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These Christmas nail ideas are the easiest way to feel festive without changing a thing in your closet. Below are 24 designs, from a simple red mani to snowmen, reindeer and gold chrome tips, and you can copy every one at home with a few polishes and a thin brush.
Each idea tells you what is on the nails and how to do it. Not into nail art? Start with one accent nail.
Getting the rest of the holiday ready too? Our Christmas door decorating ideas, Christmas Eve dinner ideas and white elephant gift ideas are good next stops.
1. Candy cane stripe nails
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
Red glitter polish on most nails, then bold red and white candy cane stripes on one or two accent nails. It is the cheerful one, and it looks like Christmas from across the room.
Paint the whole nail white first and let it dry. Lay thin strips of striping tape on a slant, paint red between them, then peel the tape while the polish is still a little tacky. Seal it with a clear top coat.
2. Short classic red nails
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
A glossy red on short nails never goes out of style. It looks right with a sequin dress and just as right while you wrap presents in your sweats.
Two thin coats beat one thick coat. Wait a couple of minutes between coats, wipe the edge of each nail with a little remover on a small brush, and finish with a shiny top coat.
3. Burgundy glitter with a sheer pink accent
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
Deep burgundy with fine glitter feels dressier than bright red. One sheer pink nail with a tiny red and white tip keeps it playful without much effort.
Do the burgundy on every nail except one, then paint that one with a sheer pink and add the red and white corner with a thin brush. Dab glitter polish only on the tip of the burgundy nails if you want less sparkle.
4. Red French tips with tiny white bows
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
A soft pink base, red tips and a little white bow on each nail. They look like presents on your fingertips.
Paint the red tips first with a flat brush. When they are dry, draw each bow with a fine brush or a dotting tool, two small loops and one dot in the middle. Dry fully before the top coat so the white does not smear.
5. Red and white stripes with holly
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
Thin vertical stripes in red and white make a clean base, and a few green holly leaves with red berries finish the look. It is busy in the best way.
Use striping tape for straight lines, and keep the holly to one or two nails so the stripes can stay the star. A dotting tool makes perfect berries.
6. Santa hat tips
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
Red tips with a fluffy white edge turn a plain nude manicure into a Santa hat. Add one nail of red glitter if you like a little extra shine.
Paint the red tip, then dab a line of white polish just below it with a small sponge or a brush to get a soft, fluffy edge. A tiny white dot at the very tip is a good pom pom.
7. Gingerbread man nails
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
White tips on a nude base, with a little gingerbread man on a few nails. They are sweet and a little bit funny, and they feel like cookie baking season, especially if you have a batch from our gingerbread recipe on the counter.
Paint each gingerbread man with a fine brush in a warm brown, then add dots for eyes and buttons once it dries. If painting small figures makes you nervous, nail stickers do the job and still look cute.
8. Reindeer faces
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
Sparkly red nails with one or two nude accent nails that wear a reindeer face. The red nose is the whole joke and it works every time.
Draw the antlers first with a thin brown line, add two small dots for eyes, then put a bright red dot for the nose. Use a toothpick if your brush is too thick.
9. Grinch nails
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
Bright green Grinch faces, a candy cane stripe and a plain pink nail to calm things down. It is silly, and kids love it.
Paint the nail lime green, draw the eyebrows and smile with black polish on a fine brush, and add a small yellow dot for each eye. A quick scribble of white on the black adds the shine.
10. Snowmen on knit texture
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
A pink base with little white snowmen, and a few nails with a wavy raised texture that looks like a knit sweater. It is soft, cozy and very easy to love.
Paint the snowman as a white blob, add a tiny orange nose with a dotting tool, two black dots for eyes and thin brown stick arms. For the knit look, press a wavy line of builder gel or a textured sticker onto the other nails.
11. Gnome nails
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
Gold glitter, white tips and one nail that looks like a little gnome hat with a peach nose. They match the gnomes on your mantel.
Paint the hat shape in white with a pointed top, add a round peach dot for the nose, and let the glitter polish fill in the rest. Gold glitter on just the tip keeps it clean.
12. Christmas tree nails
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
Dark green glitter on most nails and tiny Christmas trees on a couple of nude accents. Hold up a glass ornament and the match is perfect.
Paint each tree as a small green triangle with a thin brush, then add three dots for ornaments in white or gold. A bit of glitter polish on the trunk end gives it that snow dusted look.
13. Green and red glitter
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
Sparkly green nails with one sparkly red ring finger. It is the easiest accent nail there is, and nobody needs to know it took five minutes.
Do two coats of glitter polish, and use a flat sponge to dab it on if the glitter looks sparse. Cover with a thick top coat so the surface feels smooth, not gritty.
