15 Fall Nail Art Designs You Can Actually Do Yourself

"Fall is one of our favorite seasons because it always feels both fresh and nostalgic and how we're always in that back-to-school mode when autumn rolls around," says Van Iderstine. "We were talking about how shopping for school supplies and new cozy clothes is one of the best parts of the season, so we translated that to nails! Each of the six shades represents the comfort and excitement of autumn: cozy knits, well-worn essentials, and warm lattes."

"My sister, Sabrina, and I were really inspired by what we saw on both the fall/winter fashion shows as well as the latest trends on red carpets," says Galoostian, Tella Nails co-founder. "Our press-on sets are inspired by fashion, which is why we consider ourselves a fashion accessory. For example, our chrome design was inspired by all the metallic styles we saw at fashion week, from Chanel to Louis Vuitton."

"This fall, Olive and June is all about cool-toned darker shades and the coziest neutrals possible, but this year, we've put a little bit of a vintage spin on them," Van Iderstine explains. "The neutrals are all inspired by all the chunky knits we always bring out this time of year. They all give us really nostalgic, back-to-school vibes that we're obsessed with."

According to McFerran, unique nail designs on every fingernail have been a huge trend lately. Purple is also a key color as well as black, teal, and the Pantone colors. Bats, castles, and brains are also all in, in terms of designs. And animal print works year-round.

Galoostian is excited to see French manicures (but with a twist) back in style: "At Tella Nails, we wanted to bring a modern take on the classic French manicure that's perfect for fall fashion with our set Model on Duty." She also is into blush pink with a high-gloss shine.

Van Iderstine is adamant that anyone can do nail art—seriously! Her advice is to practice on a piece of scratch paper to get the motions down before trying on your real nails. "If your nails are on the smaller side, do the best you can and then just use your Clean Up Brush to tidy up any place you got polish outside the lines," she says.
Pro tip: Wait until your polish is a little bit drier before you clean up. No one will know you made a mistake!

Galoostian and her sister started Tella Nails during the pandemic. They had a ritual of getting their nails done together at least twice a month and found it challenging to do their own nails at home. "Our premade nail art sets are good to go or, if you're a bit better at DIY designs, our solid-color sets as a canvas for your nail art," explains Galoostian. With several designs to choose from, these pretty press-ons can also double as a fun conversation piece.

According to Van Iderstine, the key to a perfect mani is the Olive and June Mani System. "We created it with all the tools you need and nothing you don't," she explains. 
A little bit of prep work (and plenty of drying time) makes all the difference.

If this is your first foray into press-on territory, don't fret. Tella Nails makes it simple with three easy-to-follow steps. 
First, Galoostian recommends using an alcohol wipe on each nail to eliminate excess oils. This helps the adhesive stay on longer. 
Second, if you're not great at doing your own nails, she highly recommends Tella Nails' brush-on nail glue. "It's extremely easy to apply, just like nail polish, and is mess-free and helps you apply the nails faster," Galoostian shares. "Plus, it's so small that you can throw it in your bag in case you have a nail emergency."
Finally, do your best to apply the press-on nails as close to the cuticle as possible. This will help make the nails look natural. 

"Our favorite nail art looks right now are super graphic and geometric," shares Van Iderstine. Luckily, these are also the easiest to do at home, whether you use stickers or DIY!
According to the Olive and June team, anything can be a nail art tool (toothpicks, bobby pins, etc.), and these are perfect for creating lines, swirls, and super-cute, modern flower prints.

"To be honest, I'm not great at nail art, so I'm going to stick to my pre-designed Strawberries and Créme set," declares Galoostian. But for those down to DIY, don't worry. The Tella Nails team is super into mixing and matching or, as they call it, "Skittle nails," which is achieved by wearing different-colored nails within a similar color palette on each finger. "Find nails that are in the same color range and start with the darkest color on your pinky and transition to the lightest color on your thumb or vice versa," she instructs. The Core Collection and Luxe short bundle are perfect hacks if you want to bring this look to life.
Another easy nail art design to create with press-ons is the viral French-manicure hack. Wear any Tella Nails set and apply any nail polish color to a jelly silicone nail stamper. Push the tip of the nail into the stamper and voilà—you have the perfect DIY French manicure.