World Cup Flag Nails

I'm a big fan of football (soccer in North America) so this is a very exciting time for me - it's World Cup! For three weeks, the best teams in the world are gathered in South Africa to play it out and determine which country will hold the title of World Cup champions for the next four years. 


Since Canada hasn't qualified for the World Cup since 1986, I cannot cheer for my own country. Insert sad face here. I do tend to cheer for one opponent in each match and as is customary for Canadians, you cheer for your roots, where your parents/grandparents/great-grandparents etc come from. For me that's France, Germany and if they had qualified for 2010, Poland but the team I support the most is England. I was introduced to football and the madness of the World Cup when I spent the summer of 1998 working in a pub in London. I witnessed the exhilaration, joy, frustration and depression of the fans as England limped out of the contest after a Beckham red card left them a man down. I've also been entranced with the culture of England since my early 20s as yes, you can call me an Anglophile. I think somewhere back there in my roots you can find a drop or two of English blood so it beats a little stronger in me that you'd expect!


All of this making little sense to you? Not to worry, I'm getting to the point of this post. I support England so I painted the English flag onto my nails. 

This is an easy and fun way to sport your team colours. England's flag is pretty simple to recreate - a red cross across a white background - St. George's Cross it is called. Australia, South Korea or Brazil's flags would be a touch more complicated but if you really wanted to have it look close to perfect, go to a nail salon and have it done. I simply bought bottles of white and red nail polish and did the England flag myself. Not bad at all for my first time doing anything but painting a single colour on my nails! I used two coats of the white polish and then with a thin bristled paint brush (available at art stores) painted the red cross on top. It was difficult to get straight, even lines especially on my right hand (I'm right-handed) but I got the effect I wanted. 

I didn't have time to take a proper photo so the one above was taken on my cellphone as I walked to the pub where I watched England's first game.

Another photo of my right (messier) hand taken with my friend Joel's iPhone.

I don't like to give up my girliness even though I'm a fan of football and this is one way I get to show my support that's fun and "me". Anyone can try this - do your toes too! - and it works with any flag. If you can't recreate the flag exactly just use the colours. Give it a try if you're a footie fan - now's the time!

C.