14. Green French tips with string lights
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
Deep green tips on a sheer nude base, with a thin line of little colored lights running across a few nails. Fun, and still dressy.
Paint the green tips, then draw a thin black curve with a fine brush. Add tiny dots in red, yellow and blue along the curve for the bulbs, and finish with a top coat.
15. Christmas lights on white tips
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
White tips on a pink nude base with a string of colorful bulbs dotted along each nail. It looks like the tree lights are twinkling on your hand.
Draw a thin curved line in black or dark green, then add dots for the bulbs in red, green, yellow and blue. Use the very tip of a toothpick for the smallest dots.
16. White nails with a snowflake accent
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
Crisp white on most nails and one nail with a white snowflake over soft pink. It is quiet, clean and easy to wear to work.
Paint the snowflake with a fine brush or use a snowflake sticker. Start with the long center lines, then add short crossing lines, and finish with a few tiny dots.
17. Pale pink snowflakes on every nail
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
A soft pink base and one tiny white snowflake on each nail. Light and sweet, and it goes with every outfit.
Keep each snowflake small and put it in the same spot on every nail so the set looks planned. A dotting tool gives you even center points, and the lines come from a thin brush.
18. Icy cat eye snowflakes
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
Shimmery teal and pink cat eye polish with white snowflakes on top. The shine moves when your hand does, which is the whole point.
Brush on the cat eye polish, hold a magnet over each nail for a few seconds before curing, then add the snowflakes once the base is dry. Seal everything with a clear top coat.
19. Blue and white winter mix
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
Blue glitter, wavy blue and white stripes, a French tip and one snowflake on a nude nail. Every nail is a little different, which is why it works.
Pick two or three blues and keep the rest white and nude. Stripe the wavy nail with a thin brush, and let the glitter nail stand alone so the design does not feel busy.
20. Black with gold snowflakes
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
Glossy black with tiny gold snowflakes and a little sparkle. It looks dressy and a bit moody, just right for a holiday party.
Use gold nail stickers or a gold gel pen for the snowflakes, and drop a few flat glitter pieces around them. Cover with a thick top coat so the stickers sit smooth.
21. Gold chrome French tips
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
A nude base with a shiny gold French tip. One nail gets a tiny gold charm. It is elegant, and it works with any color you wear.
Paint a nude gel or regular polish, then use a gold chrome powder or a gold foil polish for the tip. Press a tiny charm into a dab of top coat on one nail.
22. Gold foil flecks
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
Gold flecks pressed onto sheer nails glitter like champagne bubbles. They look great holding a drink at a holiday party.
Brush on a layer of clear polish, press small gold foil flakes into it with a tweezers or a stick, and seal with top coat. Smooth the edges so nothing catches on your sweater.
23. Neutral shimmer with one tiny reindeer
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
Milky nude and champagne glitter nails with one nail that has a little reindeer face. Subtle, soft and very classy.
Do the milky base in two thin coats, then dab glitter on only a few nails. Draw the reindeer with a fine brush on one accent nail, or use a small sticker for a quick finish.
24. Silver glitter Christmas toes
SaveCredit: Melissa Jane Lee
Do not forget your toes. A soft pink base with silver glitter feels like fresh snow, and it looks nice in open shoes by the fire.
Pedicures chip less when you prep well. Push back the cuticles, wipe each toenail with alcohol so the polish sticks, and use thin coats so they dry quickly. A glitter top coat is enough.
How to make your Christmas nail ideas last in five steps
- Push back your cuticles, file the shape you like and wipe each nail with rubbing alcohol so the polish has a clean surface.
- Brush on a thin base coat. It protects your nails and helps the color stick.
- Paint two thin coats of color, waiting a couple of minutes between coats.
- Add your design with a fine brush, a dotting tool, tape or stickers, and let it dry fully.
- Seal with a top coat, cap the free edge of each nail with the brush, and rub a drop of cuticle oil in once it is dry.
FAQ
Quick answers about colors, prep and wear time.
What are the most popular Christmas nail colors?
Red, green, white and gold are the classics. Burgundy, black and icy blue are popular for a dressier look, and nude with glitter is the easy choice when you want something soft.
How can I do Christmas nail art without special tools?
A toothpick works as a dotting tool, a bobby pin works for dots too, and a thin striping brush or a strip of tape handles lines. Nail stickers are a good shortcut for tiny designs like snowflakes.
How early should I get my nails done for Christmas?
Gel manicures last two to three weeks, so a few days before the party keeps them fresh. Regular polish chips sooner, so plan the same week and keep the bottle on hand for touch ups.
