DIY Household Fix-It Ideas Using Nail Polish

Almost every woman knows that clear nail polish will stop a run in pantyhose but it's good for more than just that. There are many ways nail polish can be used in the home and here are some of my favorites.

Make your own stained glass
Making your own stained glass with nail polish is so easy that even children can do it. The first thing you need to do is select where you are going to use this technique; it can be a window or a piece of pre-purchased glass. Next, use a dry erase marker and draw your design. Select your nail polish colors and fill in the design using the polish brush. The best part of all is if you don't like the design you've created, all you have to do is use nail polish remover to clean it off and start again.

Free Tip - This is an excellent way to decorate your windows with borders and scenery for any holiday.

Waterproof your mailing labels
Rain and bad weather can turn your custom printed mailing labels into an illegible mess. To protect your labels and keep them in tip-top shape simply paint over them with clear nail polish. Two coats of polish does the job best.

Touch up scratches on your furniture, appliances and car
My ex-husband was a mechanic who also did body work and he used to say that auto paint was nothing more than fancy nail polish. While I wouldn't recommend that you try to paint your whole car with nail polish you can fix small scratches with it. Considering there are a billion different colors to choose from you shouldn't have any problem finding one that matches your car.

This technique also works on surface scratches in furniture and appliances, however when working with furniture a top coat of clear nail polish is necessary.

Prevent nickel/zinc allergies
Nickel allergies are no laughing matter for people suffering from it. Nickel is used to coat belt buckles, watch buckles, earrings and lots of other things. To prevent getting a rash from Nickel, use clear lycra based nail polish to coat the metal of watchbands, belt buckles, zippers, eyeglass frames, blue jean studs and other nickel alloy products.

Keep from turning green when you wear cheap jewelry
You know those cheap turquoise bracelets you buy at Roadside Indian Jewelry Markets? Remember how green your skin turned after wearing the jewelry for a short time? Well now you can wear any kind of cheap costume jewelry without turning green simply by coating the underside (the part that sits against your skin) with clear nail polish.

Repair your window screen
A torn window screen doesn't mean you have to throw it in the trash. Screens are very easy to repair. Paint over the tear in the screen with clear nail polish. Be sure to paint the screen on both sides and add several layers allowing each one to dry before adding another one. Large rips and tears may not look very appealing repaired with nail polish but it is still a quick fix until you can purchase a new screen.

Nail polish can range from expensive to cheap but when it comes to household repairs it doesn't matter. You can find nail polish at yard sales, flea markets, in your junk drawer, in your sister's junk drawer and the dollar store. Yard sales are best because bottles sell for as little as 10 cents.

On that note, here are a couple more ways you can use nail polish. Happy painting.

Change the color of hair clips to match y our outfit, mark keys for easy identification, label film containers, decorate backpacks, shoes, mirrors, picture frames, boxes, binders etc, color zipper pulls or buttons and make remote control buttons glow in the dark.