Furry Dice Nails: Crazy Mix 'n' Match 3D Nail Art Tutorial

Go big or go home with these 3D furry dice nails. This Not A Nail Tech set goes all out with a crazy mix 'n' match design: 3D furry dice on a chain, a pool ball, a cherry, gold chrome French tips and stars on a deep Cabernet base. The 3D elements are sculpted with the same Nail Tip Gel Adhesive used to attach the nail extensions.

Every nail has its own personality, but the rich Cabernet, crisp black and gleaming gold chrome tie the whole set together. It's bold, a little bit retro and packed with fun details.

Furry dice nails are pure fun. The tiny sculpted dice dangle from a chrome chain, and a dusting of clear acrylic powder gives them a soft, matte, fuzzy texture that looks just like the real thing. Add a pool ball and a cherry, and you've got a set packed with playful, vintage-inspired charm.

It's also a great showcase of what Nail Tip Gel Adhesive can do. The same product that attaches the extensions is used to sculpt every 3D element, and because it's so malleable, you can pull a shape off and reuse it if it isn't quite right.

Start with Base Coat, then apply a generous layer of Cabernet, followed by a second coat.

On the pointer and ring fingers, apply Blooming Gel and dab Cabernet on top, letting it spread out into a crocodile-print look. This covers the join between the natural nail and the nail tip.

Apply Top Coat over all the nails and cure for 60 seconds, then buff them down with a buffing block. This makes the rest of the artwork easier and lets excess chrome wipe off cleanly.

Paint a high French tip in Serious Black as a base for the chrome, and use Serious Black with a dotting tool to dot a chain for the hanging dice. Cure, then buff the gold chrome pen over the French tip and chain, making sure it's well covered, and buff off the excess. Seal with Top Coat.

Apply Matte Coat over the nails so the 3D artwork has something to stick to.

Take a tiny amount of Nail Tip Gel Adhesive and shape it with a silicone tool, using Gel Residue Remover if it gets too sticky. Shape two cubes for the dice, a ball for the pool ball, and a slightly uneven circle with an indent in the top for the cherry. If a shape isn't right, pull it off and reuse it, as it's really malleable. Cure each one for 60–90 seconds, depending on your lamp and the thickness of the product.

Paint the dice with a full layer of Snow White, cure, and apply a second layer. Then use Serious Black and a dotting tool to add the dots – a five on one die and a one on the other.

Add a layer of Snow White to the centre of the ball (one coat may be enough, as it's highly pigmented). Once cured, paint a circle in Evergreen big enough to hold a number, then colour in the rest of the ball with Evergreen. Paint a number seven in the centre, with a little accent on the end.

Paint the cherry stem into the little dip at the top and pull it upwards. Colour the cherry with Cabernet, cure, then outline it in Serious Black so it stands out from the background, and cure for 60 seconds.

On the pointer finger, paint a big off-centre star so it looks like it's hanging off the nail, keeping the gel polish as smooth as possible as any texture will show in the chrome. Cure for 60 seconds, buff in the gold chrome and add a thin Serious Black border with a fine detail brush. On the little finger, paint two very small stars in Evergreen.

Add more Serious Black details to a few nails, cure for 60 seconds, then carefully apply the gold chrome pen, buffing away from neighbouring designs so it doesn't stick to them. Add evenly spaced, slightly curved stripes to the French tip with a fine detail brush and cure for 60 seconds.

Top coat everything, getting into all the nooks and crannies, and use two coats over chrome. Then add another layer of Top Coat just to the dice and, without curing, dust clear acrylic powder over the top until well covered. Cure for 60 seconds and remove the excess for a textured, matte furry-dice effect.

• Buff before chrome. A buffed top coat layer means excess chrome wipes off really easily.
• Use the chrome pen for small details. It's much easier than the pot for precise detail work.
• Double top coat over chrome. Chrome is delicate and can rub off, so two coats of Top Coat help protect it.
• Reuse the sculpting gel. Nail Tip Gel Adhesive is malleable, so you can pull it off and reshape it if a 3D element isn't quite right.
• Keep chrome bases smooth. Any texture in the gel polish under the star will show through the chrome.

Furry dice nails are perfect for anyone who loves a statement set and enjoys trying lots of techniques at once. Blooming gel, isolated chrome, 3D sculpting and an acrylic powder texture all feature here, so there's plenty to practise, and the Not A Nail Tech approach keeps each stage achievable.

Furry dice nails are a brilliant choice for parties, themed events or anyone with a love of retro, Vegas-style details. If the full set feels like a lot, you can pick out individual nails, such as the dice or the cherry, as fun accents.

Once you've tried the full set, here are some ways to vary your furry dice nails using the same techniques and products:

• Wear the hanging dice as a single accent and keep the rest in Cabernet with gold chrome French tips.
• Change the numbers on the dice or the pool ball.
• Repeat the crocodile-print Blooming Gel effect on more nails.
• Add extra small Evergreen stars across the set.

A little aftercare helps furry dice nails, like any gel set, last longer. Apply cuticle oil regularly to keep the skin around the nails hydrated, and wear gloves when cleaning or washing up. Avoid using your nails as tools, and don't pick or peel at the gel, as this can damage the natural nail underneath.

3D elements and chrome details need a little extra care, so try not to knock or catch them. When it's time for a change, have the extensions and gel removed properly rather than prising them off.

Sculpt two small cubes from Nail Tip Gel Adhesive and cure. Paint them Snow White, add Serious Black dots, then apply Top Coat to just the dice and, without curing, dust clear acrylic powder over the top. Cure and remove the excess.

Apply Blooming Gel and dab Cabernet on top, letting it spread into a crocodile-print look that covers the join.

Cure each one for 60–90 seconds, depending on your lamp and the thickness of the product.

Chrome is delicate and can rub off, so use two coats of Top Coat over any chrome areas.

With dangling furry dice, a pool ball, a cherry and gleaming gold chrome, these furry dice nails are a crazy mix 'n' match that's impossible to ignore. Watch the full Not A Nail Tech video tutorial above, gather the products listed, and have fun creating your own version.