5 DIY 4th of July Nail Designs That Add Festive Flair to Your Fingertips
From stars to stripes and sparkle, we've got you covered!
We can practically hear the fireworks! The Fourth of July is almost here, and the easiest way to get into the festive spirit starts with your nails! Holidays provide the perfect opportunity to experiment with designs and fun colors, and the red, white and blue theme of Independence Day is no exception. Here, we found the prettiest and patriotic July nail designs you can DIY right at home without having to spend time and money at the nail salon. (Or if you prefer to keep the nail painting to the pros, use them as inspiration for your next in-salon manicure.) Read on for the step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow — and some don’t even require art skills!
4th of July nail ideas that are easy to DIY
Keep scrolling to see our favorite red, white and blue manis that make a stunning statement this Independence Day.
1. Classic red, white and blue stars are perfect for Independence Day
These star-spangled nails by @mysticsnakenails on Instagram are so simple, yet so chic! And, the best part is they work on practically any nail length.
Get the look:
- Paint all nails two coats of a sheer pink-nude polish, like OPI Nail Lacquer in Bubble Bath. Let dry completely.
- If you want, you can paint on the stars yourself with red, white and blue nail art striper polishes. But if you want to make it easier on yourself, simply stick on 2-3 of COKSDUPID Star Nail Stickers on each nail, evenly spaced out.
- Seal all nails with clear top coat.
2. A pop of red shimmer is a great 4th of July manicure option
A little sparkle never hurt anyone! If you want to glitz up your Forth of July nails, swap out a solid red polish for a shimmery red polish, like @sonyas.nails on Instagram did with this design. It instantly elevates the entire look in just one easy step!
Get the look:
- Paint all nails except the ring fingernails with two coats of periwinkle polish, like essie Nail Polish in Bikini So Teeny. Let dry completely.
- On the ring fingernails, paint two coats of a shimmery red polish, like Olive & June Long Lasting Polish in Ruby Shimmer. Let dry.
- On the middle fingernails, either stick on three white star nail decals, like COKSDUPID Star Nail Stickers. Or use a white striper polish, like FingerPaints Striping Polish in Hip Hip Hue-Ray, to hand paint on the stars. After carefully outlining the star shapes, fill them in with the polish. Let dry.
- Seal all nails with clear top coat.
3. American flag chic will set your nails apart this Independence Day
These Fourth of July nails by @sanctuaryspatradition on Instagram prove that you can create the cutest designs on short nails too! This mani combines all the elements of an Independence Day nail design, with glitter, stars and stripes!
Get the look:
- Paint pinky fingernails with two coats of white polish, like Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Color in White on Time; paint middle fingernails with two coats of a royal blue polish, like essie Nail Polish in Butler Please; and paint pointer fingernails with two coats of red polish, like OPI Nail Lacquer in Big Apple Red. Let all dry completely.
- For the sparkle, paint the ring fingernails two coats of sparkly silver polish, like Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish in Deep Sea Diamond. Let dry.
- On the pinky fingernails, use a dotting tool, like COMIART Dotting Tool Set, and dip into the blue polish. Place small blue dots sporadically on the nail, placing most toward the tip of the nail and just a few cascading down. Clean the dotting tool and repeat with red polish. Let dry.
- On the middle fingernails, use a white striper polish, like FingerPaints Striping Polish in Hip Hip Hue-Ray, and paint on 3-5 stars on the nail. Let dry.
- On the pointer fingernails, use the white striping polish to draw thin vertical lines down the nail. Let dry.
- Seal all nails with clear top coat.
4. Cute red and blue cherries are the perfect nail nod to July 4th
Want to change up the typical Fourth of July nail look and ditch the stars? Instagram user @han.polished did just that with the most adorable, festive cherry design! The blue stems of the cherries still makes the mani right on theme for Independence Day.
Get the look:
- Paint all nails two coats of a sheer nude polish, like OPI Nail Lacquer in Bubble Bath. Let dry completely.
- Use a white striper polish, like FingerPaints Striping Polish in Hip Hip Hue-Ray, to paint on thick, crescent-shaped tips at the top of nails for the French tips. Let dry.
- Use a dotting tool, like COMIART Dotting Tool Set, and dip into red polish, like OPI Nail Lacquer in Big Apple Red. Place 2-3 pairs of small dots across the nail for the cherries. Let dry.
- Use a light blue striper polish, like FingerPaints Striping Polish in Aqua Artist, to paint on the stems of the cherries. Paint two short stems connecting each pair of red dots together, then a “leaf” at the top of each. Let dry.
- Seal all nails with clear top coat.
5. Mix and match 4th of July nails
Celebrate the Fourth of July in festive style with this fun and simple-to-do nail art from HannahRoxIt.com.
Get the look:
- In a diagonal fashion, paint the top half of each nail with white polish, like OPI Nail Lacquer in Alpine Snow, and the bottom half with blue polish, like essie Nail Polish in Push Play. Let dry completely.
- Dip a medium-size dotting tool, like COMIART Dotting Tool Set, into the white polish and create polka dots on top of the blue polish. Then, using a red striper polish, like FingerPaints Red-Aissance Striping Polish, paint diagonal stripes across the white polish. Let dry.
- Seal all nails with clear top coat.
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