DIY Nail Art: Summer Picnic-Inspired Manicure

Guess The Story Behind This Spotted Manicure

Working in a frigid office for hours each day is enough motivation for me to enjoy any lunch break outdoors. Thanks to the scorching Arizona heat, Sarah of the blog Chalkboard Nails isn't lucky enough to indulge in outdoor eating. So, she's bringing things inside with this clever picnic-inspired DIY nail art.

Using a bevy of bright colors (something every nail polish hoarder can appreciate), she captures the essence of one of our favorite summer pastimes. From the classic gingham print to the sweet watermelon to the annoying ants that always seem to be close by.

diy nail art summer picnic manicurePhotos: Audrey Hepburn, Hulton Archive; OPI Do You Think I'm Tex-Y; OPI Did Ya 'Ear About Van Gogh; Wet N Wild Tangled In My Web; Sally Hansen Going Green; Chalkboard Nails' ants at the picnic DIY nail art.

Follow these step-by-step instructions to recreate this fun warm-weather mani:1. Prep nails with a base coat polish.2. Apply one China Glaze White on White to three fingers for the picnic blanket design. Then draw on thick lines using OPI Do You Think I'm Tex-Y (a berry red with a jelly texture). Add OPI Manicurist of Seville (a rich wine-red) on top to deepen.3. Once dry, mimic the movement of tiny ants with Wet N Wild Tangled In My Web (an opaque black).4. To create the woven basket look on the thumb, first paint on China Glaze Street Chic (a mushroom taupe) as a base, then make horizontal bars of OPI Did You 'Ear About Van Gogh (a sandy bisque). Blend on darker vertical bars using a blend of Street Chic and Did You 'Ear About Van Gogh, add highlights with China Glaze White.5. For the watermelon, brush Zoya Lo (a warm pink) onto the entire nail. Form one half-moon shape at the base using Sally Hansen Going Green (a medium green shimmer) and another above with China Glaze Re-fresh Mint (a pastel green). Draw on seeds using black nail polish.6. Finish the manicure with a shiny top coat.

What do you think about this summer picnic-inspired manicure? Would you wear it? Tell us in the comments section.

Click through the slideshow below for more DIY nail art.

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