If you’re interested in doing some nail art but are a beginner, you might be a little hesitant at first to try out some fun designs. Will they look nice? How can I make them look as if they have been done by a professional? This article will explore 30 fun nail art designs for beginners to consider using.
Below, you’ll find step-by-step instructions as to what you’ll need to create each design and how to do it.
30 Nail Art Design Ideas for Beginners
Mickey Mouse Nails
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This easy nail design is perfect for Disney lovers or for those who want something very easy to try out.
What You’ll Need
- White nail polish
- Black nail polish
How to Do It
Simply paint four nails with the white nail polish and your thumb black. You can then make small polka dots with the nail polishes to make the iconic Mickey Mouse face. You can take the nail polish tip and carefully make three dots to do so. Make sure to apply alternating colors on the nails so the design shows up. For instance, only use white nail polish on the black nail polish to make sure your design is evident.
Purple Glitter Nails
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These purple nails are not only simple to design but are perfect for those who what something fashionable and flashy.
What You’ll Need
- Purple nail polish
- Nail glitter
How to Do It
Paint each of your nails with purple nail polish. Then, take your nail glitter and carefully apply it around the edges of your nails.
Cat Nails
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If you’re a cat lover, you’ll definitely want to try these nails. They are easy to do and fun to design.
What You’ll Need
- Pastel pink nail polish
- Black gel pen
How to Do It
First, take the pink nail polish and paint each of your nails with it. Then, take the black gel pen and start to create cat-inspired designs on each nail. You can design a small paw print on one nail or even try to create a cat face on another. To make the cat face, just make two triangles on the top of the nail, two dots underneath them for the eyes, a small dot in the center for a nose, and then a few lines on the side to make whiskers.
Elegant Pink Nails
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If you want elegant yet simple nails, this is one nail art design to consider trying out. These soft pink nails feature white polka dots on them to give them a unique look.
What You’ll Need
Deep pink nail polish
White nail polish
How to Do It
First, paint your nails with a few layers of deep pink nail polish. After letting it dry, take the white nail polish and create small polka dots on one nail. You can create different sizes of these polka dots to create a layered look on your nails.
Flower Power Nails
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If you love nature or are looking for a way to celebrate spring and summer, these nails are ideal. They feature beautiful white and purple colors which have a small flower painted on each nail.
What You’ll Need
- White nail polish
- Purple nail polish
- Yellow nail polish
How to Do It
Paint each nail an alternating color of white and purple. Once you do, take the opposite color of the nail and use the nail polish brush to paint small petals in the center of your nail. Then, take the yellow nail polish and place a small dot in the middle of the petals to create a flower.
Black Polka Dot Nails
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These nails are sure to make a statement thanks to their deep black design that pops with neon colors.
What You’ll Need
- Black nail polish
- Different neon nail polishes (yellow, orange, blue, green)
How to Do It
To make this design, first paint each of your nails black. After letting your nails dry, take the neon colors and make a thick dot down the center of your nails with each color. You can add as many dots as you’d like for each nail.
Geometric Nails
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While these nails might look difficult to do, they are actually very easy and are sure to catch the eyes of many thanks to their geometric designs.
What You’ll Need
- Teal nail polish
- Black nail polish
- Nail tape
How to Do It
To begin, paint each nail with a thick layer of teal nail polish. Once it dries, take the nail tape and cut it into different shapes, like triangles and stripes. You can then place the tape over your nails where you want that specific design to be.
After the tape has been applied, take the black nail polish and coat a thick layer over each nail. Once the nail polish has dried, peel away the tape where you’ll find fun geometric designs on your nails.
Rabbit Nails
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If you’re an animal lover, these rabbit nails are a great idea to consider painting on your nails.
What You’ll Need
- White nail polish
- Pink nail polish pen
- Black nail polish pen
How to Do It
Paint each of your nails with a thick layer of white nail polish. Once it has dried, place a small pink dot in the middle of your nails. Then, place two small black dots on top of the pink dot to make the eyes.
Afterward, create small ovals with the black nail polish pen to create the bunny’s ears and then fill the ears with a small amount of pink polish. You can then take the black nail polish pen and draw small lines next to the nose to create whiskers.
Pastel Nails
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For those who want something chic yet easy to do, these pastel nails are perfect to try out.
What You’ll Need
- Teal nail polish
- Pink nail polish
- Orange nail polish
- Yellow nail polish
How to Do It
Simply paint each nail one nail polish color. Make sure the polish is layered thick to ensure the color stands out well.
Monochrome Nails
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These monochrome nails are very easy to make and will leave behind a bold statement.
What You’ll Need
- White nail polish
- Black nail polish
How to Do It
Paint each nail with a thick layer of white nail polish. Once it has dried, take the black nail polish and paint each nail in half with it. After this has dried, you can put small white polka dots on the black section and small black polka dots on the white section.
Pink Nails with Black Triangle
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If you’re looking for a minimalist design to use on your nails, this design is perfect. Better yet, it’s simple to create.
