How to Paint Patriotic Toenails for the Fourth of July

The Fourth of July is the one day out of the year when U.S. citizens from all races and religions come together to celebrate their patriotism with family, food, and fireworks. The American flag is sure to be among the many red, white and blue decorations put out to celebrate the birth of our nation. Painting your toenails to resemble the American flag design is a fun way to show your American pride.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Nail clippers
• A nail file
• One bottle of blue nail polish
• One bottle of white nail polish
• One bottle of red nail polish
• One bottle of clear top coat polish
• One bottle of nail polish remover
• Cotton swabs

1. Clip and file both your fingernails and your toenails so they’re all the same length.

2. Clean your nails with soap and water, and then make sure they’re dry before you begin.

3. Rub all three bottles of polish between your palms instead of shaking them to get rid of any air bubbles.

4. Unscrew the blue nail polish and wipe away any excess paint off the brush.

5. 
   Choose a deep blue for your big toes.

   Paint the nails on both big toes blue.

6. Grab the white polish and, after wiping away any extra polish, paint a horizontal stripe on the lower half of each of the other eight toenails.

7. 
   The smaller toes represent the stripes on the American flag.

   Wait for the white polish to dry before unscrewing the cap to the red polish, dabbing off any excess and painting the top half of the toenails red.

8. Check that the blue polish is dry before opening the white nail polish again to paint a star shape on both big toes. To do this, start with the brush in the middle of the toe and paint five thick lines out from the center.

9. Let the nails dry completely before topping them off with a clear top coat of polish.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to keep your hand as steady as possible when painting the horizontal stripes, taking care to ensure the lines are even.
• Keep a bottle of nail polish remover along with cotton swabs handy in case any polish gets on the skin around the nails. To remove the polish, dip the cotton swabs in the nail polish remover and dab the polish off the skin.
• Be creative with your toenail designs. As long as you’re using red, white and blue, you’re sure to show your American pride!