• Style Guides
    • All Style Guides & Tips
    • Boho Style Essentials
    • Classic Style Essentials
    • Edgy Style Essentials
    • College Wardrobe Essentials
  • College
    • All College Articles
    • Dorm Bedding 2020
    • College School Supplies Checklist
    • Dorm Color Scheme Guide
    • Dorm Organization Tips
  • Outfit Ideas
    • All Outfit Inspo
    • College Outfits
    • 21st Birthday Outfits
    • Cold Weather Outfits
  • Sorority
    • All Things Sorority
    • Sorority Rush Essentials
    • Sorority Rush Outfits
  • Shopping
    • All Shopping Guides
    • Best Budget Fashion Stores
    • Where to Buy Sweaters
    • Best Online Thrift Stores
    • Timeless Jewelry Guide
    • Amazon Favorites 2021
  • Beauty
    • All Things Beauty
    • Makeup Essentials Guide
    • “No Makeup” Makeup
College Fashion
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Write for us

Kitten Nail Art Tutorial

Get ready to have the most adorable nails around!

Last Updated on February 21, 2019 by France - University of British Columbia
This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you purchase through our links. Please read our full disclosure here.
paw prints and kittens nail art tutorial

I know that the love for cute animals is evident here at CF (especially in our weekly Hautelinks column), so this week, I decided to channel that into an easy kitten nail art tutorial. I hope you guys enjoy!

What You’ll Need:

Paw prints and kittens nail tutorial polishes
  • A black or dark grey polish – I used Miss Sporty’s New Black. (For a similar look, try China Glaze’s Concrete Catwalk.)
  • Two colors, one for an accent nail and another one for the rest of your nails – I chose Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear’s Lacey Lilac and Mint Sorbet.
  • A pale pink color – I used Wet N’ Wild’s Tickled Pink.
  • A top coat or a matte top coat
  • A dotting tool in two sizes (More about dotting tools here.)

Step 1:

paw prints and kittens nail tutorial step 1

Paint on your base coat. I wanted to stick with pastel colors for a spring feel, so I did an accent nail on my ring finger with mint green and left the rest of my nails lilac.

Step 2:

paw prints and kittens nail tutorial step 2

After the base coat dries, paint a half circle on the outer quarter of your accent nail to represent a cat’s head. I didn’t have a black polish, so I used a dark grey shade instead. Whichever color you choose for this step, make sure it’s an opaque polish, so you don’t have apply more than one coat.

Step 3:

paw prints and kittens nail tutorial step 3

While the half circle is still wet, dot two small pools of polish, one on each side, where you want the ears to be. Then, using a thin dotting tool or a toothpick, drag the dot into a point to make triangles. Fill them out as needed. While waiting for your accent nail to dry, you can move on to your other nails to save some time.

Step 4:

paw prints and kittens nail tutorial step 4

For the paw prints, take your larger dotting tool and make two or three dots on your middle finger (or however many you can or want to fit). Make sure these are spread out evenly with enough space for the smaller dots. Since it’s the smallest, I stuck with just a single dot on my pinky finger.

Step 5:

paw prints and kittens nail tutorial step 5

Now it’s time to complete your paw prints. Using the smaller dotting tool, add three dots beside the larger dot to complete the paw. Make sure to apply the same amount of pressure when dotting (try a few practice dots on a piece of paper beforehand) to avoid any inconsistencies or mistakes.

Step 6:

Now, going back to the accent nail, it’s time to complete the cat. Start by making sure your base coat is completely dry. With your pale pink polish and small dotting tool (you can use a toothpick if you don’t have one), fill out a small triangle in each ear. Then, make a tiny matching pink nose near the tip of the nail.

paw prints and kittens nail tutorial step 6

There you have it! Super-cute, right? Of course, you can add paw print nail art to the rest of your nails as well and personalize the look as you please. I decided to compete this look with a matte top coat and am loving the effect, but you can leave it as-is or add a normal top coat to smooth everything out.

What do you think?

How did you like this kitten nail art tutorial? Will you be trying it out? Any questions, comments or suggestions are always welcome so leave them down below in the comments section!

Tags : cats, How To, nail art, Nail Polish, Sally Hansen, Wet n Wild

3 Comments
Originally published on April 27, 2013
Previous Bronzer 101: How to Contour and Highlight
Next Spring Beauty How-to: Blue Eyeliner Makeup Tutorial

Related Posts

drugstore-vs-high-end-bronzer

Drugstore vs. High-End: Bronzer Edition

3 Face Powders for Flawless Skin

Lessons I Wish I Knew: 4 Ways to Get Heatless Curls

Lessons I Wish I Knew: 4 Ways to Get Heatless Curls...

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AnnieK says

    April 15, 2019 at 11:27 am

    You are so talented! I don’t have the patience to do this on my own nails, but kudos to you for making such awesome designs. I would totally pay you to do my nails haha

    Reply
  2. Sam says

    April 15, 2019 at 11:27 am

    kitties!! Doing a kitty design on my nails RIGHT NOW

    Reply
  3. Allison says

    April 15, 2019 at 11:27 am

    I love this!!! My girlfriend knows I like trying new nail art so she sent me this, it took me a few tries for the accent nail but it turned out really nice!! 😀 thanks tons!

    Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • bloglovin

SEARCH CF

Get the latest CF updates! (Delivered weekly, no spam ever, unsubscribe anytime.)

Addison Rae

Addison Rae’s Clothes: How to Dress Like Addison Rae

Dress like a TikTok star: these are the key items for getting Addison Rae’s style, for less.

Bridgerton outfits

I Dressed Like Bridgerton Characters for a Week and Here’s What Happened

After becoming a smashing success, Bridgerton captured our fashion-attention. This week, I brought Bridgerton’s style to the 21st century.

Vintage Posts

Copyright © 2007-2021 College Fashion LLC | Contact • Privacy Policy • Terms of Service • Disclosure • Write for Us