35 Shockingly Easy Nail Designs You Can Totally Do at Home
Afresh set can change your life. While we love a professional manicure as much as the next person, sometimes we just need a quick fix at home. And we don't just mean a polish touch-up—we're talking about indulging in the full therapeutic experience of painting our nails.
Sometimes, a single swipe of color will do the trick. But often, we're craving something a little more interesting. So, we rounded up 35 simple and easy nail art designs you can do at home (and probably with the nail colors you already own). We're not nail artists by any means, but luckily with these looks and tips from experts Jordan Meade, Amy Oung, and Tammy Taylor, that doesn't matter.
MEET THE EXPERT
- Jordan Meade is a professional nail artist with on-demand beauty service Glamsquad.
- Amy Oung is a SpaRitual nail artist.
- Tammy Taylor is a professional nail artist and business owner with more than three decades in the industry.
Check out these easy nail art ideas you can do at home.
01 Wavy Reds
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This look offers "minimal effort but maximum design," says Meade. "Like art on your nails, this abstract line design gives a simple yet alluring effect." Meade offers the following tips: "Apply a thin base coat using a light polish and cure for 60 seconds. Take a fine detail brush and color of choice to draw random, freestyled swirl lines that vary in thickness. Remember art is subjective, not perfect."
We love a good pastel nail vibe and having multiple shade options is even better. Mirror the color order on each hand for a polished nail art look that doesn't require any tricky precision.
This nail art is almost too easy. It features stripes over top half-painted nails, providing inspiration for a way to make your mani last longer as it grows out.
07 Starry Details
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If you want to rock some nail art but don't have the steadiest of hands, we've got a solution: nail stickers.
08 Gilded Half Moons
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Teal and metallic gold collide in this chic design.
09 Party Dots
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You've probably seen polka-dot nails before, but this one creates a new layer of fun. Pick a few colors to create a bunch of tiny dots all around bare nails—variation and overlap are all part of the fun here.
The colored stripes make this neutral mani fun and interesting while remaining simple enough for both execution purposes and more conservative settings. Nail stripe stickers can make achieving this look even easier.
The impact of this manicure far outweighs the time it takes to achieve it. No metallic or neon color combo is off limits with this simple, chic style. To make this mani—or any mani—last, "Always use a top coat!" emphasizes Oung.
The contrast between the yellow base and blue dots makes this look from Paintbox pop. These dots are 3D, but a contrasting polish will also provide a bold impact if you're not looking to shop for extra baubles.
Get this sparkly yet understated look by using a sponge to press on glitter from the lower left corner, tapering into nothing. Set with a clear coat and bam—instant party nail art.
The unique color combo is what drew us to this two-toned nail design.
17 A Sleek Swoop
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Shift your French tip to the corner of your nail for a modern take on the classic manicure. Stick with a pastel shade or go bolder with bright rainbow hues. "A base coat is optional with this design since all the flare is at the tip," notes Meade. "Choose five different colors–one for each nail, and use the polish brush to create a curved slope starting at the corner of your nail. Keep some acetone handy to clean up the curved line with another brush. Just like that, a pop of color is all you need to stand out."
If you're not a fan of bright colors on your nails, this easy nail art idea is a stunning choice. We love how the thin black stripe adds dimension to the white base, creating a design that's super versatile.
You may be familiar with half-moon cuticles, but what about these snazzy pyramids instead? Oung's tip for nailing the look: "Always wait for the base color to dry before painting the top designs."
This simple pastel mani got a major upgrade. Add a triangle of tonal foil to your go-to nail polish shade to emulate this beautiful style. Nothing more, nothing less.
21 Bling Fingers
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Bejewel your nails for a minimum-effort, maximum-impact design. Grab some sparklers and get to gluing. Long coffin nails make a great canvas to go wild with jewels but this look can also be adapted to shorter nails.
22 Duo-Tone Blush
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We're totally here for this twist on the two-tone manicure. Each nail is a little bit different, which keeps things interesting. To feign a salon mani at home, make sure to take care of your nail brush. "If any of the design brushes stiffen from the nail polish, swish it around in pure acetone and clean the brush with either a lint-free wipe or lint-free paper towel and resume with the designing," comments Oung.
23 Nail Wave Nouveau
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Throw in a curve to give a half-and-half mani a playful twist. Stick to all one shade as a base, or skip it in favor of a clear base coat for a negative-space moment that will make everyone positively jealous.
24 Negative-Space Stunners
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If you want to rock a head-turning manicure but don't have the patience to sit and paint all your nails, consider this black and white half-and-half mani that confines the color to just two nails. Recreate the look using striping tape to trace clean lines for your base color, then finish with dots of contrasting black or white polish.
25 Confetti Party
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We've shown you plenty of variations on this theme, but there's still room for a classic polka dot pattern in your easy nail art arsenal. If you look closely, these delicate dots are actually specks from a confetti polish—all the better to make a fun look even easier.
26 Yayoi Kusama-Inspired
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Your nails can look like an actual piece of Yayoi Kusama's modern art with minimal effort. Simply start with a bright, dandelion-yellow base, then finish with black dots in varying sizes—no need to stress about uniformity here.
Here's another option for all the French manicure lovers out there. Adorn the center of the nail with whatever design you want. The witchy decals in this mani are making us long for Halloween all year long.
28 Blue Gradient
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If you're not one to get crafty with intricate nail art ideas but still crave an eye-catching design, check out this gradient option. With a different blue shade on each nail, it's a dreamy contrast we can't stop staring at. If you're not sure which shades of blue will pair well together, ask your nail technician.
Daisies are giving us serious mid-'90s, Clueless vibes and your nails will be the envy of everyone you flash with the "Whatever" hands. This example uses a barely there polish and bejeweled nail stickers, but you can go as simple or complex as you want and still be sure the flowers will shine.
30 Smilie Faces
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Add a boost of joy to your solid mani with some easy nail art that smiles back. The eyes on this design are purposefully squiggly, so there's no need to worry about a perfectly straight application.
31 Chevron Tips
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These chevron tips look far more complicated than they are. All you need are two diagonal swipes of polish at the tip and you're out the door. (Don't forget to set with a top coat.) We personally love the preppy green and white combo here, but you can mix and match to your heart's content.
32 Red Velvet French
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Now this is a rich take on the classic French manicure. The matte base creates an unexpected finish while the glossy, matching tips really up the ante.
Sporty, square-shaped nails look incredibly sleek with a subtle graphic design. The pale pink base creates the perfect canvas for the ever-so-slight black border to each nail edge.
35 Evil Eye Manicure
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Protect your energy with this delicate DIY nail design. A barely there base keeps the look clean while layered white and blue dots build the perfect evil eye art.
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