This looks like a complex design but only takes a few swipes of the brush. Apply a white base coat, wait for it to try, and then choose the first color you want to use. Draw one or two lines on every nail either vertically or horizontally. Wait for that to dry then do another color, let dry, and then another.

Vary the thickness of each line slightly to give a nice woven look. Polish it off with a top coat to smooth it all out. Voila!

For this look you just need a little bit of tape (or a very steady hand) and two polish colors.

Apply a base coat over your whole nail, wait for it to dry, and then use a piece of tape to create a straight line diagonally down the centre. Paint the second color over the area that isn’t covered by the tape, and you’re done!

Have some extra office supplies lying around? Use binder paper reinforcements to get the perfect half moon shape. Apply a base coat and wait for it to dry completely. Then stick the binder reinforcements over your nails and paint the second color coat over top.

Add simple straight lines to simple colored nails to create a unique accent. Use tape to help keeps lines straight if you don’t have surgeon hands. Try a sharpie instead of polish for a more refined look, just make sure to apply a top coat to set the sharpie.

Use some tape to make it easier to create straight lines for smaller details. For this zig-zag design, you’ll need some tape, wavy scissors, and two different color polishes.

Apply a base coat and wait until it’s fully dry before applying the tape. Cut the tape with the wavy scissors to get the zig-zag effect, and then apply to your nails. Use the second polish to fill in the area of the nails without tape, wait for it to dry, and remove the tape to reveal your design!

Choose two colors that would work well in a gradient (usually light to dark). Use some tape to cover the skin around your nail, or have some Q-tips and nail polish remover handy for when you’re done.

Pour two blobs out next to each other in a mixing tray and use a toothpick to mix the overlap together. Get out a makeup sponge and dab both colors together on the sponge, and then transfer to your nail. Cover with a clear top coat to smooth out the gradient.

Try adding more colours to your gradient once you’re more confident with the application process!

This is perfect for a festive look to add a little sparkle.

Apply a base layer of your preferred colour, and then add a glitter nail polish concentrated at the tip of the nail, and lightly brush it down no further than the centre of the nail. No sponge required for this one.

Get this sleek look easily with two nail polishes. Use the matte black as a base coat over the whole nail, and then use the glossy black across the tips. Simple as that!

Use some tape to help create a straight line on the tips if need be.

A little bit of gold can really dress up your nails. It’s perfect for a special occasion or holiday look. All you need is a little bit of gold leaf, a nail file, some scissors, and a Q-tip! The gold leaf will stick to the nail polish, so all you have to do is cut out the shape you want, apply it to your nails, and then use the file to remove the excess from the tips. Done!

Use an old loofah and a sponge to create a fishnet stencil. Paint a base coat, hold the loofah over your nail, and dab with a sponge. Voila!

Prepare to get a little messy with this one! Use tape to cover the skin around your nails, and put down some newspaper to avoid too much clean up.

Apply one base layer, and then get crazy! Flick your polish haphazardly across your nails to achieve an abstract splashed paint effect.

Another easy artistic style can be achieved by painting swatches across your nails. Try mixing thinner and thicker brush strokes to get that messy look.

This one is a little more complicated, but easier than it seems! This one is good for a rainy day (pun very much intended).

Apply a black base coat and lightly sponge on some dark purple and white accents. Use a very thin micro-tip pen in silver or white to draw in a strike of lightning. Voila! Easy as pie.

Black and white pinstripe nails! Use tape to keep those lines straight, it will be most noticeable with this design if they’re out of line. The stud at the bottom is optional but it looks pretty cute! Even without a stud, you could add one dot of a fun color at the base for an extra unique touch.

Apply a base colour (in this case, white) and then carefully paint a curved line in black. Fill in the space with more black polish and you’re done! Try it with different color combos to switch it up.

Use a gold sharpie to easily add highlights to your nails! You can wipe it off if you mess up and it won’t ruin the base coat. Just be sure to apply a good top coat to keep the sharpie bits in place when you’re done.

