Skip to Content

25 Thanksgiving Nail Designs That Pair Well With Apple Cider

By ELLE.com
thanksgiving nails
Instagram

There's no better way to pre-game a Thanksgiving feast than with a festive manicure project. Before picking up a fork and knife, grab your favorite bottle of fall nail polish and create a nail design that reflects the foods and colors of the season. From literal turkeys to simple half moons, there's something for every nail artist.

Ahead, 25 Thanksgiving nail designs that will make your hands the centerpiece of the table.

Pumpkin Spice

Wear your pumpkin spice latte obsession on your nails. This cozy burnt orange is elevated with a glittery top coat.

Cranberry Gradient

Inspired by our favorite Thanksgiving condiment, these cranberry nails are a chic but festive way to celebrate the holiday.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Tiny Turkey

Lean in to Thanksgiving with turkey nail art. First, paint on a white base, before applying a brown half moon. Use a detail brush to paint on eyes, a beak, and feathers.

Abstract Autmn

You don't have to be a professional nail artist to achieve this abstract nail look. Paint on a clear base before applying gold foil to your tips. Apply blots of yellow, red, and white polish. Using a ball point brush, create black dots.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Make It Mod

Just because it's fall doesn't mean you can't experiment with patterns. Mix things up with checkerboard and polka dots, while leaving the rest of your nails matte and muted.

Falling Leaves

The french manicure gets a festive fall upgrade with an orange tip. Bonus points if you expertly glue on a leaf decal.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Skittles Strikes Again

Skittles nails, but make it Thanksgiving. Don't be shy with color selection and try two or three of your favorite fall shades. A cool blue will offset the otherwise warm hues.

Turning Tortoise

Tortoiseshell is the classic fall neutral. Try it with a sheer half moon and glimmering gold rim.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Bubbling Up

Manicurist Chelsea King created this crackle effect with dish soap bubbles over a gel top coat. Try it with fall colors like deep teal and brown.

Bar Graph

Here's a throwback: Middle school bar graphs. A cream base will accentuate colors like red, orange, and plum.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Tiger Queen

Channel fierce tiger stripes by adding triangular streaks to your manicure.

Botanical Details

Okay so this one is slightly more literal but admit it's still kind of stationery chic? Intricate sprigs and blooms adorn a white and camel base for a look that's fall festival, not PSL basique. The pattern averse might appreciate just a single nail dressed up.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Pumpkin Perfect

If your favorite pie is the same as the nation's favorite spiced latte, then this delightfully minimal mani is for you. A single dollop of the camel-toned polish is balanced at intersection of a negative space design. Yum.

'Tis The Season

Fall isn't just about browns, yellows, and oranges. A rich emerald is perfect for any Thanksgiving dinner table and can easily last you into the December holiday season.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Rothko Redux

A dreamy fall color palette, like mauve, citron, and cobalt blue, all balance each other out for a relaxing neutral nail look.

Cranberry Sauce

Whether you make cranberry sauce from scratch or open a can right before dinner, these nails will pay homage to the dinner table staple.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Falling Leaves

This is an imaginative way to mimic falling leaves. Start with a bare nail, and ombré your tips in orange. Once dry, fleck on gold foil to the tips. Finish with a top coat.

Dry Brush Technique

Negative nails are typically reserved for graphic, linear designs, but the dry brush technique is shaking things up. Start with a bare nail, thinly apply a shimmery gold polish, then wipe off the majority of the product until it's nearly dry.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Chanel Tweed

If you can't afford the 2.0, get the next best thing with Chanel-inspired tweed nails. Start with a white base, then alternate between black and gray in a crosshatch pattern. Keep your strokes purposefully messy to imitate the woolen textile.

Sand Art Slay

Revisit a favorite childhood craft with this look, inspired by sand jars. Using Thanksgiving shades of orange and gold, paint wavy lines horizontally on top of a neutral base.

Watch Next 
thanksgiving nails
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Page was generated in 6.2053520679474