20 Holiday Manicure Ideas Perfect For Short Nails
If you're anything like us, the first thing you do once Thanksgiving passes is head to the nail salon to get a fabulous holiday manicure. Seasonal manis are must-haves during any yearly holiday, but we especially love the glitz and glam that often come with winter holiday manicures. You could keep it simple with a neutral glitter polish, spice it up with a red or green glitter polish, or make it fun by adding holiday-themed designs. When it comes to holiday manicures, the sky is truly the limit (as well as your nail artist's skills).
If you're looking for holiday manicure ideas this season, start by getting a general feel of the vibe you want to achieve. If you have many holiday parties on your calendar, it might be best to go with a simple and sophisticated manicure. If, on the other hand, you want to stand out with playful nails that emulate the season, you may find you want to add in small accents like gingerbread men or Christmas trees. No matter what you have in mind for your holiday manicure (or if you're starting with a blank slate), you're in the right place to get a ton of mani inspo perfect for the holiday season.
Use a silver glitter polish
If you consider yourself a simple, sophisticated, and slightly glamorous fashionista who needs a holiday manicure to fit any and every event, you may find it best to keep it simple with a glittery silver manicure. Oval-shaped nails will keep your look clean-cut, but if you want an edgier vibe, get silver glitter on square or stiletto nails.
Paint a mini Santa
Who better to beckon in the holiday season than Santa himself? If Christmas is your favorite holiday of the year, pay homage to the man of the hour by getting mini Santas painted on your nails. You could add Santa to every nail, but we think he looks great on an accent nail that's complemented by other red nails.
Or a tiny reindeer
Maybe you don't want the big guy himself on your nails, but you can't get enough of his trusty sidekicks: the faithful reindeer. In that case, go ahead and add a reindeer to an accent nail. Then, give them a red nose like Rudolph if you're feeling particularly inspired.
Draw a few snowflakes
Need to rock a winter manicure after the holiday season is over, or maybe you're not too into the actual holidays and are looking for a more generic design to sport this time of year? Go ahead and adorn your nails with festive snowflakes. The best part is your snowflakes don't all have to match — after all, no two snowflakes are alike!
Employ candy cane stripes
Any DIY nail babe will appreciate the simplicity of a candy cane design. Simply make diagonal red and white stripes across one (or all) of your nails and let the holiday vibes flow. This design is also incredibly versatile, and it gives off the essence of the season without being too overwhelming — perfect if you're going for a mid-range festive look.
Or a candy cane French tip
Maybe you're all about a fancy French manicure all year long, and the holidays are no exception. Christmas-ify your standard French tips by making them look like candy canes. You could leave the rest of your nails nude or add a glitter polish as the base for extra festive appeal.
Paint a holiday ornament
Is your favorite part of the holiday season decorating the Christmas tree? Capture that magical moment for the entirety of the season by painting holiday ornaments on your nails. A single ornament looks great and stands out on an accent nail, but you could add an ornament (or multiple) to every nail to amp up your holiday appeal.
Use red as your base color
No matter what manicure design you go for over the holidays, you can't go wrong with using red as the base color for your nails. From there, you can add silver, gold, or white accents, or, if you want to give exclusively Christmas vibes, try a green design on a red base.
Elongate them with a Santa hat French tip
If you're sporting shorter nails and want to make them look a little longer, a Santa hat French tip is a great design to wear this holiday season. Pick a red glitter polish for the hat if you're feeling extra festive, and you can leave the rest of your nails nude or use another glitter polish for contrast.
A glitter fade is great for parties
The party animals among us are probably all about the glitter nails this holiday season. If you don't want to go full glitter, though, glitter tips are another way to incorporate some shimmer and shine when you go to get your mani. We particularly love subtle glitter French fades.
Incorporate your favorite Hanukkah symbol
As we all know, there are many holidays celebrated during the winter season — not just Christmas — with Hanukkah among them. If you want to show your love for Hanukkah this winter, go ahead and get some classic Hanukkah symbols (such as a menorah or the Star of David) painted on your nails the next time you go to the salon.
Tiny gingerbread men can be a subtle touch
Want a hint of playfulness without being too showy about it? Paint most of your nails with champagne-colored glitter polish, and then paint an accent nail with light brown gingerbread men. It's a subtle but still very fun look for this holiday season, especially if you find yourself baking lots of cookies for friends and family.
Little Christmas trees are great for an accent nail
Do you just want a simple, easy-to-do design for DIY nails? Try painting little tiny Christmas trees! These are easy enough to do with a thin brush dipped in green polish, and you can use other colors to add some ornaments to your tree. Just don't forget to top it off with a gold star.
Sprinkle in some multicolored glitter flecks
Just because you're doing your nails for the holiday season doesn't mean you have to stick to holiday colors only. Feel free to mix in other colors as you wish, but to keep your overall look festive, stick to glitter polishes and consider adding other wintry elements (like silver snowflakes).
Make them look like poinsettias
There's no denying that poinsettias absolutely ooze holiday spirit. If you're someone who typically opts for floral nail designs, try painting a poinsettia on your nails this season. Poinsettia designs make for cute corner accents, but you could also draw a full poinsettia for a bolder look.
String up some lights
You probably already have lights strung up around your house and Christmas tree, so why not add them to your holiday manicure? You can add a single string with some lights to a couple of accent nails, or you can go the extra mile and create a continual string lights design across all of your nails.
Make simple zigzag Christmas trees
You don't need to consider yourself an artist to draw Christmas trees on your nails this season. As long as you can draw zigzags, you can make a minimalist Christmas tree design on your nails. Just use green nail polish to put some zigzags on your nails, and remember to top each one off with a gold star.
Cuticle wreaths are a cute touch
Fans of French moon manicures may love this holiday manicure idea. Instead of painting a typical French moon, turn your French moon into a small wreath design. We love to see this look on a neutral base, but those who want to go bold could also try a red or silver base.
Gold chrome always gives holiday vibes
If you've recently adopted a love of chrome and want to carry it over to the holiday season, it's easy enough with a chrome gold nail polish. A reflective chrome gold is reminiscent of wrapping paper and shines well enough on its own (or with a small red bow painted on top).
Don't forget green
Red tends to take the spotlight over the holidays, but we can't forget about green! If red and gold are too showy for your liking, deep evergreen nails may be the way to go. We love glittery green accents, but a matte polish can give your overall look a moody edge if that's more your speed.