50 Festive Christmas Nails You’ll *Actually* Want To Wear

Looking for fun and festive Christmas nail designs that you can recreate this year? If so, we’ve got you covered.

Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, everyone deserves to treat themselves to a seasonal mani. While the outside may be cold and gloomy, it’s also the perfect excuse to adorn your nails with a little extra sparkle.

From sophisticated nail designs in festive greens and reds, to more obvious nods to Christmas in the form of candy cane swirls, snowflakes and reindeer, there’s an [almost] endless array of designs for both the minimalist and those with a penchant for more elaborate designs.

So, whether you’re attending a work party or looking to add some seasonal flair to a more casual Christmas outfit, take a look at these 50 nail ideas that are as chic as they are festive.

50 Classy Christmas Nails

1. Classic Red & White

This manicure is so striking and has a quintessentially Christmas aesthetic! Glossy red nails are paired with bare nails and decorated with a red and white crossover tip and sparkling, snowflake-inspired embellishments to create the perfect nails for this Christmas season.

2. Touch Of Glam

These glittering nails have a more subtle Christmas look and are ideal if you love neutral colors. The pale pink nails are decorated with gold glitter at the base that fades as you move up the nail. The accent nail features waves of white and glitter polish atop a matte pink nail – so pretty!

3. Forest Green

We love this dark, forest green manicure – perfect as you move from the winter months to the Christmas season. Three fingers are painted with glossy green polish, while the ring and little fingers have a nude base and then feature waves of silver glitter, forest, and sage green polish at the tip, and a white snowflake, creating gorgeous winter nails.

4. Red Tips

This nail design adds a Christmas twist to a classic and chic French manicure. The natural nails have each been finished with a red tip, while, on the ring finger, the red French tip has been transformed into a little fluffy Santa hat for a festive touch.

5. Peppermint Swirls

If you are looking for a glam Christmas manicure, this nail design is perfect for you! The thumb and little finger are painted with sparkling green glitter polish, similar to the middle finger which has a minimal green glitter touch. The index and ring fingers have a clear base and then a red and white candy cane swirled French tip – so cute!

6. Midnight Snowflakes

Go for something a little darker this Christmas with this midnight snowflake manicure. This nail design includes glossy black nails, sparkling black nails, and an accent finger with a milky white base, decorated with a black, detailed snowflake to finish this stunning manicure.

7. Scandi Christmas

This gorgeous manicure has a minimalist, Scandi aesthetic that is just so stylish at the moment. Each nail has a pale beige base and is decorated with different Christmas decorations – including a white candle, a sprig from a fir tree, a dried orange slice, and a simple snowflake.

8. Golden Touch

These gold nails are perfect for the Christmas season! Glittering gold nails sit alongside nails with a glossy grey base, framed with gold glitter, while the ring finger features gleaming gold antlers and a little white heart to give a country Christmas look.

9. Minimalist Christmas Tree

Keep it simple with this elegant and sophisticated Christmas tree manicure. Each nail has a glossy, neutral-toned base then the middle and ring finger each featuring half of a shiny green Christmas tree, that creates a whole tree when the nails sit together – just stunning!

10. Christmas Puds

This Christmas pudding nail design is just so cute and another great design if you are after something a little more neutral. The index and middle fingers have a glossy, nude base, decorated with gold glitter polka dots and heart-shaped Christmas puddings! The rest of the nails are painted with a brown glittery polish.

11. Pastel Pink sparkles

via @GemmasNails87 | Get them on her Etsy shop

Go super sweet with this sugary pink Christmas manicure. We love the range of designs within this manicure, including a glittering bauble nail, a white snowflake, a pink glitter nail, and a pale pink nail decorated with a 3D gemstone, creating glamorous Christmas nails.

12. Colorful Stripes

Create a chic striped design with a Christmas color palette to add a subtle festive touch to your nails. This manicure begins with a nude base and then the tip is decorated with stripes in red, green, white, and gold glitter for a Christmassy look.

13. Rudolph The Reindeer

These reindeer nails are just adorable and just what you need for the Christmas season this year! This manicure includes bronze and gold glitter nails, red glossy nails, and a matte beige nail decorated with a little reindeer face to finish these cute nails.

14. Christmas Lights

Add a pop of color to your festive nails with this Christmas lights design! The nails have a white base and then feature a thin black line, decorated with multicolor lights – this could be created with nail polish or 3D gemstones, as you can see in this manicure.

