29 Holiday Nail-Art Designs That Are Festive Without Being Cheesy

The most festive twist on the inverted french manicure is this sparkly nail design, which features flecks of silver glitter along the cuticle.

Nothing is cozier than sweater nails, which feature 3D details on an accent finger that match the texture of a knit sweater.

Red nails will be everywhere this festive season, but painting on the color in an abstract shape — like just the tip of each nail as shown here — makes this holiday manicure feel fresh.

Switch up your standard holiday nail art by implementing varying designs within a singular theme, like this look that incorporates a different gold glitter look on each finger.

Adding subtle holiday details — like the winter berries design here — to a solid nail-polish color like dark blue or green gives your manicure a touch of whimsy without being too over the top.

Negative-space nails — which feature a design on bare or clear nails — are the ultimate minimalist manicure idea. We especially like this seasonal addition of gold snowflake decals.

Chevron nails are simple, understated, and chic as hell, but you can give them a holiday twist by incorporating classic colors like deep blue and metallic gold.

Swirl nails are already trending this year, but you can level it up by drawing inspiration for your next design from classic wrapping-paper colors, like red, white, and gold.

Give your nails the winter-wonderland touch with a silver-glitter-meets-white-snowflake design.

If you go the more traditional route with your manicure, make sure it doesn't read too "holiday" by switching up the designs on each nail to add an element of surprise.

Show your holiday spirit subtly with pearl and diamond details in the shape of a Christmas tree or wreath (or both) on a nude or neutral-toned polish color.

Mistletoe nail art doesn't have to be obvious or in your face; instead, try adding the design to the tips of every other nail and paint on a cool ombré design leading up to them for dramatic effect.

The easiest holiday nail-design idea: change up your polish finishes. Take this burgundy and rose-gold manicure, for example, which plays with matte and glitter.

Jack Frost provides the ultimate icy nail inspiration — just take this blue, silver, and white design.

Give Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer a subtle nod by adding the cartoon to an accent finger. Paint the rest of your nails either a single polish or an equally simple look.

An olive-green polish that matches your Christmas tree or wreath is a perfect choice on its own, but adding in a few flecks of scattered gold glitter to a nail or two makes it feel extra festive.

Why not give your "french moon" manicure a holiday touch by adding a singular snowflake decal on a single finger?

Matte burgundy nails look especially chic with a singular stenciled detail in a classic wrapping-paper design.

Just because it's the holiday season doesn't mean you need to stick to the same traditional colors you see everywhere. Case in point? This snowflake nail art painted on top of a bright-pink polish.

Give your french manicure the 3D touch with this embossed cashmere-sweater detail on the tips.

Or add the white sweater detail to a singular accent nail and paint the rest of your fingers a bright cherry red.

We love a classic burgundy manicure in winter, and these gold-star additions (created with a metallic polish and thin nail brush) take it up a notch.

The classic holiday candy gets a nail-art upgrade with this swirl design.

Metallic foil finishes are the perfect topper to any opaque holiday polish. We suggest adding it to one or two accent nails for a fun but subtle effect.

If you want to try the cashmere-sweater nails trend but still want to keep it cozy and simple, we suggest a neutral base color like the beige worn here.

French manicures look a lot more festive when you incorporate a glitter polish. Bonus points if you add other elements, like a snowflake here and there, to each nail.

If you love all things Christmas and want a nail-art look to embody that, try a simple design on top of a deep-green polish color.

Subtle gold details on a clean, neutral-colored polish will pair well with any holiday outfit.

Try the Skittles manicure — which features a different color on each fingernail — but give it a festive upgrade with greens, reds, and glitter polishes.