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Home » Beauty » Nail Ideas

Christmas Nail Ideas That Came Straight Off Of Santa’s Nice List

By Hebba Gouda | December 8, 2022 | Updated on June 10, 2023 | Leave a Comment
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Christmas Nail Ideas - Santa and Rudolph
Christmas Nail Ideas - Subtle Santa Hat
Christmas Nail Ideas - Ho Ho Ho
Christmas Nail Ideas - Different Designs
Christmas Nail Ideas - Dolled-up Gingerbread
Christmas Nail Ideas - Santa and Rudolph

This Christmas, we wished for more fingers. Just think of the possibilities! It’d be easier to open presents, hold more cookies, and you’d have way more opportunities to try out these cute Christmas nail ideas.

But for better or worse, Santa asked us to stop asking for body parts. So for now we’ll just have to make due with our regular 10-fingered manicure.

Some of these Christmas nail ideas are subtle, and some are “punch you in the face with holiday cheer.” So whether your level of enthusiasm is more Buddy the Elf or end-of-the-movie Scrooge, there’s something for you here!
Christmas Nail Ideas

 

20 Creative Christmas Nail Ideas

1. Santa and Rudolph Nails

One of the few things we love as much as holidays? Googly eyes. This nail design has the energy of both, and we are here for it. Even though the eyes aren’t technically googly. Googly? Googly. What a weird word.

Christmas Nail Ideas - Santa and Rudolph
Photo Credit: @amynails.salon

 

2. Mismatched Christmas Nail Designs

These small, intricate designs are refreshingly devoid of the more overt Christmas icons. It’s a nice reminder that Christmas isn’t all about presents and Santa. It’s only mostly about presents and Santa!

Christmas Nail Ideas - Different Designs
Photo Credit: @arteenunasraquel

 

3. Ho Ho Ho Candy Cane Nails

With “ho ho ho,” you can use these nails to laugh, throw shade, or remind yourself of what to get for the gardening enthusiast in your life. Multi-purpose and gorgeous? Well done.

Christmas Nail Ideas - Ho Ho Ho
Photo Credit: @nailsbyashleighr

 

4. Subtle Santa Hat Nail Design

The sparkle of this deep red would have us feeling festive even without the nod to the Santa hat. That being said, we love the nod to the Santa hat. We really just love his hat. Think we can borrow it for a night?

Christmas Nail Ideas - Subtle Santa Hat
Photo Credit: @belvisobeauty13

 

5. Dolled-Up Gingerbread Nails

This gingerbread person is more put-together than we are. But then we remember that the bar is set pretty high, because it’s literally put together with sugar, spice, and everything nice. Well, and nail polish.

Christmas Nail Ideas - Dolled-up Gingerbread
Photo Credit: @ioana_b_nails

 

6. Red Gift Nail Art

If you don’t want to spend a ton of time on your Christmas nails, this subtle ribbon accent is the perfect solution. And the best part about this glitter wrapping paper-inspired look is that the glitter won’t get everywhere.

We appreciate the aesthetic, but our vacuum cleaner doesn’t like to work that hard after opening presents.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ⚡️ DMC Nail Studio ⚡️ (@dmcnailstudio)

 

7. Neutral Ornament Nails

Just because you love Christmas, it doesn’t mean you have to love the bright reds and greens. You can still share your holiday cheer while sticking to a clean neutral palette. If anyone questions it, just tell them the color ran out on your ink printer. And then walk away before they think about it too hard.

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A post shared by So lovely salon (@so_lovely_salon)

 

8. Deep Green and Candy Cane Nail Art

It takes true talent to be able to do this design and color scheme. That is, without having it come out looking like a barber shop in a forest.

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A post shared by Ceci (@cest_the_nail)

 

9. Green and Gold Christmas Nails

All that glitters is not gold. But in this case, it is! Add a few pops of green for Christmastime, or a lot of pops of green for St. Patrick’s Day. Versatility at its finest.

