How to Make Fake Nails

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Fake nails, when created to look like a real nail, are pretty. For those who can't grow long nails, fake nails add style and grace. Fake nails provide more durability and strength than real nails. Once the fingernail grows out past 3/16 inch of the fingertip, it begins to weaken. A fake nail, attached on top of a real nail, enables the real nail to grow longer. Look over a few basic steps and find out how you, too, can create your own fake nails.

  • Acrylic sheet
  • Plastic material
  • Krazy Glue
  • Cement
  • Scissors
  • Blow dryer

1 Make Fake Nails

2 Purchase a sheet of acrylic

Purchase a sheet of acrylic, Swedish plastic, hobby plastic, or even a tube of Krazy Glue. Each one of these products makes a great fake nail. Using a small pair of sharp scissors, cut out pieces of the product in the shape of your finger nails. Even the outer tube of the Krazy Glue is a convenient and effective material. It has a natural curve that fits over the curve of your finger.

3 Start

Start by cutting small strips from your material, creating shapes to resemble the curve of your fingernail. You will have to do some forming in order to get the nail material into a perfect fit.

4 Are

Acrylic nails are by far the strongest and longest-lasting fake nail. Nail salons and dental offices fabricate great-looking fake nails made from acrylic. Plastic nails purchased in any drug store also make great-looking fake nails.

5 Blow the plastic

Blow dry the plastic or acrylic material. The heat relaxes the plastic so it bends easier over the nail. Don't heat it up too much, or it won't keep a shape. Just warm it up enough to add a little pliability.

6 Use Krazy Glue

Use Krazy Glue, rubber cement, or contact cement as a nail adhesive. Krazy Glue adheres fast, but the nails are harder to get off. Cements are effective adhesives also. They also hold the fake nails on well, and are easier to remove later on.

  • Krazy Glue is a strong adhesive and can adhere so strongly to the real nail that when removing the fake nail, the entire top layer of your real nail can peel off. Also, the fumes of Krazy Glue are strong. When applying Krazy Glue, cover your nose so as not to inhale the damaging fumes.
  • When gluing your fake nails to your real nails, try using a few drops of Krazy Glue, letting it dry, popping the nail off, and gluing it on again. This actually holds the fake nail on longer and prevents the nail from unexpectedly popping off.

Lacy Enderson is an Addictions and Recovery Counselor. She is Certified with the American Association of Christian Therapists and holds a Master's Degree in Biblical Counseling. She is currently enrolled in Liberty University's Master of Divinity Degree program with Chaplaincy. Lacy is a graduate of Rhema Correspondent Bible School and has completed the first section of Berean School of the Bible. Lacy is the author of, "Addiction: A Personal Story" and "So You Want to Lose Weight But You Can't Stop Eating." Her newest novel is a teenage Christian fiction titled, "Honey Sweetheart."

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