15. Light Blue

Go for a polished and refined Christmas manicure, like these pale blue nails. The ring finger is decorated with a gold, geometric Christmas tree, while the little finger features a touch of blue glitter and the rest of the nails are kept simple with a blue or white base.

16. Emerald Green

These emerald green nails are perfect for the whole festive period, before and after Christmas too! All the nails are painted with a glossy green polish, except for the little finger which has a white base and is decorated with gold glitter at the base, which fades out as you move up the nail to add a glam touch.

17. Gingerbread Man

We love a gingerbread man at Christmas time so why not decorate your nails with this festive character? The blush pink and bronze glitter nails sit alongside a middle finger featuring a little dark brown gingerbread man with white icing details – just adorable.

18. Golden Tree

Red and gold is a classic Christmas color combination that looks stunning in this festive manicure. Three of the nails are painted red, while the middle finger is entirely gold glitter and the ring finger has a pink base and is decorated with a little gold Christmas tree with white decorations, creating a glam, festive look!

19. Mix & Match

Add your favorite Christmas decorations and motifs to your nails to recreate this pretty, mix-and-match festive manicure. Each nail begins with a nude base, then the ring finger is decorated with a range of Christmas motifs, including a candy cane and a gingerbread man, while the rest of the nails have red and green French tips and a snowflake, holly leaves, or a bow.

20. Gold Polka dots + Mistletoe

This gold, mistletoe design is just beautiful! The clear base nails are each framed with gleaming gold polka dots and then the ring finger features a little sprig of mistletoe for that perfect Christmassy look!

21. Gold & Red Swirls

These swirly nails look similar to a candy cane for a cute, festive look! Each nail begins with a pale pink base and is decorated with red and gold glitter French tips, except for the ring finger, which has white, red, and gold swirls.

22. Double French

Add a little glitter to your French tip nails for a glamorous and festive look. These glossy nude nails have a red French tip and then swags of silver glitter that look a little like tinsel. The accent nail has no French tip but instead has two rows of glitter and a white snowflake design.

23. Minimalist Holly leaves

If you just want a subtle, Christmas touch to your nails, go for this minimalist holly manicure. All the nails are painted in a milky white shade, then the thumb, middle, and ring fingers each feature a spring of holly with little red berries.

24. Cup Of Cheer

We love the mix of festive designs within this gorgeous Christmas manicure! The beige nails are decorated with snowflakes and a Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer face, while the accent nail is painted red and decorated with a little white heart, adding a striking touch to these nails.

25. Starry night

This starry night manicure is the perfect nail design you need for any Christmas parties you have coming up. The glossy, neutral nails have been decorated with sparking little gold stars and shiny polka dots in purple, blue, and green tones for a little pop of color.

26. Snowflakes On A Pink Canvas

These snowflake nails are so pretty and perfect if you are looking for something a little more girly! The middle and ring fingers have a matte pink base and are decorated with intricate white snowflakes, while the rest of the nails have a natural base and a pink French tip, framed with a touch of glitter for a sparkling finish.

27. Minimalist Rudolph Nails

These Rudolph nails are super cute, yet still have a minimalist, paired-back look. The nails are painted with red glitter for a stunning, festive look, while the thumb has a natural base and features a little Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer face.

28. Candy Cane Swirls

If you have a sweet tooth, these candy cane s

wirl nails are perfect for you! These nails have a neutral-toned, glittery base and are each decorated with a little red and white swirl that looks exactly like candy – just irresistible!

29. Elf

Elf is one of the all-time classic Christmas films, so why not take inspiration from this incredible film for your Christmas nails this year? The ring finger is decorated with Buddy the Elf himself, while the rest of the nails have differing French tips, including a white cable knit design, green glitter, and a green snowflake design.

30. Red Plaid

This cozy and cute plaid design is perfect for the festive season and is really unique too! Each of the nails features a red and black plaid design, decorated with a glittering gold stripe, except for the little finger which is painted entirely in gold glitter to add extra sparkle.

31. Pale pink gifts

This gift design is just gorgeous and you can play around with the colors to really make the manicure your own. Each of the nails have a pale pink base and are decorated with silver glitter at the tip, except for the ring finger which has a silver bow like a gift. We love this color palette but you can choose your own colors that suit your personal style.

32. Midnight Blues

We love this blue, snowflake design that is perfect for the winter season. The middle and ring fingers have a shimmering dark blue base and are decorated with white snowflakes, while the rest of the nails have a neutral base and sparkling blue French tips.

