9 Christmas Nail Ideas That Are As Scrumptious As Hot Cocoa

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Some of the best parts about Christmas are the smells, sounds, and imagery the word alone conjures up. The holidays are the time of year to sit in front of a fireplace reading one of the best Christmas rom-com books of the 2020s, bickering with family members over both big and petty topics, and, of course, rocking a festive manicure. After all, considering all the social and familial obligations that come with the holidays, you might as well arrive in style with a manicure sure to wow any room you walk into.

"I usually find inspiration for festive nail looks in the small details that surround the season, like textures, colors, and moods rather than literal holiday symbols," nail artist and educator Sofiia Mazur told Marie Claire. "I love to translate those elements into nail looks, like a velvet matte finish inspired by holiday outfits or a touch of chrome that feels like sparkle from New Year's celebrations." While this isn't to suggest a Rudolph or Santa design wouldn't look adorable, if you tap into your five senses and see beyond the obvious, you'll not only have more ideas for holiday nails, but also a chance to flex your creativity.

When it comes to Christmas nail ideas, you can never go wrong with red — all shades of it. If you're looking to do something that's both fun and sweet-looking, let candy canes show you the way. To bring this manicure to life, a bright red sparkly polish like ILNP Joy Classic Red Holographic Jelly is a great choice. Some sparkly polishes can appear chunky and even busy under certain lighting, but this one stays true to traditional sparkly polishes. When creating the candy cane accent nail, start with a pure white base; OPI in Alpine Snow is the perfect shade for this. Then, use a thin nail brush to apply the red sparkly lines at an angle. 

Although some people may go all out with actual Christmas tree designs on their nails — and good for them, because someone has to pull off that look — you can still serve the same energy with just one rich green polish. Londontown in Vibe is the ideal shade of green that, when applied and finished with a high-gloss topcoat, is reminiscent of evergreen and pine trees; It'll immediately wrap you up in the Christmas spirit. As we saw with the 2025 nail color trends that need to be on your radar, rich colors like emerald, mocha, and navy have been all the rage. So this is your chance to get in on the trend before the year is over.

Even if you live in a corner of the world that doesn't get snow, Christmas is the time of year when indulging in snowflake designs is absolutely fitting. This particular manicure is also an easy way to keep your look professional, thanks to the traditional French manicure aspect, while still giving a little Christmas energy with the snowflake accent nail. Because you want to give your nails an overall snowy feel, a light, shimmery topcoat is a must. Diamond Shine topcoat by Londontown is sheer enough to deliver the look you want, without taking away from the rest of the manicure.

While pumpkin pie nails fall under the Thanksgiving nail ideas that are absolutely scrumptious, the reality is that this delicious fall dessert often finds itself on the table during Christmas, too. Because of this, it would simply be rude to pumpkin pie not to have it on this list. Although pumpkin pies vary in their shades of orange, depending on who's doing the baking and if they're using canned pumpkin or the real deal, this means you have quite a few options. However, Carrot Cake by Sally Hansen is a happy medium among most pumpkin pie hues that you'll encounter this holiday season.

Although the bow in a gift-themed manicure might have you thinking back to the coquette nail trend of 2024, in this case, the inspiration for the look is Christmas gifts. After all, what are the holidays for if not to max out your credit card on those you love? The best thing about this nail design is that there are a few different things going on, but it doesn't look busy or gaudy. Instead, it's the embodiment of a fun, cheeky manicure. It's also relatively easy to do at home, as long as you have Big Apple Red by OPI, or a similar shade, a pure white polish, and a nail art tool set.

Winter evokes different things for different people, but one thing most of us can agree on is that drinking hot cocoa by the fire while researching the real-life partners of Hallmark's leading ladies is top-tier coziness. If that image doesn't have you reaching for a deeply luscious chocolate polish for your holiday manicure, then nothing will. You can go about achieving this look with a chocolate brown polish and a light shimmery topcoat, or you can make it easy on yourself and reach for Cockney Glam by Londontown. Not only are browns rich in color, but this one has the slightest hint of shimmer to give it a little holiday kick. 

As much as silver and gold relate to Christmas — mostly because of that Burl Ives' song in the 1964 classic, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" — they're also the perfect colors with which to ring in the New Year. If you know you won't have much time between Christmas and New Year's Eve to change your manicure, then opting for shiny chrome nails for both holidays is the way to go. "Think chrome accents, tiny gems, and textured details," nail expert Juli Russell told Glamour, regarding this winter's nail trends. Because you're not doing your whole nail, Double Rhythm Metal Gel Liner will help you achieve a flawless French tip, as well as any other designs you have in mind.

Because both red and chrome scream Christmas, if you want to keep things simple yet sophisticated, you can't go wrong with a red chrome manicure. It's classic, never goes out of style, and it's the ultimate shade — with the perfect amount of mirror-shine — for the season. It's also another great option if you only have the time and budget for one manicure to last from Christmas through New Year's Day. If you find that you get bored with this look, then you can always do an accent nail or add a couple of designs to switch things up just in time for January.

Not only does this time of year call for burgundy and pretty much every shade of dark red, but winter without mulled wine just doesn't feel much like winter. Deep berry polishes like mulberry and black cherry aren't just timeless classics for the holiday season, but they're also friendly reminders that sometimes you might need a bit of red wine to tackle the holidays when your family disagrees about politics. With Côtes du Rhône in your glass and Bordeaux by Essie on your nails, you'll end up having one of the best Christmases ever.