What You’ll Need
- Pink nail polish
- Black nail polish
How to Do It
Create a pink base layer on each of your nails. After it has dried, paint a small black triangle in the middle of your cuticle. You can do this triangle by hand or use some nail tape to help make it even.
Pink and White Nails
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This nail design is ideal for those who want something fun and flirty to design on their nails.
What You’ll Need
- Pink nail polish
- White nail polish
- Nail tape
How to Do It
You’ll want to first paint each of your nails with a base layer of white. Once this layer has dried, take a small piece of nail tape and cut it into strips. Take the strips and divide each nail in half with it. Then, paint the upper half of the nail pink. After the pink nail polish has dried, carefully peel away the tape.
Summer Polka Dot Nails
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For a simple and colorful summer nail art design, these summer polka dot nails are a great one to consider. Featuring a white base layer, they are coated in vibrant polka dots.
What You’ll Need
- White nail polish
- Colorful nail polishes (yellow, orange, red, pink, purple)
How to Do It
First, paint a thick base layer of white on each of your nails. Once this base has dried, take the colorful nail polishes and create a thick polka dot of each color down the middle of each nail.
Newspaper Nails
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These unique and retro nails look very difficult to do, but they are surprisingly quite simple.
What You’ll Need
- White nail polish
- Rubbing alcohol
- Newspaper
How to Do It
To begin, paint each of your nails with white nail polish. Once your nails have dried, pour some rubbing alcohol into a clean bowl and cut the newspaper into squares that are big enough to fit over your nails.
After prepping, dip your finger into the alcohol so it’s fully coated. Then, take the newspaper and place it gently over your nail before carefully pressing it down. After a few seconds, take the newspaper off of your nail. You’ll find the print has been transferred to it. Repeat this process for the remaining nails.
Shades of Blue Nails
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These nails are sure to stun many with their varying shades of blue.
What You’ll Need
- Dark blue nail polish
- Medium blue nail polish
- Light blue nail polish
- Nail tape
How to Do It
Paint each nail with a base layer of light blue. Once this layer has dried, take a thin piece of nail tape and place it diagonally over a small portion of your nail. Then, paint the medium blue nail polish over the uncovered part of your nail.
Once this layer is done, repeat the same process, except this time use the dark blue nail polish. After the paint has completely dried, carefully peel the tape away to reveal the stunning blue shades.
Watermelon Nails
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Watermelon nails might look like a difficult design to do, but they are super easy! They’re also perfect for those who plan to head to the beach or who want to celebrate a summer event.
What You’ll Need
- Red nail polish
- Black nail polish
- White nail polish
- Green nail polish
How to Do It
Paint your nails with a red base layer. Then, paint a medium-thick white line on the edge of your free edge. Once the paint has dried, take the green nail polish and paint a very thin line on the upper portion of the free edge to give the white line a border. After this has dried, take the black nail polish and carefully create small dots on the red portion of your nail to resemble seeds.
Red Polka Dot Nails
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Red polka dot nails are a very simple yet impressive nail art design for beginners. While you can follow these instructions to make your own, you can use practically any color you’d like to for them!
What You’ll Need
- Red nail polish
- White nail polish
How to Do It
Simple paint a thick base layer of red nail polish on each nail. Once this layer has dried, take the white nail polish and carefully create thick polka dots on each nail.
White Nails with Polka Dot Trim
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While these might look difficult, they really aren’t. All you need is just a little bit of time and patience to create these stunning white nails with a colorful polka dot trim.
What You’ll Need
- White nail polish
- Yellow nail polish
- Orange nail polish
- Blue nail polish
How to Do It
Take the white nail polish and paint a thick base layer on each nail. Once this layer has dried, take the different colored nail polishes and carefully put small dots of each color along the edge of your nail to create a vivid trim.
Gray and Neon Yellow Nails
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These stunning contrasting colors will give your nails a beautiful modern look.
What You’ll Need
- Gray nail polish
- Neon yellow nail polish
How to Do It
To make this design, paint a thick layer of gray on each of your nails. Once this layer has dried, carefully make a thin trim around the edge of your nail with the neon yellow polish. If you want to make sure the trim is even, you can use some nail tape to cover the area.
Blue Bubble Nails
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You’ll need quite a few different shades of blue to create this fun bubble-like nail design, but they all blend together to make an impressive style that will be impressive to many.
What You’ll Need
- White nail polish
- Different shades of blue nail polishes
How to Do It
Paint each of your nails with a white base. Then, you can carefully put different polka dots on your nails with different shades of blue and of various sizes depending on your preferences.
Yin and Yang Nails
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These fun nails use the popular icon from Chinese philosophy which shows how everything we do is interrelated. However, instead of black and white, these nails use a bright contrast of black and pink.
What You’ll Need
- Pink nail polish
- Black nail polish
How to Do It
First, paint a base of pink nail polish on each of your nails. Once this layer has dried, carefully cover half of the nail with the black nail polish in a slight curving design. After this layer has dried, put one dot of each alternate color on the different sides.
