12 DIY Fall Nail Designs: Discover Happiness at Your Fingertips!

There’s so much beauty to behold come autumn, thanks to the season’s changing foliage, gorgeous blooms and colorful crops. So why not take inspiration from all that Mother Nature has to offer this time of year and add it to your fingertips in the form of fall nail designs. Read on for the seasonal designs that are easy to DIY at home for pennies (or use the below photos as inspiration for your next in-salon manicure). Simply grab a few polishes, some tools and get ready to paint on a marvelous fall-inspired manicure.

1. Gorgeous golden French tips

Put a fall spin on a classic French manicure featuring gilded tips that draw attention upward, creating the illusion of longer nails.

Get the look:

1. Apply two coats of an orange metallic polish, like Zoya in Amy (Buy from Zoya, $12), to all nails; let dry.
2. Place a small strip of painter’s tape across the nail, leaving just the tip exposed.
3. Sweep gold polish, like Orly in Luxe (Buy from Orly, $10.50) along the tip; let sit for 1 minute before removing the tape (this allows the polish to set for a mess-free, straight line). Repeat using a fresh piece of tape for each nail. Seal with clear top coat.

2. Glamorous glittering ‘sunset’ fall nail designs

“The golden glitter attracts loads of youth-boosting light around your hands,” says celebrity manicurist Julie Kandalec. 

Get the look:

1. Apply two coats of a shimmery peach nail polish, like ella + mila in Mango Pop (Buy from ella + mila, $7), on all nails; let dry. 
2. Paint a gold glitter polish, like essie in Summit of Style (Buy from Ulta, $10), from mid nail to tip.
3. To create the gradual fade-out, swipe on a second coat of glitter polish to cover the top two-thirds of the first glitter coat, finishing at the tip; let dry. Seal with clear top coat.

3. Pretty pops of pumpkin

A deep maroon base makes pretty pumpkin accents pop for an extra gourd-geous manicure.

Get the look:

1. Apply two coats of a metallic maroon polish, like OPI in I’m Not Really A Waitress (Buy from Ulta, $11.49), to all nails, then let dry completely.
2. Use an orange metallic polish, like Zoya in Amy (Buy from Zoya, $12), to create a pumpkin at the center of two accent nails per hand; let dry. Then use a gold striper polish, like FingerPaints Striping Polish in Brushstroke of Brilliance (Buy from SallyBeauty, $3.49), to draw curved lines onto each pumpkin.
3. Draw on the pumpkin’s curly stem using a green striper ­polish, like Color Club Nail Art Striper in Green (Buy from Color Club, $4); let dry. Finish with clear top coat.

4. Bold fall foliage branches

“This manicure has all the drama of fall foliage,” says manicurist Miss Pop. “And because the leaves are tiny bits of colored foil, you get a big dose of shimmer and shine!”

Get the look:

1. Apply two coats of a metallic gold polish, like essie in Good as Gold, (Buy from Ulta, $10), onto all nails; let dry completely. 
2. On two accent nails per hand, dip nail striper brush, like Orly Striper Brush (Buy from Orly, $13.90), into a brown polish, like OPI in Shh…It’s Top Secret (Buy from Amazon, $11.49), and use it to paint branches that extend from the sides of each nail. Let dry.
3. Once dry, use one end of a toothpick to gently tap small dots of clear top coat along branches (it acts as an adhesive for “leaves”). Then, use the other end to place small flecks of red, gold, orange and green pieces of nail foil, like Daily Charme Nail Art Foil Box (Buy from Daily Charme, $10), that’s been cut into diamond-shaped pieces along the length of the branches. Let dry; seal with clear top coat.

5. Hoot-tastic owl fall nail designs

Looking for an adorable fall nail decoration? “This is the perfect manicure for you,” says Miss Pop. “From the cute spots on his belly, to his bling beak, you can’t help but smile looking at this owl!” 

Get the look:

1. Apply two coats of a red polish, like essie in Forever Yummy (Buy from Ulta, $10), on all but two nails per hand. Let dry.
2. On the non-red accent nails: Place the edge of a round paper reinforcement sticker near the cuticle and paint nails with a taupe polish, like Olive & June in RP (Buy from Olive & June, $9). Let dry, then remove the sticker and use a yellow striper polish, like Color Club Nail Art Striper in Yellow (Buy from Color Club, $4), to paint a half circle on the owl’s body.
3. Use a white striper polish, like China Glaze Stripe Rite in Best In Snow (Buy from China Glaze, $6), to make round circles for the eyes; let dry. Use a black striper polish, like China Glaze Stripe Rite in Paint It Black (Buy from China Glaze, $6), to dot the eyes and tummy. Use a toothpick to apply an orange teardrop rhinestone, find in a set like Tisslan Orange Nail Stones (Buy from Amazon, $11.99), as the beak. Finish with clear top coat.

6. Dazzling dahlia blooms

“The hint of shimmer in the polish — and sparkle from the rhinestones — creates a dazzling light around your hands that helps blur skin imperfections,” says celebrity manicurist Patricia Yankee. 

Get the look:

1. Apply two coats of a shimmery red polish like ILNP in Love Me Not (Buy from ILNP, $10) to all nails; let dry completely.
2. On two accent nails per hand, create a dahlia flower: On a paper plate, pour three pools of coral nail polish, like Zoya in Thandie (Buy from Zoya, $12). Add 2 drops white polish, like Wet n Wild in Lovey Dove-y (Buy from Walmart, $4.14) to the first pool, 1 drop to the second pool and leave the final pool undiluted; mix with a toothpick. Then, using a nail striper brush, like Orly Striper Brush (Buy from Orly, $13.90), make a ring of teardrop-shaped petals with the lightest shade. Next, make a ring with the mid-tone shade. Finally, make the inside petals with the darkest shade. Let dry completely.
3. Dip a toothpick into clear top coat and use it to place a rhinestone, find them in a set like editTime Nail Art Rhinestones (Buy from Amazon, $9.98), to the center of each flower. Next, use a green striper polish, like Color Club Nail Art Striper in Green (Buy from Color Club, $4), to make a stem and leaves coming down from each flower; let dry. Finish with clear top coat.