33. Candy Cane Stripes

These striking candy cane nails are just irresistible! The natural nails feature a shiny red stripe down the center of the nail, decorated with white diagonal lines to create the candy cane look – delicious!

34. Minimalist Nail Art

The mini designs on these minimalist nails are perfect if you are looking for something chic and festive! Each nail begins with a milky white base and then is decorated with mini Christmas motifs, including a snowman, candy cane, and Christmas tree, and is finished with a touch of silver glitter.

35. Abstract Christmas Tree

This manicure puts a fun, modern twist on the classic Christmas tree design. The nails are painted with a glossy dark green polish, except for the ring finger which has a white base and an abstract Christmas tree design, finished with a gold star at the top.

36. Gift-Wrapped

Gift-wrap your nails with this stunning Christmas manicure! The nails have a glossy bare base and then are either decorated with a red glitter French tip or a glittering ribbon and bow, for a sparkling, Christmas look.

37. Gold Chrome

Gold chrome is so popular in nail art at the moment, so why not incorporate it into your Christmas nails? The index and ring fingers are decorated with shiny gold chrome, while the middle and ring fingers have a sheer white base and feature little sprigs of holly.

38. Nude Palette

If you always opt for neutral nails, then this manicure is just perfect for you! The color palette is kept to beige, gold, and white tones, while there are a range of designs within the manicure, including white and gold stripes, stars, gold glitter, and a glossy beige nail – so chic!

39. Festive Mood

Go for a classic, festive look with this red and white manicure. Three nails are painted with glossy red polish, while the middle finger has a nude base and red French tip, and the little finger is decorated with red and white stripes, like a candy cane.

40. Minimalist Candy Cane Tips

This manicure has a stylish look, with a subtle touch of Christmas! The glossy natural nails have a French tip outline in red and white stripes for a striking, festive look – we love the unique look of this nail design.

41. Emerald & gold

These gold and green nails work for both the Christmas season and any New Year celebrations with a glamorous look. The glossy, emerald green nails each feature gold flecks along one side of the nails adding an opulent touch.

42. Purple Present

Purple is a color we don’t often see in Christmas manicures, but these purple gift nails are just gorgeous. Lilac nails sit alongside glittering purple nails and the middle finger is decorated with a white ribbon and bow, so the nails look like a purple present!

43. Mint Green Tips & Christmas Lights

This manicure has an opulent, eye-catching look, making it perfect for the Christmas season and any festive parties. The glossy nude nails have a glittering green tip and are decorated with a string of red Christmas lights – just stunning and super festive too!

44. Gold Swirls

These Christmas nails are striking and distinctive, with the taupe and chocolate brown swirls paired with gold accents. The nails are painted in a taupe shade and then decorated with gold snowflakes or gold and brown glitter swirls. The little finger is painted entirely in gold for a glam finish.

45. Green Sparkle

Add a little green glitter to your neutral nails for a festive touch! These nude nails are decorated with a V-shaped French tip, with one side in white polish and the other in green glitter polish. Then the middle and ring fingers also feature a little white snowflake.

46. Touch Of Bronze

We love the range of design within this Christmas manicure! The nails have a limited color palette of bronze, green, and white, while the designs include white stars, bronze glitter, glossy white, and a green French tip and bronze Christmas tree design – just stunning!

47. Pinks & Reds

via @Naomi’s Nails

This is another nail design with a few different designs that you can play around with and mix and match into your own, distinctive manicure. There is a red and white stripe candy cane design, a snowflake nail, a geometric red glitter and white design, and a pink and red glitter nail – so many incredible designs!

48. Gold Tips

Go for a classic Christmas look with this gold glitter manicure. The glossy nude nails are decorated with gold glitter tips and little festive springs with white berries, creating a sparkling, festive manicure that is just irresistible.

49. Matte Reindeer

This reindeer design is so chic and stylish, with stunning designs and cute reindeer face. The manicure includes a bronze glitter nail, matte brown nail, a plaid design, and a reindeer face, coming together to create a sophisticated Christmas manicure.  

50. Sparkling Pink & White Glitter

via @thenails beauty

This manicure has an opulent, attention-grabbing look that is exactly what you need for the Christmas season. The nails are painted in white and pink glitter and then feature icicle designs, dropping from the base of the nails and a white snowflake design – just beautiful!

We hope you enjoyed these cute Christmas and holiday nails! Let us know what were your favorite holiday nails in the comments!