7 Subtle Thanksgiving Nail Designs You'll Want To Gobble Up

The holidays allow us to gather with loved ones and, of course, show off our festive fashion and manicures. While there's a ton of Halloween and Christmas nail inspiration out there, deciding on a Thanksgiving manicure can be as tricky as figuring out how many sides to cook for the big dinner. Before you get too wrapped up in holiday stress, a fun fall manicure is something small you can do for yourself.

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It's always fun to go with the more obvious turkey and pumpkin nail art, but there's still something to be said about simple and subtle looks for Thanksgiving. Think warm and earthy tones to capture the cozy feeling of fall — deep browns, reds, oranges, yellows, and greens. You can take these colors and create solid or multicolored looks, adding small details like leaves, flowers, and lines. For some festive nail inspiration, we've got you covered with a few looks for Thanksgiving. You'll have the best set of nails at your table.

Fall foliage

Nothing says fall like watching the leaves change colors. You can embrace this change by asking for simple leaf nail art at the salon, whether it's on one nail for an accent or on every nail. 

@yodeebs

Reply to @jai.lyss5 inspo laladynails on ig ✿ #nails #nailart #diynails #thanksgiving #thanksgivingnails #fyp

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♬ original sound – yodeebs

TikTok user @yodeebs shared their own Thanksgiving manicure where they painted flowers instead of leaves. They started with a solid base of brown and then used a dotting tool to paint tiny flowers with other fall colors in the center of the petals. 

Matte corduroy manicure

When cold weather comes around, you see corduroy pants and jackets everywhere. But what if we told you there was a way to achieve a corduroy texture on your nails as well? 

@sadlerupnails

Sing along while you watch this Corduroy nail tutorial! #corduroynails #texturednails #allsaints

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♬ Never Ever – All Saints

First, a solid layer of gel polish is applied. Once it dries, very thin lines of the same polish color are applied on top. Then, a layer of dip powder is brushed on, creating a soft, textured nail that resembles corduroy fabric. This look will certainly up your matte-manicure game.

Simple line art

This is a more abstract take on Thanksgiving-inspired nails. You can create some variation by painting some of your nails a solid tone and then accenting the others with thin, wavy lines. For the look above, the nail artist went for varying hues of brown, but you can choose any fall tone to guide the look, whether it's orange, yellow, burgundy, or a combination. 

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Plaid manicure

Plaid nails are a hit during the fall season, whether you make it an accent or choose to give every nail that flannel touch. Start with a solid base underneath, and then layer on your plaid pattern with a tiny, fine brush. Each color has to be completely dry before painting on a new one; this will ensure that the different nail polishes don't smudge into each other.

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French tips

A French manicure is gorgeous all year round, but you can take advantage of the style with fall colors. You can wear a different color on each nail, or you can stick to one tone, like a brown-tipped French manicure.

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@nineluxenails

Happy Thanksgiving 🦃✨ #fallnails #nailart #mattenails #nailsoftheday #beginnernailtech #nailinspo

♬ original sound – Bria Goodeatsonlynyc

If you prefer long tips, this video from TikTok user @nineluxe nails might inspire you. They created a multicolored fall look in which the base of each nail was matte and the tips were glossy. 

Autumnal chrome nails

If you like to wear a bit of shimmer and shine, chrome nails are the way to go. Try OPI's "Worth a Pretty Penne" lacquer nail polish to get a warm copper tone at home. You can also use your favorite caramel-toned polish and top it off with a chrome pigment powder, like The Gel Bottle's Copper Chrome Pigment

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If copper isn't your thing, try a gold or silver chrome look instead. 

@nailsbypaular

literally the perfect nails for fall <3 💛✨🍂 using the bronze mirror chrome powder from @Daily Charme 🌞🙈 #chromenails #nailtutorial #goldnails #nailinspo #naildesigns #diynails #nailtok #fyp

♬ greedy – Tate McRae

Dark red manicure

Deep red tones like maroon and burgundy are staples for the fall season. Plus, they're a perfect transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas, if you celebrate. 

Maroon has a reddish-brown hue to it, which pairs very well with neutral tones like beige and white. Burgundy, on the other hand, has more of a purple undertone. As celebrity nail stylist Elle Gerstein told Glamour, "Burgundy pairs well with the leaves turning and those tones — marigolds and burnt oranges look stunning with it ... It could also look stunning with a blushy pink and anything with gold detailing." 

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