Seven Festive DIY Christmas Nail Art Designs and Ideas

Nail art that “sleighs”

When all the cooking and holiday prep work is finally done, it’ll be time to pamper yourself with some much needed R&R, mamas! We can’t think of anything more relaxing then an hour away from the noise and getting a manicure. Send the kiddies out for an afternoon (Read more: Christmas Camps: Festive Activities for your Kiddos this Holiday), tap into your creative side and try out some festive nail art designs on your ten digits. We’ve picked seven holiday nail art ideas that will have you feeling the Christmas spirit real soon!

One of the easiest but still very much within the Christmas spirit are candy cane inspired stripes. You really can’t go wrong with this one and you’ll instantly feel all things warm and Chrismassy. For your desired effect, it may help to lay pieces of tape across your nail to create your own thickness for each stripe. Add a top coat and ta-da, you’ve got yourself some rockin’ candy canes!

Looking for something a bit more playful? Explore the artist in you and try this adorable (and ambitious!) reindeer design. Your kiddos will want matching ones for themselves too! Add this cute design on an accent nail and for the remaining digits, simple polkadots really complete the whimsical look.

Keep things classy and simple with this understated but beautiful sparkly design. Keep your base colour neutral or pale pink and add a thin gold stripe over your nails leaving one nail for an accent colour. Choose your favourite glitter polish and add to the tip of the accent nail for that subtle sparkle. We love this for the holidays but also works well for a New Years Eve soirée!

A rockin’ look with minimal effort is key for busy mamas! We love this combo of studs and glitter on top of your desired base colour. Whether you choose a wine red, forest green or even bright white, small gem studs and glitter really add that extra flair to this look. Add a stud to each nail or every other finger!

It can seem a bit daunting and time-consuming to draw a proper Christmas tree on your nails… but that doesn’t mean you can’t be inspired to your own version, mamas! Opt for squiggles instead of sharp points for an abstract version (you can use a paintbrush with a small and pointed tip). Add flecks of white polish for a snowy effect to complete the look.

For those of you who don’t want your nails to scream Christmas but still want to bring some holiday cheer, why not opt for black and gold (you can also go for a glittery version to amp it up)? Mix it up a bit with geometric shapes and diagonal lines for a modern look. Our favourite thing about this look? It’s totally wearable for the whole year!

And last but not least, the jolly ol’ man himself. We’re pretty sure Mrs. Claus’ rocks this design all year ’round. The Santa nail looks more difficult than it actually is, trust us, mamas! All you have to do is simply start with a base of red polish, add two strips of white polish and then black for Santa’s belt. With a careful and light touch (use a thin paint brush!), add the gold detail around the belt and you’re done!