DIY Nail File (with Sandpaper!)

Nail files are used to shape and smooth your fingernails. It's a useful tool to keep it around. It feels empty only having nail clippers but no nail file with you. In this case, you can easily handprint your OWN design on your soon-to-be your OWN nail file.

Is there any sandpaper rolling around your house? Here's how to make your own simple nail file. Very easy to make.

• sandpaper 40 grit ~ 120 grit
• double sided tape
• scissors
• construction paper

• white color pencil or pen (optional)
• drawing board (optional for design rough draft)

Sandpapers have something called "grit strength" and that is the number that determines how fine your sandpaper is. The number commonly goes up in 20s, as the lowest grit of sandpaper being around 20 grit and the highest being who-knows-what. It would probably be around the area of a 1000 grit, known as ultra fine sandpaper. In the making of this craft, I used 60 grit sandpaper. However, I would highly recommend using 100 grit sandpaper or more for the sake of the smoother surface of your nail.

Cut out whatever shape you want your nail file to be out of your sheet of sandpaper. In my case I cut out a 23 cm long and 9.5 cm wide flat oval. After cutting out your first shape, use it as a reference to cut out the next few number of shapes. You will cut out a sheet of construction paper the same way you did for your first cutout oval sandpaper. In any case if you are wondering, your construction paper can be whatever color you prefer. I only cut out one other oval of sandpaper and construction paper, but I recommend cutting out more ovals of construction paper for stabilization in order for there to be less bendiness. No more than 2 cutouts of sandpaper are needed.

Look around all sides to check if your layers of sandpaper and construction papers line up. If it's not quite there yet, make little adjustments and check again. It will be easier to adjust now than later when it's stuck together because later it will be so much harder to cut.

For people who are going to put a design on your nail file, put your design on a side of sandpaper first before sticking all the layers together. This will make things easier and will not damaging any sandpapers in the process of it. Also highly reccommend that you only put your design on one side so it doesn't get ruined by dust produced from your nails on the sandpaper.

However many of the same shapes you cut out for your nail file, stick those together in this order from left to right-- sandpaper, construction paper(s), and the other sandpaper. Both the rough sides of the sandpaper pieces should be visible, just like how a burger bun wouldn't be upside down after putting in all the ingredients in between the two buns.

Make sure you have the layers all aligned. If you've already stuck them together and found a place that is not aligned cut it out little by little so you don't cut it off too much.

Now you have yourself a DIY nail file.