19 Of The Easiest Nail Designs You Can Totally Try At Home

There are few things I love more than a trip to the nail salon. I love to leave it to the pros to care for and shape my nails while I just worry about what colour to go for next. However, after stumbling across a fair few easy nail art looks, I think I’m ready to try and emulate a few designs at-home.

Designs like French tips and cute dots are pretty straightforward to replicate with a bit of patience and a very steady hand. Load up your nail tool kit if you don’t already have remover for pesky smudges and orange sticks to clean up the nail as tidily as possible. Oh, and check in with these tips from nail experts to avoid common mistakes. Here are the easiest nail art designs that have inspired my DIY manicures lately.

1. Little Gems

The base of this is bold but simple. Stick to a deep colour palette for the most impactful look.

2. Eye See You

Cheat an intricate nail design with fun stickers. Keeping your nail colour nude will help the designs stand out.

3. Yellow Pop

Is there a better way to channel summer with a neon-hued tip?

4. Random Rainbow

Don't overthink it, instead line up some mismatched nail paints for this look—the more random, the better. 

5. Shining Star

You’ll need an extra small nail brush with this one and a steady hair but it looks so stunning on a few accent nails.

6. Aqua Barbie

These neon contrasting colours make this simple design really stand out.

7. Blue Me Away

Cool blues are a sophisticated twist on the negative space nail trend and using a matte polish elevates this design.

8. Candy-striped

The contrast of the glossy colour and bare nail is so sweet and definitely going to be a fun take on the fresh neutrals trend.

9. Dot To Dot

This attention-grabbing design looks more standout with the teal polish shade. If you want something more subtle you could go nude/pink with black spots.

10. Polka Dotty

Fun and romantic, a good blue-toned red is flattering for all skin tones.

11. Line ‘em Up

Dots are no doubt the easiest nail design so switching up the way you place them will give your nail art a new vibe.

12. Pop Art

Pops of colour in nails, makeup or fashion will never go out of style. So, pick out your boldest hues for this super fun design.

13. Mint Tips

Use a super skinny brush and follow the natural curve of your nails using a pastel pop of colour (like this mint green) for a switch up to the norm.

14. Little Line

Probably the easiest nail design you could ever do, yet so chic and luxe-looking. Use the thinnest nail brush and start a bit above the cuticle so you don’t flood it and make it look messy.

15. Evil Eye

Layer a jewel-toned blue with a dab of silver and a dot of black for this pretty and simple design.

16. Pastel Dreams

Just looking at this design makes me feel more spring-like. Layer on at least three coats to make sure these light colours are opaque.

17. Morse Coding 

An acid green is the perfect way to make easy design look impactful and vibrant.

18. Over, Under

Who says that French tips have to be for the tips only? Cuticle lining is the new way to play with nail colour.

19. Micro Hearts

You'll need a steady hand and a skinny brush to ensure each heart looks as similar as possible, but the final look will be well worth the patience and perseverance.

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This story was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

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