Just because your nails are short doesn’t mean you’re missing out on the holiday nail trends – if anything, they’re made for holiday-themed designs. Whether you’re feeling classic reds and greens, obsessed with chrome everything, or sneaking in some moody hues, these 35 short Christmas nail designs will prove that shorties can be just as festive as the long nails. Let’s get it.
1. Reindeer Nail Art
Rotate between glittery light-brown and milky white nails because we’re classy like that, then hit the feature nails with gold polka dots and reindeer art.
2. Bows & Polka Dots
Burgundy on most of your set, but leave a couple nails sheer and paint them with polka dots and coquette bows. Holiday glam meets Pinterest-girlie winter.
3. Red & Gold Combo
Here’s your classic red Christmas mani, but make it short-nail friendly: mix full-coverage red, gold glitter, and peppermint swirl accent nails.
4. Stars & Rhinestones
Milky neutral base with gold chrome starburst art and colorful rhinestone centers – you’ll be making unnecessary hand gestures all December just to show these off.
5. Red Cat-Eye
Red cat-eye is perfect for short Christmas nails. You get the festive color, that hypnotic light beam that follows your hand, AND all the sparkle without needing extra art.
6. Pink Christmas Mani
Pick your pink (team dusty pink over here), add sparkle topcoat to a few nails, hit one with snow-inspired art. Pink nail girlies, we’re THRIVING this holiday szn.
7. Red French Tips
Red French tips are 100% doable on short nails and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Add a candy cane heart on the accent nail for peak cute-girl Christmas energy.
8. Mistletoe Accents
Clean-girl goes winter-holiday mode. Milky white nails with Christmas holly and mistletoe art because you CAN be festive without losing your entire aesthetic.
9. Green Chrome Nails
If you’re a chrome girlie, it’s time to go green for the holiday szn. Don’t go too moody with your base – pick something a bit saturated, chrome it up and boom. Shiny, pretty, perfect.
10. Blue French Mani
Navy French tips with micro Christmas-inspired art. This is SO unexpectedly cute, your short nails will literally stand out in the sea of red and green sets.
11. Christmas Holly Art
Red chrome alone is already top-tier for a short winter mani, but if you want extra, leave a couple sheer nails and paint them with holly details and polka dots.
12. Colorful Chunky Glitter
If you’re picking white Christmas nails – milky white base and hit the center of each nail with chunky colorful glitter and gems. Full winter princess vibes.
13. Frosty Blue Set
Split your set between icy blue and silver glitter, throw snowflake art on there – your short Christmas mani just went Elsa-core and honestly? Let it go, let it goooo (sorry not sorry).
14. Green Christmas Mani
Paint everything dark green, glitter topcoat on a couple nails, white snowflakes for accents. Hands down the prettiest way to wear green this Christmas and I’m not taking questions.
15. Velvet-Effect Nails
If painting Christmas motifs sounds like too much work, but you still want to be sparkly and festive (relatable) – short velvet mani in champagne is calling your name.
16. Candy Cane Swirls
Obviously we need candy cane line art on this list BUT plot twist – we’re doing it in white and copper glitter because we’re not basic like that. Special girlie hours only.
17. Purple Winter Mani
Calling all purple nail girlies living in a red and green world – this is your stop. Soft purple base with gold stripes and stars. We’re doing Christmas nails OUR way.
18. Festive Glitter Accents
Short red manicure with gold glitter details on the accent nails. That’s literally it. Sparkly, photo-ready, and you didn’t have to paint a single snowflake.
19. Micro Christmas Motifs
Neutral base and paint each nail with teeny details: gingerbread cookie, Christmas tree, whatever feels cute. Absolutely stunning and won’t overwhelm your shorties.
20. Neutral Holiday Mani
Pick your neutral base (make sure it doesn’t make you look like a ghost), add glitter and snowflakes on feature nails. Neutral queens get to be festive too.
Dark blue base, sparkly topcoat on a few nails, and confetti glitter + snowflake decals on the rest. Blue Christmas manicure, but make it dramatic.
22. Red & Green
Time for the traditional Christmas color combo, but make it actually cute. Grinch inspired art, candy canes and bow designs – small but mighty energy right here.
23. Star Nail Art
If you want nails that transition from Christmas straight into NYE without a hitch, do this: sheer milky base with silver chrome star art. Star-girl energy 24/7.
24. Shimmery Dark Green
Green Xmas nails round two, but this time with mistletoe. Plus glitter, of course, because we’re not leaving the house without maximum sparkle in December.
25. Gingerbread Cookies
Eyeing gingerbread nail art? Here’s the short nail version. Go for a ginger-brown base, add white art for frosting details and some glitter accents. Adorbs.
26. Black & Red
If you couldn’t care less about tradition: black and red nails with glitter and black snowflakes. It’s giving Hallmark movie villain, but make it elegant, obviously.
27. White Chrome
White chrome carried us through 2025 and it’s not stopping for December. Already shiny, already perfect, just add bow art and rhinestones for instant holiday mode.
28. Glitter French Tips
Glittery red French tips, gift bows, reindeer faces on the accents. So cute and festive that I already sent this to my nail tech with approximately 17 heart-eye emojis. No regrets.
29. Fair-Isle Nail Art
Long nail girlies got their 3D sweater patterns, short nail girlies got Fair Isle art in neutrals that’ll match every outfit. We’re festive AND practical over here, multitasking queens only.
30. Silver French Tips
Sheer base, silver glitter micro French tips, celestial art on the accents. Christmas Frenchies proving that short nail girlies deserve fancy holiday nails too. Period.
31. Christmas Pudding Art
Sparkly dark brown base + white art for Christmas pudding details – perfect if you love dark nails but still want to sprinkle in some holiday cheer.
32. Snowflake Nails
The obligatory snowflake moment. Red on most nails, sheer white accents with opaque snowflakes, pearls, and rhinestones. Winter wonderland but make it pocket-sized.
33. Glitter Ombre
Want ALL the sparkle? Sheer base, silver glitter ombre tips, and snowflake/star art. Short nails can definitely handle the drama, so go ahead, be extra – it’s the holidays.
34. Festive Mix & Match
Going all out with your December nails? Cool. Make each nail different with candy canes, holly berries, mistletoe, snow art, rhinestones. Small canvas, big festive energy.
35. Gold French Tips
Gold glitter French tips with a bow on the accent nail, because we’re putting bows on EVERYTHING this Christmas and nobody can stop us.
And that’s a wrap on short Christmas nail ideas. Drop your faves in the comments, share this post, and go have the merriest Christmas ever, nail queens.
