25 Holiday Nail Art Ideas That’ll Make Your Mani the Star of the Season

Your Holiday Nail Art Inspo Has Arrived

1. Muted Mistletoe Holiday Nails

Who says the holidays have to be all about red and green? At this point, we control our own destiny, and that means doing whatever you want to inspire your holiday nails. This all-neutral-toned manicure leaves some solid nails in shades of brown and beige, and features hand drawn bows for a festive feel. To draw a bow, pick up a microscopically thin nail art brush and dip into your desired color. Just make sure you let the base coat fully dry before you attempt a design element so the two don’t smudge. 

2. Holiday Cherub Manicure

Similar to the above sentiment, why not try incorporating hot pink elements instead of red for your holiday nail art? This one still honors the angelic inspiration you see around the holidays, just with a fun twist. Pro tip: Buy nail decals of angels online and add your own design elements like a glitter or metallic trim with a thin nail art brush. Make sure to seal the look with a chip-resistant topcoat. 

3. Christmas Cat-Eye Nail Art

If you want to keep the spooky elements of October going into the final months of the year, we suggest a warm-toned cat-eye effect that adds a bit of flair to any manicure. What we love about this look is that it looks professional enough for work, meetings, and more but still allows you to showcase a bit of personality. You can get this effect in salons or at home with a magnetized polish.

4. Minnie Mouse–Inspired Holiday Nails

Looking for a foolproof manicure you can do at home? This easy holiday nail art look is perfect for you! Start with a bright red polish that would probably match Santa’s iconic suit. From there, grab a nail tool with a ball at the end of it, or use the tip of a bobby pin. Dip it in white polish and make dots across the entire nail. 

5. Preppy Plaid for the Holidays

Going for a plaid manicure look is an easy way to keep it classy and festive at the same time. And, unlike this photo, you don’t need to do each nail in a different way if you’re not feeling it. Add a pop of blue into your plaid look for nails that will last through to the new year and still look on-theme.

6. Holiday Aura Nails

All you need to create aura nails from home is a makeup sponge and two different nail polish shades in the same color family. This design adds an extra element of a drawn-on color on top of the aura design, which is totally optional. Start with a base shade, apply it all over to the nails, and then let it dry fully. Then, dab a different color (in this case, green) onto a makeup sponge. Then dab the sponge on top of the base nail color. After the second color dries fully, add another color to the mix with more intricate designs on top as your skill level improves.

7. Holiday Nails Fit for a Queen

Everything from the shape of these nails to the unique style of the French tips to, of course, the bling, screams celebration to us. And isn’t that the true meaning of the holidays anyway? Grab 3D stickers from Amazon to create this look for a fraction of the price at home. 

8. Merry and Bright Holiday Nail Art

You know when you sit on the couch late at night and stare at the tree flickering in about a million different colors and tones? Why not do the same for your nails? These gemstone-inspired nails are more perfect for the holidays than you might think. When else does a little extra festivity last an entire month?

9. Popping Fireworks Holiday Mani

Midnight black base, shimmery gold flashes, and a sprinkle of glitter confetti—it’s an ideal mani for ringing in a much-needed new year. Not sure where to start? After painting nails, the key is in the striper or liner brush. Dip it in gold paint and start at the base of the firework, extending outwards. Striper brushes “tend to be a little longer which makes for an easier time, but if you can’t find one, it's okay! A smaller brush will work too,” says Lee.  

10. Cozy Snowflakes Holiday Nails

Sweater weather is the best weather (Don’t @ us). Whether it’s a full-on snow situation outside or a southern 60 degree “winter,” this manicure will complement your cozy couch plans perfectly. “You actually don’t need any special tools for nail art,” says Lee. “You can use household items like an old eyeliner brush, bobby pin for dots, or scotch tape.”

11. Ornamental Stars Manicure

Something about three dimensional decorations (like rhinestones or studs) makes any mani feel 100x more luxurious, and these glossy red nails with light-catching stars from Miss Pop will make you feel like a million bucks.

