Pin Point: How to Upgrade Your Bobby Pins With Nail Polish!

It’s time for an upgrade. Banish boring bobby pins and embrace one-of-a-kind style. I will show you how to personalize these hair essentials…with nail polish.

Personalizing bobby pins (or any hair accessory for that matter) is so easy that I have actually been doing this since middle school!

All you have to do is paint your bobby pins with nail polish, add any embellishment you want with super glue and voilà! You have instant updated hair flair. (On the flip side: Use the longer tip of the bobby pin as a nail dotter/nail art tool.)

This is a great, inexpensive way to revamp old pins or create a custom look. This DIY tutorial is simple and goof-proof enough for children to do as well.

What you will need:

• A piece of paper or thin card board to secure bobby pins and catch excess paint
• As many bobby pins as your heart desires
• Your favorite nail polishes (My fave right now is anything from Julep. The more variety, the better!)
• Any embellishment you want. (I like to use rhinestones (new or ones that have fallen off other things) or broken pieces of jewelry)
• Super glue to adhere embellishments (optional)

Steps:

• Slide bobby pins onto paper or cardboard, flat side facing you. The wavy side should be worn underneath the hair, facing the scalp. The bumps are what grab the hair so the pin will stay put!
• Line bobby pins up at least half an inch apart (to avoid pins sticking together).
• Select the nail polish color you want and make sure the paint is not dripping off the brush.
• Gently sweep the color along the flat side of the bobby pin. If you like, you can create multi-colored designs.
• Once the bobby pins are painted, let them dry for about five minutes. You do not need to seal the paint but feel free to use a top coat if desired.
• If you wish to add embellishments, wait for the nail polish to dry completely. Apply the super glue (I prefer the gel formula) to the embellishment first and then press it on to the flat side of the bobby pin. Allow at least three minutes for the super glue to dry.

Julep Colors: Winona, Eva, Valerie, Oscar

Perfect Match:

I bought these gold and ivory bobby pins a while ago from H&M and transformed them into little match sticks by adding a some red (Julep color Sheila) to the tips!:

*You can try different types of paint if you have them handy. I use nail polish because I have loads of colors to choose from, they dry quickly (you could literally do this project anywhere, on the go) and it’s been my tried and true method for nearly 20 years. Wow, that sounds like a long time!

*For glitter/translucent shimmer polishes, you might want to paint a base coat with a complementing color to help make the finish more vibrant.

*Try updating office supplies and other accessories with nail polish (i.e. Color code keys, makeup brushes or paint plain paper clips and thumb tacks). Yes, I have used bobby pins as substitute paper clips and ear bud clips!  

*You can even create a red bottom tape dispenser like I did below:

You can find this tape dispenser from Staples.

Inspired Post: Sequins & Stripes Blog On What Is Important

{Check out the inspiration for this post: the amazing Sequins & Stripes!}

January 2014 is winding down. We’ve almost made it through, surviving the first real snow storm of the season, and now it’s time to reflect.

A show of hands: How many of you have made some sort of resolution, goal or plan for the year? Come on, don’t be shy! I commend you for having the courage to review your life and evaluate what could be improved, what changes need to be made (for health, happiness, success) and most of all, what is really important.

I arrived at the end of 2013 with a whole lot of life choices to evaluate; missed opportunities, second guessing my abilities, shortcomings, limitations. I made a promise to myself to recuperate the strength and energy so I could approach the new year very strategically. I realized I have a lot to “work on” (sigh) but I also have the potential and guts to achieve greatness–I can make it happen. Holla!

It’s scary to look into yourself and look at your life for what it really is. Sometimes you need to enlist the help of family and friends to help you put it all into perspective. Once you get past the ugly fears, you will feel lighter, liberated, like the fog is lifting and for the first time in a long while you can see all the colors of your life. Oh, how beautiful this view is!

Now that you can see things more clearly, your vision will become so vivid that you cannot ignore it. Don’t just look behind or ahead. Look all around you. The more you take in, the easier it will be to see the paths laid out before you. The better you can discern all the signs and how they make sense in your journey.

This post from Sequins & Stripes inspired me to really, truly consider what is important to me during this time. Check it out. Think it out. Write down what you didn’t get to achieve last year, why you didn’t follow through and what consequences this caused. Then think about this year and what is important for your life (including what is important to let go). Let that be your priority. Identify, very specifically, what it is you want this year and then focus on each item. What kind of time, money and effort will it take to achieve (i.e. losing weight, buying a house, going back to school and etc.). Not sure where to start? Do the research and seek advice from friends and professionals.

The only way to make progress is to face each goal head on. Make a plan, write down each step and milestone, follow your timeline and budget and ask those you trust to help keep you accountable. For me, I get so excited about the big picture that I can actually overwhelm myself with all the details at once. BITE SIZE. Break it down into parts that make sense to you and tackle it every day. Procrastination can stem from laziness or fear. Laziness or lack of passion and motivation could indicate that this goal is not that important to you (if you really want it, you will not make excuses). Fear or doubt can cloud your vision and make you focus on potential failures instead of success.

Here are some inspirational quotes to give you that kick in the booty. Save them as your phone or computer wallpaper so you are constantly reminded of the great things you will achieve!