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A post shared by hpnailsbarnstaple (@hpnailsbarnstaple)

 

10. Matte Christmas Nail Design

Show us a cute combination of Christmas characters. We’ll wait! As long as we have some cookies.

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A post shared by Jade Ellen Edwards-Halliwell (@jadeedwardshalliwell)

 

11. Simple Tree Nail Art

Simple and perfectly executed, these trees get the point across without being extravagant. These trees are like if Hemingway’s six word stories were nail designs. And not incredibly depressing.

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A post shared by Natalie Rock (@natalierocknails)

 

12. Short and Sweet Christmas Nail Design

We love to see short nails represented! Mainly because we keep breaking our acrylics. It’s probably a bigger issue because they’re all on other people, but still.

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A post shared by 𝓝𝓲𝓬𝓸𝓵𝓮 𝓗𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓸𝓷 (@beautybynicolehenderson)

 

13. Christmas Stiletto Nails

Whoever did these is seriously talon-ted. We wouldn’t blame you if you put these babies on at Thanksgiving and used them to take out the Black Friday competition. Although Target might have some concerns…

https://www.instagram.com/p/ClG_CHdLro2/

 

14. Christmas Wrapping Paper Nail Design

Speaking of Target, this nail design idea looks like the wrapping paper assortment you’d find there. We mean this as the highest compliment! Can you wrap our presents with the ring finger design?

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A post shared by Touch of Glamour by Kitti (@touchofglamourbykitti)

 

15. Chubby Reindeer Nail Art

Reindeer are already cute. But with chubby cheeks? No one has ever been more adorable rocking that, “I just had my wisdom teeth removed” chic look.

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A post shared by Beauty Therapist Coventry (@emilyhancox_beauty)

 

16. Red and White Christmas Nail Art

Red and white nails? Basic. Red and white nails featuring confetting trees and artistic candy canes? Put it in the Louvre already!

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A post shared by AMANDA BYRNE NAIL ARTIST (@amanda_byrne_nailartist)

 

17. Subtle Christmas Stripes

If you look at this simple Christmas nail idea and think of bar graphs, it’s a sign you are way overdue for a vacation.

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A post shared by Shelley Graham (@_by_shelley)

 

18. 3D Holly Nails

Shout out to the holiday plants that aren’t Christmas trees, or somehow socially acceptable excuses to pressure people into physical affection based on proximity. Lookin at you, mistletoe.

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A post shared by ☆꧁༒☬Dolled Up Nails☬༒꧂☆ (@dolled_up_nails)

 

19. Plaid Christmas Nails

Because lumberjacks celebrate Christmas, too! Some of them. And some of them don’t and that’s okay. They’re all individuals, so let’s stop lumping people together, okay?

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A post shared by Rachel | Affordable Luxury Beauty Solutions (@rachelinadash)

 

20. A Christmas Roller Coaster

Separately, these nails make us think of creme savers, Mickey Mouse, and Stranger Things. Together, they sing “Christmas.” Watch out, Mariah!

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A post shared by Justine (@_nailmama_)

  • Author
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Hebba Gouda
Hebba Gouda
Hebba is a New Jersey born, Minnesota educated brunch enthusiast who is strongly in favor of the Oxford comma. She likes nostalgic songs, jigsaw puzzles, and middle brownie pieces. She dislikes humidity, sports, and sports in humidity. She uses her background in science and creative writing as part of the team behind the podcast Two What's?! and a Wow! You can find her being silly on Twitter and serious on LinkedIn.
Hebba Gouda
Latest posts by Hebba Gouda (see all)
  • Hop Into Spring With These Egg-cellent Easter Nail Designs - March 30, 2023
  • Sip Your Green Beer In Style With These St. Patrick’s Day Nail Colors (Guinness Works, Too) - March 3, 2023
  • The Best Conversation Starters to Use When The Only Person You Know Leaves the Room - February 20, 2023
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links from Amazon and other sites that we collect a share of sales from.
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61 shares
61 shares