Simple Christmas Nail Designs for Celebrating This Season

You may go one of two ways with Simple Christmas nail Designs: extremely basic or extravagant. And if you're looking for a festive and intriguing design that doesn't include any reindeer or snowmen, you've come to the perfect spot. We're here to help you create elegant and understated Christmas nail designs. "Elegant nails have an essence to them [in that] they don't have too much going on, but they capture your attention," explains nail artist Sharon Ladokun.

When it comes to Simple Christmas nails, it's all about adopting the season's mainstays—jewel tones and metallics—and having fun with them. "You can incorporate festive colours such as red, green, and gold into minimalist looks such as a French manicure," explains San Sung Kim, a nail artist.

To help you nail down the look you'll wear this Christmas, browse the stunning designs below.

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Gold Velvet

SANSUNGNAILS

“This French manicure featuring a golden velvet tip with the addition of tiny holly berries and twinkling stars is the perfect Christmas look,” says Kim. “If you don't have a gold velvet polish available, you can substitute it with a gold glitter polish like ORLY's Untouchable Decadence ($11) for a special touch of shimmer.”

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Skittle Half Moon

@DOVENAILSBYSHARON

Leaving the half-moons of the nail bare is an easy way to elevate a simple nail look. Ladokun used a different shade of red on each digit to create this Skittle nails-like effect.

 20 Half-Moon Manicure Designs That Are Out of This World

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Snowy Branches

@ONENAILTORULETHEMALL

Branches are a staple in nail designs because they're so simple to paint. Jazz up leaves for Christmas by adding berries and snowflakes.

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Simple Tree

@DISSEYNAILS

Just two polishes—Moon Cat's Poison Ivy ($13) and I’m A MF Supernova ($14)— 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.

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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.

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Ruby Tips

@SANSUNGNAILS

“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 ($11) as the base French color and add various red rhinestones to top it off."

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Festive Polka Dots

@ONENAILTORULETHEMALL

Get in the holiday spirit without using the traditional shades of red and green. This look uses shimmery jewel tones to create a stunning look.

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Sweater Weather

@JULIEKNAILSNYC

This mix-and-match look features cable-knit, bow, and snowflake patterns. Although the designs are so varied, the look only uses two colors, which keeps the overall effect a bit calmer.

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Christmas Berries

@ONENAILTORULETHEMALL

Adding holly berries to your mani is a perfect and easy way to celebrate Christmas. This look features berries atop holographic glitter, accompanied by high-shine, red shimmer nails.

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Sleek Red Tip

@DOVENAILSBYSHARON

By painting a simple French tip in a jolly shade of red, Ladokun created a super simple yet impactful Christmas nail design.

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Twinkle Time

@JULIEKNAILSNYC

To create a snowy look without getting too literal, swipe on a few coats of an iridescent white polish like Essie's Crystal Clear Intentions ($10)

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Shimmer Swirls

@PINKBUNNYNAILZ

Because this look features swirls of shimmery polish on a sheer, nude base, the sparkle isn't super overwhelming. The design is festive, yet breathable.

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Simple Mix ‘n Match

@DOVENAILSBYSHARON

You can't go wrong with a traditional Christmas mix-and-match mani. For this look, Ladokun used red, green, white, and beige to creat a plaid-and-snowflake design.

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Dotted Tips

@LOLO.NAILEDIT

This design features a cluster of polka dots at the tip of each nail that cascade down, creating a tip-like effect. It was created using Brutal Honesty ($18), Twin Flame ($18), Lightning Strikes Metallic ($18), and Blank Canvas ($18) from Un/Dn Laqr.

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Chrome Tips

@KLAWSBYSONIA

Metallics will always be a perfect fit for the holidays. This look keeps it simple with gold chrome tips.

 25 Chrome Nail Designs to Help You Shine Bright

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Festive French

@ONENAILTORULETHEMALL

This French manicure features glittery red tips and varied festive foliage at the base of each nail. It's a bold design that remains a little airy thanks to the sheer, nude base.

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Mistletoe Half-Moon

@ONENAILTORULETHEMALL

Although the glittery green polish is festive on its own, this design goes a bit further by adding a single white nail featuring a mistletoe leaf along the nail's half-moon.

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Santa Drip

@DISSEYNAILS

This drippy nail design features a red and white design that looks like a melting Santa hat. The look embodies the holiday in a cool and abstract way.

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Put a Bow on It

@DISSEYNAILS

Red is the star of this look that was created using shades of polish—Salon Perfect He’s With Me ($5) and Lights Lacquer Clueless ($11)—and 3D Pearl Nail Stickers ($7).

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Red Snow

@ONENAILTORULETHEMALL

This look features snowflakes atop a red, glittery base. It's the perfect look if you want something Christmasy that can be done quickly.