Create whimsical stitched scarecrow nails

It's hard not to smile when you see a scarecrow. No two are alike, and every single one has a personality of its own. This whimsical manicure features all the details seen on these straw-stuffed figures out in the cornfield. From the individual patches to the happy button eyes, this design is sure to delight.

To keep the look from getting overwhelming, draw a single scarecrow face on one nail and two or three pieces of patchwork fabric on the others. The following video shows how to bring it all together, so watch it all the way through before trying out this design at home.

Materials
Nude gel nail polish
UV or LED lamp (not shown)
Brown gel nail paint
Fine-tipped nail art brush
Yellow gel nail paint
Orange gel nail paint
Black gel nail paint
Dotting tool
White gel nail paint
Red gel nail paint
Green gel nail paint

Instructions
1. Apply two coats of nude gel polish and cure with the UV or LED lamp.

2. Draw the hat shape using the fine-tipped brush and brown gel paint. Tip: Leave enough space between the hat and the cuticle to add hair in the next step. Cure with the lamp.

3. Draw the straw hair on both sides of the face using yellow gel paint and the fine tipped brush. Add another tuft above the top of the hat and one dot where the scarecrow's forehead will be. Cure with the lamp.

4. Connect the bottom of the hair with a curved orange line, then form the outline of the shirt collar and fill it in. Cure with the lamp.

5. Use the black paint and dotting tool to make two eyes.

6. Use the fine-tipped brush to draw the mouth, adding vertical lines to make it look like it's been sewn on. Cure with the lamp.

7. Add a single orange triangle to the center of the face to mimic the look of a carrot nose. Cure with the lamp.

8. Use the small end of the dotting tool to add tiny white dots to the eyes to make them look like buttons. Cure with the lamp.

9. Give the hair some extra dimension by adding a few fine brown lines. Cure with the lamp.

10. Add a wide orange stripe to the center of the hat and cure with the lamp.

11. Paint square patches in red, green and yellow on the remaining nails, and outline them with black. Cure with the lamp.

12. Add some white polka dots on each red square to finish off the fabric appearance, then add black stitch marks around each one. Cure again with the lamp.

13. Fill in the space below the scarecrow's collar with brown paint and cure to finish. (This step is not shown in the video but is included in the final design.)