Nail Stamping: Paisley Print Tutorial

Hey guys! Today I bring you my first experience with nail stamping, and let me tell you it's actually harder than it looks! The observant among you may have noticed that this is my right hand, that is because I have tragically broken a nail on my left hand and it is really not very presentable. The good thing about stamping is that both hands turn out roughly the same, so if any of you are as rubbish at painting your non-dominant hand as I am, I suggest giving stamping a go! 

For stamping you'll need three key things: a stamper, a scraper and an image plate. There are a number of brands that make stamping kits, but I went with a cheap option from bornprettystore. They offer a huge range of image plates to choose from, and start from .99USD, so I recommend checking them out. 
So now that you've got the basics, here's what else you'll need and how to make it work!

What I Used:

- Stamper, scraper and image plate BP-10 from bornprettystore
- OPI Ridge Filler Base Coat
- OPI Keeping Suzi At Bay
- OPI Can't Find My Czechbook
- Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat
- Cottonbuds
- Nail polish remover and cleanup brush 

1. Apply a base coat to protect your natural nails from stains and provide a smooth base for polish.

2. Paint your nails two coats of a dark base colour and allow to dry. Add a top coat here and allow to dry completely. Having a top coat over your base colour will allow you to wipe off your stamped pattern if you mess it up without damaging the polish underneath.

3. Take your image plate and a lighter colour that you're going to stamp with, and paint the polish over the area of the stamp you want to use - make sure this is an opaque polish, not a thin or sheer one as it won't show up well when stamped. You'll know you've put enough polish on if the design doesn't show through underneath, but don't put it on too thick or it won't scrape off.

4. Take your scraper and scrape firmly and quickly over the polish, holding the scraper at a roughly 45 degree angle. This should reveal the design underneath that is filled in with your polish. If there is still excess polish on top, you can scrape once more. 

5. Now take your stamper and press it firmly onto the image plate where you have scraped it, and the design should transfer to the stamper. If it doesn't, or there are gaps in the design, you may not have used enough polish or didn't press the stamper hard enough. If that's the case, wipe off the polish from the stamper and the image plate with a cottonbud/ball dipped in polish remover, reapply the polish and try again. 

6. Once you've got your design successfully on your stamper, line up the stamper head with the edge of your nail and roll it firmly across to cover the whole nail. This took me a few tries to get right, so if it doesn't work properly the first time, gently wipe off the design from your nails with polish remover and a cottonbud, being careful not to wipe too hard and remove your base colour, and try again. Usually if the design didn't transfer completely you weren't pressing the stamp hard enough, so vary the pressure until you get it right. Stamping is all about trial and error, so don't be discouraged if it takes a few goes!  

7. Remember to wipe the polish off your scraper and your image plate, and remove the leftover stamp from your stamper each time before doing the next nail. If you have a big image plate like the one I used, you can use another area of the stamp to vary the designs on your nails and save some time.

8. Finish the look with a layer of top coat and cleanup around your nails with polish remover and a cottonbud or brush. 

Stamping can be a really quick and easy alternative to hand-painted nail art, but does take a lot of practice to get right, so keep at it! I'm keen to try out some more stamped designs, and I just love how consistent it looks on both hands, so stay tuned for some more stamping experiments! Let me know if you try it out for yourself, or if you have done before, and tell me your thoughts in the comments below or on Facebook or Instagram. I hope you found this tutorial useful, and I'll see you next time!

Lisa xx