7. Lovely leaves + bejeweled tips

Make over the classic French manicure for fall with this maple leaf design. Bonus: “The peaks on the leaves make your nails look longer,” says manicurist Mimi Wilson.

Get the look:

1. Apply two coats of a blush nail polish, like Zoya in Loretta (Buy from Zoya, $12), to all nails; let dry.
2. On two accent nails per hand, create the leaf peaks by using a copper striper polish, like LeChat Cm Striping Nail Art Polish in Copper Penny (Buy from Walmart, $6.40), to make three wide peaks coming up from the free edge; let dry. Using a black striper polish, like China Glaze Stripe Rite in Paint It Black (Buy China Glaze, $6), make lines going through each peak branching off into smaller lines.
3. On the non-leaf nails, use a toothpick and dots of clear top coat to add a row of red rhinestones, find them in a set like editTime Nail Art Rhinestones (Buy from Amazon, $9.98), along the free edge. Finish with clear top coat.

8. Fabulous ‘foliage’ fall nail designs

Add a touch of seasonal and sophisticated sparkle to nails with this foliage-inspired design.

Get the look:

1. Apply two coats of red polish, like essie in Forever Yummy (Buy from Ulta, $10), to all nails, then let dry completely.
2. Use a toothpick to dot clear top coat onto the back of three orange rhinestones, find them in a set like editTime Nail Art Rhinestones (Buy from Amazon, $9.98), and place in a line along the cuticle; repeat, stacking it with two more rows of three gems each.
3. Add one orange stone to the center row, then seal all nails with clear top coat.

9. Striking sunflower accents

“Sunflowers instantly put a smile on people’s faces,” says Yankee. “And these sunflowers have the added benefit of skin-brightening sparkle!”

Get the look:

1. Apply two coats of peach-coral nail polish, like essie in Peach Side Babe (Buy from Walgreens, $9.99), onto all nails; let dry.
2. On two accent nails per hand, use a yellow striper polish, like Color Club Nail Art Striper in Yellow (Buy from Color Club, $4), to create the sunflowers by making 2–3 circles, then add multiple pointy triangle-shaped petals along the outer edge of each circle. 
3. Using toothpicks and dots of clear top coat, place copper-colored, flat-back rhinestones, like Jollin Flatback Rhinestones in Amber (Buy from Amazon, $7.99), at the center of each flower. Finish with clear top coat. 

10. Awesome argyle fall nail designs

This tricolor argyle sweater-inspired design draws focus inward to optically slim wider hands. Tip: If you don’t love shades of purple, use any three polish hues in the same color family.

Get the look:

1. Paint two coats of a light purple metallic polish, Olive & June in Lilac Shimmer (Buy from Olive & June, $9), on all nails; let dry.
2. Using two strips of thin foil tape, like China Glaze So Easy Stripe ‘Em Striping Tape (Buy from China Glaze, $10), create an “X” on each nail. Then, swipe a medium purple polish (like OPI in Skate To The Party (Buy from OPI, $11.49), in the two side triangles and a dark purple polish, like Morgan Taylor in Make ‘Em Squirm (Buy from Amazon, $7.99), in the bottom triangle. 
3. Carefully remove the tape with tweezers before nails dry. Seal with clear top coat.

11. Playful plaid design

Reminiscent of all the plaid prints seen on scarves and sweaters this season, this simple yet eye-catching fall nail design by manicurist and YouTuber Hannah Lee is sure to make nails a pretty focal point.

Get the look:

1. Paint two coats of a cobalt blue polish, like Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Beatnik (Buy from Walmart, $9.97), onto all nails. Let dry completely.
2. Apply a plum polish, like Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Motley Hue (Buy from Walmart, $14.85), to two-thirds of each nail, leaving some blue peeking out on one side.
3. Use a white striper polish, like China Glaze Stripe Rite in Best In Snow (Buy from China Glaze, $6), to draw a thin vertical line where the blue and plum polishes meet. Then, add a thin horizontal line one inch under the tip of the nail, two thinner vertical lines along the plum polish side of the nail and two thinner horizontal lines closer to the cuticle of the nail. Repeat on all nail; let dry. Seal with clear top coat.

12. Chic cable knit sweater

Bring that cozy feeling of wearing your favorite fall sweater to nails with this fun cable knit design from Lee.

Get the look:

1. Apply two coats of a bright blue polish, like Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Tidal Wave (Buy from Amazon, $9.24), to all nails. Let dry completely.
2. Use a nail striper brush, like Orly Striper Brush (Buy from Orly, $13.90), dipped into a light gray polish, like Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Greyfitti (Buy from Walmart, $9.12), and draw two horizontal lines on the side of each nail. Then, in the space between the two vertical lines, use the brush and gray polish to draw small “S” shaped lines that aren’t connected down the length of each nail.
3. In the blank space on the side of each nail, add dots with the gray polish and a dotting tool, like Le Mini Macaron Le Dottie Dotting Tool (Buy from Le Mini Macaron, $5). Let dry completely. Finish with clear top coat.

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For more gorgeous, DIY nail art ideas, check out these stories:

Dazzle on a Dime: 12 French Tip Nail Designs That are Easy to Do at Home

Magnetic Manicures Look Like a Million Bucks — But Are Easy To Do For Under $20 At Home

Fruit Nail Designs That Are Sure to Add Fun to Your Fingers and Put a Smile on Your Face!