If you’re into nail art, the length of your nails doesn’t matter. Whether you like simple designs or want something more intricate, the options for nail designs for short nails are pretty endless. You just have to keep in mind that even simple designs may appear busier on a shorter nail than they would on longer ones.
“Since short nails provide a smaller canvas, minimalistic designs can be better proportioned and more balanced,” says Mazz Hanna, nail artist, founder of Nailing Hollywood Agency, and the CEO of Mazz Hanna. “Intricate designs may look cluttered or overwhelming on short nails, while simple nail designs and solid colors highlight the clean look of short nails.”
Ahead, find 30 artful looks created on short nails.
Glitter Micro French
A micro French manicure is a great look on short nails because you can keep the line super fine. For added interest, you can double up and make a French with two lines. “Nail artist Hang Nguyen created this glitter micro French look using a fine liner nail art brush and a gold glitter polish,” says Hanna.
Jelly Chrome
Chrome powder is perfect for a low-key mani that still hits hard no matter your nail length. The chrome reflects in a super pretty way, creating a glazed nail effect.
Simple Heart
With a nude, sparkly base, this manicure is simple and sweet. Each nail has a differently placed white heart for a little something special.
Black and Mixed
For a fun contrast, you can do nail art on one hand and a solid color on the other. This manicure features abstract designs in white, black, maroon, teal, and mustard on one hand with a solid black on the other. For even more contrast, the black nails have a glossy top coat while the others have a matte one.
Floral Nails
“Hang created this look by using a simple sheer nude base and acrylic pens to paint the flowers on,” says Hanna. “The dainty daisies add a fun twist to a classic sheer nude nail. This look is super easy to recreate at home.”
Bling
Gems are a great way to add interest to a simple manicure. This look pairs gems with a classic square-shaped French manicure.
Cherry French
An offshoot of the coquette trend, cherries are everywhere right now. This look features heart-shaped fruits and red gems to accent.
Minimalist Accent Nail
“Hang created this look using a Q-tip with the cotton taken off on one end to create the evil eye on her accent nail,” says Hanna. “This look is a reminder that nail art can be easily done with most things you have around the house and doesn’t need to be extravagant to make a statement.”
Black Hearts
Teeny tiny hearts are great for a dainty design that doesn’t require much space to execute. This look features black hearts on a bubble-gum-pink polish.
Dark Blue Florals
This manicure makes use of a classic blue-and-white color combo to create a pretty floral design reminiscent of Chinaware.
Abstract Blues
Two shades of blue, white, and black were used to create this cute little abstract design. It uses lines, blobs, dots, and an eye on a sheer base topped with matte polish.
Rainbow Micro French Short Nails
“Micro French looks amazing on short nails, because the thinness of the French line elongates the rest of the nail bed,” says Hanna. “It creates a really beautiful, timeless illusion.”
Mix ‘n Match
For a super eye-catching manicure, go for a mix-and-match look. This design features a mix of beige, orange, purple, black, and white polishes, and uses smiley faces and checkerboard to add interest.
Matte Florals
With the use of a super-fine detail brush, you can create a floral design on short nails. This look features a royal blue backdrop with white stems and a mix of blue and orange petals. It’s finished off with a matte top coat.
Periwinkle
This simple design uses lines to create a gorgeous, minimalist look. A sheer nude beige and periwinkle blue create this look. And with the use of vertical lines, the nail beds appear elongated.
Summer Florals
Purple, peach, and a pearly white were used to create this floral manicure. The bright purple anchors the mani, while the pearly white serves as the base for peach and purple flowers on the accent nails.
Pastel Tips
This design keeps things simple with a French tip, but the use of pastels in pink, green, yellow, purple, and blue make the look a bit more fun and eye-catching.
Peachy Hearts
For a super-simple design, this look features solid creamy peach nails accented with one coral heart per hand. It’s cute and super easy to DIY using a toothpick or dotting tool to create the heart.
Neutrals
Instead of focusing on the tips for design, this look makes use of the base of the nail, outlining its bottom edge in a metallic champagne. The length of each nail is coated in varying neutrals ranging from white to brown.
Neon Party
Neon pink, yellow, green, blue, purple, and orange come together to create this look thats reminiscent of an ’80s windbreaker. The design features a mix of lines and squiggles for a graphic look.
Springy Stripes
Lines are always an easy way to dress up your nails. This design features a blend of pink, purple, blue, and yellow for a springy palette. Because the lines run vertically, the design elongates the look of the nail.
Micro French With Pearl Accents
“Hang added an elegant twist to a classic trend with this look,” says Hanna. “The simple pearl added an extra layer of elegance to a minimalistic nail art look.”
Velvet
This striking design was used creating velvet (or cat-eye) polish, which has magnets in it. When you hold another magnet over the wet polish, the magnets move around, creating a velvet-like effect.
Camo Chrome
Blobs in emerald, sage, tan, and beige were used to create this camouflage manicure. Each blob is outlined in a gold chrome to add more definition and a touch of glam.
Rainbow Polka Dots
Polka dots are a perfect design no matter your nail length. This design features a nude base dotted with pink, purple, blue, and green polish.
Minty Florals
Switch up your French manicure by mixing the classic shape with some side-swept tips. The nails that feature the corner detail also have a floral design across from the line.
Spring Florals
This cute little design features solid-purple nails that flank a beige background topped with tiny stems of pink, white, purple, peach, and, yellow flowers.
Big Heart
This design takes the statement heart idea and goes big. The look features a milky white base and a single red heart that takes up some serious real estate.
Chocolate Glaze
This look features a blend of browns and cream for a neutral skittle look. The glazed finish takes it to the next level.
Pink Cheetah
Cheetah print is a great design for short nails because you can make the print super small. This look was created using two shades of pink: fuchsia and bubble gum.
