I really like this girl and the only way for anything to happen is if she knows I'm interested. I'm not out, but I probably would if something started happening between us. I've been shy my whole life and it makes everything hard but if I find myself in a situation where I could flirt with her (it has happened, but was before I liked her) I want to know how to flirt with her. Any ideas/tips?
ugg... Tough one. Smile. Make eye contact without quickly looking away.. Sounds dumb but natural flirting that just shows you're interested, shy, etc., is the best type.
^ If you make eye contact then quickly look away though, that works sometimes too, but usually it only works if it's natural- if it's not, it sort of makes you look like you're not interested. XD "Teasing" a girl is probably an effective way- don't randomly touch her, but if the time's right, touch her wherever it feels appropriate and then move your hand away. What most people do is start with a quick hand on the shoulder, then prolong it, and yeah, it is a clear indication that you're interested... then again, that's a typically masculine thing to do, but unfortunately I can't think of any real feminine things to do other than the eye contact rule- I think another way girls flirt TYPICALLY is to move closer to who they're interested in. I would say these are "traditional" ways of flirting, but since they've been observed in nature I suppose there is biology to them as well...
^ I would probably avoid putting the hands on the intimates and not assume the time is right. That's the thing that can get someone in trouble regardless of gender.
^ I said that you shouldn't be inappropriate unless it's clear that she wants you to, and yeah, you don't need to worry about that right now. XD Still, yeah, a light touch of the shoulder or wherever that's not super violating is a good idea, if it seems like she'd be fine with it... Idk, it's sort of hard to explain, but touch is a big part of flirting for a lot of people actually. >_< Just make sure it'll be well-received by the girl, but touch does make someone more familiar with you and a bit more flustered when down right and they like you... If you are weird with it or they don't like you, well, it's probably not smart to continue touching them... As Reptilian said, that's how you get in trouble. XD Consent, kids!
Maybe if you're going more for something to just let her know you like girls, you could hint at it. Like, if you have a celebrity crush who's a girl, mention how you think that celeb is hot/cute/you wish you could marry them. Or, for a time when you know you're going to see her, set the background on your phone to be something like a hot girl, or an LGBT+ flag, or a reference to something that only lesbian/bi girls would probably know about. For more flirty stuff, I don't think I've ever flirted by saying blatantly flirty things, but more just body language: sitting close, maybe touching her more than a friend normally would (just small stuff like putting your hand on her leg for a sec when you're laughing or resting your head on her shoulder if you're in a situation where you're both sitting next to each other for a while like watching tv or on a long car ride). Good luck!