This not only looks beautiful, but it covers up any unevenness there may have been in your french tip line. We all know it’s hard to get them perfectly crisp!

Apply your white base coat, and use a sharpie or a very fine black polish brush to create the “strings” for the lights. Once that’s dry, add a couple red and green “lights” to give it a festive flair! Don’t forget a top coat to smooth it all over.

Apply a base coat and then use a piece of crumpled up plastic to get this cool stone effect. Paint the second color loosely across the crumpled plastic and then apply by dabbing the plastic over the nail.

Matte is constantly going in and out of style, and it can get expensive to buy a matte version of every color in your collection. By adding a little eye shadow (of a similar color, or to a clear top coat) you can make any polish matte on your own!

This is a quick one and only requires one colour and a top coat. Paint a swatch of color from the corner of your nail to the opposite side. No need for tape or another layer of paint, just throw on a top coat and leave the other half of your nail looking natural.

Paint triangles on your nail beds for a fun feature. One extra-accented nail can be easily made by adding an extra stripe above the base triangle, as pictured here!

You can go wild by using tape to create crisp shapes. Mix and match your nails or keep one uniform style across the whole manicure – the choice is yours!

Fool all your friends – this looks like a super complicated design, but you can do it in just a few minutes!

Prepare your nails with a base coat of clear polish or color. Take a small piece of lace and place it over your entire nail, where you want the pattern to be. Dab some white nail polish on with a sponge to transfer the pattern over. Easy as pie!

Apply a base layer of whatever prominent color you want for your nails. Take a tooth pick and dip it carefully so just the tip is holding some white nail polish. Put some small dots over your nails, topping up the white polish as needed. Dip the toothpick into the polish a little further to get bigger dots and add a few of those to the nails. Wait for it to try then add a top coat to smooth them out and you’re done!

For the same look with thicker dots try using the end of a bobby pin.

For a simple and more understated polka-dot pattern, dot just one line of dots at the tips of your nails.

Use a bobby pin to make one thick dot at the bed of your nails, and a toothpick to create a tiny dot just above it. This is a super quick way to stylize your solid colour nails.

Play with placing dots strategically around your nails to create different looks.

Don’t have time to paint your nails in full? Just add one cute dot at the base of the nail for a cute and instant look.

For an interesting switch up, choose two colors and do a different colored tip. For this example they’ve used pink and white. When you go to add your dots, place the white dots on the pink base coat, and the pink dots on the white base coat. Cute!

Apply a base coat, wait for it to dry completely. When dry, apply a breathable Band-Aid with holes in the adhesive. Attach it to your nail and fill the holes with the second color of nail polish. Bing bang boom – quick dotted nails!

Apply the base coat and let it dry. Make one black and one white stripe on each nail. Use a bobby pin or other tool to add polka dots on the lines with black and white color. It’s easiest to do one large dot in the “outline” color, and then layer it with a smaller dot after the first has dried.

Apply the dots so that they’re slightly overlapped. It gives the design a more 3D effect and gives the illusion of floating bubbles.

Okay, so maybe this one is cheating a little bit, but it’s so cool I had to include it.

You can find nail polish that changes colors in the sun when activated by UV rays. This is a cool way to spice up your nails with minimal effort. It does all the work for you!

One hand here has been in the sun, the other hasn’t. Is there a benefit to this? No. It’s just fun to see what science can do.

Apply a white polish as a base coat. Apply a blue coat on top at just half the nail, rounding it off (use some binder reinforcers to help lead the circular shape if necessary). Use a gold polish to add a thin line of color dividing the white and blue.

Place one swift swipe of white to help accent a dark colored base coat.

Use an old paint or makeup brush, spread out the bristles, and use it to swipe nail polish along your nails for a thin stripey look.

Use a combo of stripes and dots on your nails for an extra special design. First use a base coat, layer it with a second color on the top half of the nail, and then add a gold stripe along the divide of the two colors. Add a gold dot to the corner of the nails to make the look really pop!

Get out your silly scissors and use the cutting pattern on some tape to create interesting lines on your nails. Apply one color as a base coat, wait until it’s fully dry to apply the cut out tape, and then apply the second colour over top.

