15 Festive Short Nail Designs You’ll Actually Wear This Christmas

As if the festive season wasn’t busy enough, nail artists everywhere face a gargantuan task: dreaming up countless holiday-ready designs to carry clients through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year celebrations. But if Instagram is anything to go by, nail techs seem to favor longer talons to show off their work. While the canvas might be bigger, why shouldn’t short nails get in on the fun, too?

If you’re giving extensions a break this season, click ahead for our roundup of the best short Christmas nail ideas — so cute, you’ll want to wear them well into 2026.

DashDividers_1_500x100

Starry Sprigs

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Els Gels™ | Nail Salon | Training Academy | Welded Jewellery (@elsgels)

Els Gels has reimagined the holly tree with forest-green tips and berry-red stars, set on a nude base so the design can do all the talking.

Delicate Chrome Details

View this post on Instagram A post shar