From the Editors

How Many Fun Accessories Can You Make with Acrylics and Gels?

by NAILS Magazine | March 4, 2010 | Bookmark +

In a bizarre cosmic coincidence, I recently received — in the past two weeks — e-mails from several nail artists who wanted to share cool retail items they were fashioning out of nail enhancement products. Most of these started as just fun ways to play around with product, but as clients caught wind of the items, they began to be coveted and purchase requests started coming in. And I’m not surprised. With the popularity of sites like Etsy, one-of-a-kind handmade items are so popular right now. Nail tech Teresa Brinkman actually sent me a sample of one of her acrylic rings (which she generally matches to a client’s nails), and I’ve been catching myself eyeing it all day and thinking it would look cool if I threw it on a chain and wore it as a necklace (actually, that might not be a bad idea of an accessory to wear at America’s Beauty Show.)

 

 

Teresa, of Get Nailz Salon in Princeton, Wis., says, “The rings were inspired by another nail tech Angela Jones. She made them using a nail polish bottle. I took it a step further using wooden dowels cut into 4 inch lengths and various circumferences, depending on the ring sizes I needed. I then wrapped the dowels using paper from a nail form, taping it securely. I build using acrylic, create the design and do the embedding, then cap it in clear acrylic. When the acrylic dries, I remove the ring from the form, file, and buff. Each ring takes about 10 to 15 minutes. They sell for $10 to $25, depending on the detail.”

 

 

Then, nail tech Ofelia Rochefort of Hair & Nail Gallery, El Paso, Texas, e-mailed me pictures of these stunning miniature shoes she makes from acrylic. The ring is attached so she can hang the shoes on a chain from her car mirror.

 

Ofelia says, “I was doing it in my break between clients, so they found out what I was doing and right away they wanted one too. So I started selling them. I am only getting the product I use; otherwise they will be very expensive. I sell them for $35 to $50, depending on the product I use. So far I have made about 10, and I have three people waiting for theirs. It takes about five to six hours depending on the style start to finish.”

 

 

And, last but certainly not least, nail tech Pearl King of Edmonton, Canada, sent me photos of lovely brooches that she sculpted out of gel a few years ago.

 

Pearl says, “I made a few different brooches in many designs and colors, which I sold to my clientele. It was a great conversation piece. I designed the shape on a silicone plate and once cured I added nail art pen designs. I added a brooch pin on the back and adhered it with gel.”

 

 

Pearl also sent me a picture of a nail sculpted out of gel, along with a shoe made of old gel she didn’t want. These items are framed in an 8-in. by 11-in. frame. “The nail art was done with a nail art pen and sealed with  a high-gloss coat. Rhinestones were placed on the shoe for some glitter.”

 

Pretty neat, huh? Leave a note in the Comments section to share the cool items you’re making out of nail products and, if you want to send in pictures, send them to Sree.Roy@bobit.com.

 

—Sree

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, Click here.

Read more about
a Bobit media brand

Create your free Bobit Connect account to bookmark content.

The secure and easy all-access connection to your content.
Bookmarked content can then be accessed anytime on all of your logged in devices!

Create Account