12. Candy Cane Holiday Nails

This mani is over-the-top in the best way ever. Since this one requires quite a bit of line work, Miss Pop gives us a quick 101 on best practices: “So much of nail art is about how much pressure you apply to the brush. Be gentle! Let the brush do the work. To polish your nails, get a good bead of polish on the tip. To create a line, wipe the brush until the polish is smoothed into the shape of the brush.” With those words of advice, it’s time to start painting. Feeling a little overwhelmed? That’s okay! If you are a beginner, Miss Pop recommends simplifying the design with polka dots in a mix of all of the different colors. Festive and easy!

13. Fresh Fallen Snow Holiday Nail Art

No matter your feelings on frozen precipitation, we can all agree the first blanket of snow is something special. Mimic that winter wonderland magic on your mani with this glittery ombré design. Create a French manicure as you normally would, or if you really want to blur the look, add white nail polish to the end of a makeup sponge, like we mentioned earlier. Dab the white part onto the end of your nail, then add a silver glitter polish closer to the base of the nail.   

14. Classic Red Holiday French Mani

Simple, elegant, and surprisingly versatile. Swap out traditional French tips with a fiery red hue for a touch of glam that’ll work with any outfit.

15. Metallic Micro Tips Holiday Nail Art

Teeny tiny tips? We’re obsessed. Opt for multicolored metallics, keep ‘em uniform, or pick any colors your heart desires.

16. Gold Leaf Holiday Nails

High shine and so chic—a sprinkling of gold leaf over a sheer base coat makes for one seriously luxurious manicure design. Plus, it’s surprisingly easy if you choose to DIY!

17. Dainty Mistletoe Manicure

Thinly painted branches, berry-colored dots, and a touch of (our fave) gold leaf. With this wintery botanical design, you’ll always have a little mistletoe on hand.

18. Holiday Peppermint Half Moon Nails

Want a subtle holiday-themed manicure? Look no further. Get a lowkey (but still statement-worthy) take on the iconic candy cane design with peppermint half moons peeking out from the base of your nail.  

19. Gingerbread Holiday Mani

Whether you’re known for architecting epic houses or just there to snack on the decorations, get in on the sweet-and-spicy fun with gingerbread nails. A bronze base like CONTEXT SKIN Nail Lacquer in Shake Me will kick it up an extra notch.  

20. Winter Blues Manicure

Monochromatic blue swoops as cute as these are guaranteed to chase away any cold weather melancholy. When creating this look, make sure to start with the lightest colors first to better blur any mistakes or errors. Choose three different colors and layer the same shape next to each other.

21. Coffee Swirl Holiday Nails

Still drinking iced coffee in winter? Recreate that mesmerizing moment you pour cream into your coffee (and watch the colors swirl together) with a café au lait–inspired mani. Just add three different coffee-inspired shades to your nail beds. Seriously, you can just drop the color directly onto the nail as if you were dispensing something from a dropper. Then, grab a toothpick and swirl them all together.  

22. Christmas Tree Confetti Nails

This glittery green base with multi-colored confetti is like an ornament-filled tree—with a shining star on top, obviously. If you have a glitter nail polish, you can individually extract the different glitter colors as ornaments, and place them exactly where you want them by using tweezers.  

23. Eclectic Christmas Manicure

Can’t decide on a holiday theme? This holiday nail art look features bows, holly, mistletoe, candy canes, and bands of ornaments—proof you really can have it all. This one’s a little complicated, so make sure to take this inspiration pic to your nail artist.  

24. Holiday Glitter Tips

Burgundy base and gold glitter french tips? You can’t name a better holiday duo. Get the look with LAW BEAUTY ESSENTIALS Nail Polish in 2PM Wine. Plus, since you’re creating a French manicure line with glitter polish, you don’t have to be as precise as you would otherwise.  

25. Multicolored Neutrals

This one’s for the minimalists at heart. Each nail gets a fave shade and is topped with a little dot of gold polish for extra flair. You can also try this look with nail gem stones if you don’t want to use gold polish. Either way, make sure you seal it with a top coat so everything stays in place.

Final Thoughts: 

The holiday season is a great time to experiment with all of your beauty looks, but if you’re not quite ready to slather glitter and colored eyeliner on your face, playing with nail art is a great place to start. Most of these designs are easy enough to recreate from home, but for the more complicated designs, you may want to visit your local nail artist (take a screenshot for inspo!). Ready to level up the rest of your routine? Check out the IPSY Shop—or reserve your spot for our monthly curated subscriptions that delivers the latest and greatest directly to your door.