Colorful Curve Nails
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These colorful nails might look difficult, but they are very simple. They also let you play with different colors to give your nails a vibrant mail.
What You’ll Need
- Light and dark yellow nail polish
- Light and dark blue nail polish
- Light and dark green nail polish
- Light and dark purple nail polish
- Light and dark pink nail polish
- Black nail polish
- White nail polish pen
How to Do It
To begin, paint each nail with a different light nail polish color. Once the colors have dried, take the corresponding dark color and paint the tip of your nails with it. After the color has dried, paint a black stripe down the middle of each nail. Then, take the white nail polish pen and put a small wave down the middle of the black stripes.
Black Glitter Nails
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If you’re looking for a simple yet bold nail art design to try out, this is one you’ll definitely want to consider. It’s not only a captivating look, but one that works well for most outfits and styles.
What You’ll Need
- Black nail polish
- Pink nail glitter
- Green nail glitter
How to Do It
First, paint each of your nails with a base layer of black nail polish. Once this layer has dried, take the nail glitter and paint one color on each nail down one side of it. Alternate between glitter colors with each nail.
Purple Sparkle Nails
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If you like shiny and beautiful nails, this is one option to try out. They’re not only easy to do, but very bold and glittery.
What You’ll Need
- Lavender nail polish
- Purple nail glitter
How to Do It
Paint each nail with a base layer of lavender nail polish. After this has dried, paint the tip of each nail with purple nail glitter. You can also dedicate one hand to each hand with a full purple glitter design.
Creamsicle Nails
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This nail design screams summer thanks to its creamsicle looks. Better yet, it only takes a few minutes to do!
What You’ll Need
- White nail polish
- Orange nail polish
How to Do It
Paint each nail with a base layer of white nail polish. Then, take the orange nail polish and paint down the nail diagonally so it’s divided in half. Once these layers have dried, take the white nail polish and put small polka dots on the orange section. You can then take the orange nail polish and put small polka dots on the white section.
Alternating Ombre Nails
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You’ll need a few different nail polish colors for this design, but the end result is stunning with these ombre nails.
What You’ll Need
- Different blue colors (teal, light blue, dark blue)
- Different pink colors (white, light pink, dark pink)
How to Do It
Decide which hand you’d like to put the blue ombre colors on and the pink ombre colors on. Then, start at your thumb with the lightest blue color and work around your different nails with the blue eventually becoming darker. Do the same thing with the pink colors on your opposite hand, but start with white on the thumb and gradually work up to darker pink colors.
Strawberry Nails
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For those looking for a fun spring or summer nail design, these strawberry nails are one to consider. These simple nails resemble a juicy strawberry and are surprisingly easy to do.
What You’ll Need
- Pink nail polish
- Light green nail polish
- White nail polish
How to Do It
Paint each nail with a pink base. Once this has dried, take the light green nail polish and put about three upside-down triangles around your cuticle to resemble leaves. After this layer has dried, take the white nail polish and carefully put small white dots on the pink portion of the nails to resemble seeds.
Cloud Nails
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With their cool blue color, these cloud nails will instantly remind you of a calm summer day.
What You’ll Need
- Medium blue nail polish
- White nail polish
How to Do It
Paint a medium blue nail polish base on each of your nails. Once this has dried, take the white nail polish and put tiny dots around your nail to resemble fluffy clouds. To do this, put about three small dots in a line and then two on top of the three. Leave enough space so you can put a few clouds around your nails.
Light Pink Heart Nails
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For those on the search for a fun and flirty nail design that’s easy to do, these light pink heart nails might just be what you need.
What You’ll Need
- Light pink nail polish
- White nail polish
How to Do It
Paint a light pink base on each of your nails. Make sure it is thick enough so all areas of your nails are covered. Then, pick one nail to paint a white heart on, such as your ring finger. Once you pick the nail, take the white nail polish and carefully paint a small heart of the edge of the nail so it looks as if it’s sliding off of the side.
Black and Pink Stripe Nails
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These nails are sure to make a statement with their bold color contrasts. While they might look like a design done by a professional, they’re actually very easy to do yourself.
What You’ll Need
- Black nail polish
- Light, medium, and dark pink nail polishes
How to Do It
To begin with, paint each of your nails with a black base. Once this has dried, carefully take each of the pink nail polishes and put a thin line of each shade down your nail. In the end, you should have three thin lines of the different pink colors running down the length of each of your nails.
See more:
- Fall Nail Designs | 20+ Amazing Autumn Nail Designs Ideas
- Rainbow Nails – Summer Trend
- Summer Nails on Top Trending 2021
In Conclusion
If you’re a beginner looking to try out some fun yet easy nail art designs, definitely keep these in mind. They’re not only simple, but many look as if they’ve been done by a professional which will amaze many when you tell them you designed it yourself.
