Christmas nails can either be very plain or, well, extremely gaudy. And if you want a unique design without all the reindeer and snowmen, we’re the place for you. We have Christmas nail designs elegant and under control. “Elegant nails have an essence to them [wherein] they do not have too much going on, yet capture your attention,” shares nail artist Sharon Ladokun.
When it comes to Christmas nails, it is all about taking the core elements of the season—jewel tones and metallics—and having fun. “You can incorporate festive colors such as red, green, and gold into minimalist looks such as a French manicure,” says nail artist San Sung Kim. “Use festive colors and shimmer or glitter for an elevated look.”
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1.Gold Velvet
This French manicure is perfect for Christmas with a golden velvet tip, topped with tiny holly berries and twinkling stars, says Kim. If you do not have a gold velvet polish at hand, you could opt for a gold glitter polish like ORLY’s Untouchable Decadence for that special touch of shimmer.
2.Emerald Bows
Bows became a manicure mainstay in 2024—which works out incredibly well for Christmas. This design features a mix of green French tips and silver nails topped with a green bow in a gift-wrap style for a pretty emerald look.
3.Glazed French
The subtle shimmer in a glazed nail makes it perfect for an understated Christmas manicure.
4.A Minimalist Christmas Tree
Just two polishes—Moon Cat’s Poison Ivy and I’m A MF Supernova— were used to create this stunning look. Each nail features a glittery gold tip anchored by a black arch. The ring fingers feature a super simple Christmas tree design, resulting in a festive, yet sleek look.
5.Candy Cane Tips
This Christmas French nail design features candy-cane red-and-white swirls topped with a silver gem.
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6.Glittery Gift
The design of the bow uses a silver glitter base topped with bright red bows. It is painted in such a whimsical way, almost plopped on top of the present instead of wrapped around it.
7.Ruby Tips
These ruby-encrusted French tips are perfect for an elegant holiday party,” says Kim. “It is a twist on a red French manicure but glammed up with extra rhinestones. You can use a color like ORLY’s Cran-Barely Believe It as the base French color and add various red rhinestones to top it off.”
8.Skittle Half Moon
Leaving the half-moons bare is an easy way to elevate an otherwise simple nail look. Ladokun used one different shade of red on each digit to create this Skittle-nails-like effect.
9.Merry Swirls
Ladokun used bright red, warm cream, and shimmery gold to create this swirly look. Each nail features a different design, making the look extra mesmerizing
10.Dotted Tips
It is a simple yet striking design, the pattern of a cluster of polka dots at the tip that run down, giving one the impression of a tip-like phenomenon. It was achieved by Un/Dn Laqr: Brutal Honesty, Twin Flame, Lightning Strikes Metallic and Blank Canvas.
11.Stripes and Snowman Nails
There’s no time like Christmas to go all out! This fun design pairs candy cane-inspired stripes with a snowman (complete with scarf and buttons!). Feel free to keep a few nails white to highlight these designs.
12.Holiday Lights Christmas Nail Art
Just the cutest! Start with a neutral base coat, then draw in black “cords” (we love how these have wavy loops). Apply teardrop-shaped or round nail gems in a variety of colors as “light bulbs.” If you don’t have nail jewels, dot nail polish on instead. Either way your nails will shine brightly all season long!
13.Holly Berry Christmas Nail Art
Simple holly leaves and berries decorating an accent nail or two makes for happy holiday nail art. Coordination of the berry colour with a solid shade utilized on other nails will go along for a cohesive effect. Check out more designs from Bellacures.
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14.Mistletoe and Berries Christmas Nail Art
Carry mistletoe close to you all season long—yes, on your nails! Here, a silver base coat creates a clean backdrop for mistletoe branches and dots for berries and snow. This one takes a bit of patience. We suggest trying a toothpick for drawing the greenery and a nail dotting set for the berry and snow details.
15.White Poinsettias Christmas Nail Art
If you love Christmas poinsettias as much as we do, try your hand at painting them on your nails. Start with a solid coat of your favorite polish and paint on a flower shape in white. Once dry, you can outline in black and add other flower details just like the picture. Mix up the colors if you want, but we adore how classy this gold and white combo looks.
16.Holly Jolly Christmas Nail Art
This Christmas holly nail art design appears to be really complicated at first glance. But if you break it down, it is really not that complicated. Begin with a white or any other light-colored base. Paint green leaves in two shades and finish off with three dots of red polish on top. Complete the look with two sets of thin intersecting parallel lines that look just like a window pane
17.Wintergreen Forest Christmas Nail design
Whether you are dreaming of a white Christmas or actually living in your own true winter wonderland, we love this design for the holiday season and beyond. Paint trees varying heights and layer as shown for a full forest effect.
18.Go All In Christmas Nail Art Idea
When you just can’t decide which design to go with, go with them all! Each nail shows off its own special design, from stripes to glitter to candy canes. Choose 3-4 main colors and stick with that palette to make your look feel cohesive.
19.Silver Bells Christmas Nail design Idea
Icy tones such as this light blue and silver glitter will last well into the new year. For a more graphic approach, alternate patterns, or pick just one glitter accent nail for a simpler look.
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