How to show off your chalkboard skills with a coffee menu manicure

Aside from making great coffee, your favorite baristas take turns writing out the daily specials on the menu board. But unlike the writing your teacher did on the schoolroom chalkboard, menu boards have personality and flair. Every person has their own style, so every chalkboard message is a temporary work of art.

If you love coffee and have strong penmanship skills, this accent nail tutorial will likely be right up your alley. The simple white background requires nothing more than some creative word choices written in black gel paint. This version includes partial words and multiple fonts, but feel free to deviate from the listed coffee choices. This is your menu, after all.

Materials
- White gel polish
- UV or LED lamp
- Fine detail brush
- Black gel paint
- No-wipe gel top coat

Instructions
1. Apply white gel polish to a single nail, then cure the polish with the UV or LED lamp.

2. Close your hand, so the cuticle of your nail is at the top when facing you. Dip the fine detail brush into the black gel paint, then draw a diagonal line from the outer edge of the nail toward the cuticle. Use the end of your finger, not the nail, as a starting point.

3. Spell out “MENU” in block letters above the black line.

4. Write partial coffee drink names in cursive using the black gel. For example, “Cold Brew,” “Espresso” and “Latte.” Cure the wet gel with the lamp.

5. Apply a layer of no-wipe gel top coat to the nail, then cure the gel with the lamp.

Don’t be surprised if your local barista compliments you on your artwork.
Stay pretty!