How to Paint a Heart on Your Nail

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 7, 2021 Tested

Every now and then it's nice to add a little bit of spice to your nails. And there’s nothing more fun and romantic than adding a heart to your manicure. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be a nail technician to create cool nail art – all you need is a little time, patience and a whole bunch of nail polish.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Making Your Nail Tip Into a Heart

1
Gather your supplies. To make the heart shaped nail tip, you will need the following materials: a nail file, a clear base coat, nail polish in a deep red color, a base polish in a neutral color and a top coat in a clear color.^{[1]
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- For your neutral color, select a tan or light pink polish.
- Skip the neutral color and opt for a more fun contrasting color, like a light blue or hot pink.
2
File your nails. To make your nail tips into hearts, you will first need to reshape the nail tips. File the tips of your nails into rounded points – these will serve as the base of your painted hearts.^{[2]
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- If your nails are on the shorter side, try to round the nail tip out as much as possible.
- To round your nails, run your file across your nails repeatedly in the same direction, then round the edges on either side of the nail.
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3
Paint your nails. Apply one coat of clear base coat on each nail, then allow the nails to dry completely. Apply two coats of your base polish, allowing the nails to dry between each coat of paint.^{[3]
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- Make sure any previous polish has been completely removed before applying the base coat.
- To paint nails quickly, draw a line down the middle of your nail with your brush, then fill in the nail area on either side of your line.
4
Add the hearts. Use your red polish brush to draw an angled half circle on the right half of your nail tip. Then make another angled half circle on the left half of your nail tip.^{[4]
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- The two half circles should overlap, forming the top of your heart.
- Do two coats on your heart, making sure to allow the heart to dry in between coats.
- When the tips of all your nails have dried, add your top coat to seal the manicure.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Painting a Heart on Your Nail with a Toothpick

1
Gather your supplies. To draw a heart on your nail with a toothpick, all you’ll need is a base coat, a nail polish in your preferred color, red nail polish, a piece of paper or foil, a toothpick and a top coat.^{[5]
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- Avoid using a quick dry polish – this will get sticky too fast.
- Try juxtaposing your red heart against a baby blue polish or changing out the red polish for gold glitter polish.
- If you don’t have a toothpick, try substituting a bobby pin.
2
Paint your nails. Apply one coat of base coat on each nail, then allow the base coat to dry completely. Paint each finger nail with your nail polish of choice. Allow both hands to dry, before painting on an additional coat of polish.^{[6]
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- Make sure all of your fingers are completely dry before proceeding to the next step.
- For a fun Valentine’s Day look, paint the fingers white so the hearts will pop even more.
3
Add the heart. Pour a small amount of the red nail polish onto the piece of tin foil or paper. Allow the puddle of polish to sit for one minute so it can thicken slightly. Dip the toothpick into the polish and make a dot on your left ring finger.^{[7]
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- Make a second dot next to the first dot.
- Use the toothpick to drag one of the dots down, creating a 45 degree angle.
- Drag the other dot down to meet the first dot, creating the heart.
- Do the same thing on your right ring finger.
- Allow the hearts to dry completely, before painting on one coat of top coat.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Paint Hearts on Your Nails Using Tape

1
Gather your supplies. To create this nail art, you’ll need the following items: a base coat, a top coat, black nail polish, pink or red nail polish, silver nail polish, scotch tape and a toothpick.
- Mix it up and use both pink and red nail polish.
- Try changing up the heart color for different finger nails.
- Silver nail polish is optional.
2
Paint your nails. Apply your base coat and allow your fingers to dry. Then paint two coats of black nail polish on your fingers, making sure to allow the nails to dry in between each coat.
- After applying the second coat of paint, give your nails an additional hour to dry.
- Run your fingers under cold water to accelerate the drying process.
3
Apply the tape. Remove one to three pieces of tape from the dispenser (pieces should be roughly half the size of your middle finger). Attach the corner of one piece of tape to the bottom of your nail, then angle the other two pieces of tape so they make a point at the tip of your nail. Alternatively, you can cut a heart shape out of a single piece of tape.
- If you look at your nail, the space not covered by tape should form an upside down heart.
- If the tape doesn’t line up on your first attempt, un-stick it and try again.
4
Paint the heart. Use the pink or red nail polish you selected to fill in the blank space on your nail. Rip the tape off each nail as soon as you’re done painting the heart – otherwise, the polish will become sticky and hard to remove.
- Apply the tape and paint the heart nail on each of your fingers.
- Then give the hearts time to dry.
- You can either leave the hearts alone, or choose to outline them in the silver polish.
- To do this, dip your toothpick into the silver polish, then use the toothpick to carefully outline the heart on each nail.
- After each nail has dried, paint top coat on each nail, then give the nails an additional hour to dry completely.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Paint a Heart on Your Nails Using a Heart-Shaped Hole Punch

1
Gather your supplies. To create this manicure, you’ll need the following supplies: a top coat, a base coat, black nail polish, painter’s tape, a small paintbrush, nail polish remover and a hole puncher that creates a heart shape.^{[8]
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- Heart shaped hole punchers can be purchased online or in craft stores.
- Make sure to remove any polish that is currently on your nails before beginning this manicure.
2
Prepare and paint your nails. File your nails into a shape that mimics the curve of your cuticles. Push your cuticles back and proceed to apply one coat of base coat. Allow the base coat to dry completely before applying two coats of the black nail polish.^{[9]
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- Apply a coat of top coat over the nail polish to help seal the manicure.
- Give nails an hour to dry before moving on to the next step. This will ensure you don’t have any smudges.
3
Create the heart. Tear off a small piece of painter’s tape, roughly the size of your pinky. Punch a hole in the tape to create the heart shape, then place the tape on your left ring finger.^{[10]
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- Position the heart so it is angled across the upper left hand corner of your finger.
- Make sure the tape is lying completely flat against your nail.
4
Remove the polish. Dip the small brush into the nail polish remover and paint a coat of nail polish remover inside the heart. Use a paper towel to blot any extra nail polish remover and paint.^{[11]
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- Paint from the edges of the tape inward to keep the lines of the heart looking sharp.
- Peel the tape away, then repeat the last two steps on your right hand ring finger.
- Paint on an additional coat of top coat and give the fingers up to an hour to dry.