted stitch pattern over each nail. Make some stitches bolder and others more delicate.
Step 4: Cure and Texture
Allow clear gel top coat outline to cure fully. The dried gel will have a 3D raised texture, like real knitting stitches. Apply a second coat if you want the stitches to stand out more.
Step 5: Seal and Finish
Apply a glossy gel top coat over the entire nail to smooth out and seal in the design. Alternatively, a matt top coat can make it look more authentically like real wool!
The single base color will show through the clear gel knitted pattern, creating that artsy, abstract knitted effect. It's such a fun seasonal nail idea using products and techniques you're already familiar with in an innovative new way.
Practice recreating this knitted nail art on tips to perfect your technique. Once you feel confident, offer it as a wintry design option to your clients this season. They'll be asking for the knitted look again and again.