You might need a nail art pen for this one, but even a sharpie will work as long as you put on a tough top coat after the paint/pen has dried. You can get creative with the shapes and sizes you use for your design!

A cute nail idea if you’re a travel lover! Paint a white base coat and make sure it’s completely dry before the next step. Dip one finger at a time in rubbing alcohol and then apply a small piece of a map to the nail so the ink can transfer. Apply a top coat to keep the print solid without fading or smudging.

Follow the easy sponge gradient trick from tip #6. Use some tape to create fine crisp lines, or a nail pen to design these geometric shapes on all your nails, or just one feature nail for a pop of color! (And to save time).

These watermelon nails are too cute and just perfect for summer! Paint a coral pink base coat and wait for it to dry. Apply a green half moon shape around the nail bed, then add a thin white line between the green and pink. Top it off with three black seeds for a look so cute you could just eat it up!

Here’s an excuse to have a different colour for every nail.

Use a sharpie to write the Pantone color code on the white tip of your nails to make it look like a color swatch. Make sure to use a clear top coat to keep the sharpie in place.

Hold them up against the wall of different rooms of your house to decide which color you’d like to paint the walls next.

Instead of a french tip, try a french nail bed, also known as Ruffian nails. Paint a base coat, then add a thin layer of your second colour to accent the bottoms of your nails instead of the tips.

Most of us can barely draw a feather on a normal scale and with the proper drawing tools, so no one is expecting you to create a mini feather with nail polish. A quick hack you may never have thought of is quite easy!

Take a real feather and cut it to fit your nail. Take some clear school glue and put the feather in place, then paint over it with another layer of glue, and then a layer of nail polish to smooth it out. Make sure you use an old brush you don’t mind throwing away after the fact, because the glue will dry up and make it unusable.

Paint two layers of a thick white base coat and let it dry thoroughly. Take a thin brush or sharpie to draw a lifeline pattern across your nails. Add a little heart feature on one nail for Valentine’s Day for a LOVEly touch.

This works better on talons that are longer, so if you keep yours short you may find different results. Paint all your nails black except for one on each hand (the ring finger is usually the best for a feature nail but of course, follow your heart).

Paint the feature nail with a clear base coat or a light color like pink or white. Once dry, draw a squiggle the length of the nail, shaping one end with a little “head” and the other with a little tail.

Voila, nails fit for a true Slytherin.

A quick way to make detailed stripes look flawless is to paint the tape beforehand, and then apply it to the nail afterwards and secure it with a top coat.

For marble nails, paint a white base coat, and then add a couple very small black dots, which will soon become the “marble” detail. Add some even smaller white dots on top of the black dots. Use a small brush to swirl the colours around to create an organic looking marble pattern. Top coat is key to keep it looking fresh.

Paint on some matte polish – the darker the color, the better! Use nail glue to add a couple bright rhinestones to the bed of your nails for a beautiful contrast.

Shape your nails (probably falsies unless you have some serious strengthener and a job that doesn’t require typing) into a pointed almond shape. Paint a base coat of a very light ballet pink and wait for it to dry. Use some tape to ensure crisp lines and create a triangular black tip. Bonus step: apply some lipstick and do whatever this girl is doing.

Use the same technique as before, applying tape after your base coat dries to guide smooth lines and create a pointed black tip.

Adding some rhinestones to an already rock and roll metal look makes a big difference! You can buy some rhinestones from any craft or dollar store, and they can be easily applied with nail glue. Try applying them to the base of the nails, the tips, or anywhere else you fancy.

Use the gradient effect on your nails from dark blue to sapphire, then splatter on various “stars” with white paint for a three-dimensional effect.

If you’re feeling up to the challenge, or have the time, you could take the look a step further and paint on planets and constellations. Test out your artistic skills!

Paint a jet black base coat. Use a small round sponge to take some white paint and apply just one side (and eighth or so) to the nail, creating a crescent moon shape. On the next nail, put pressure on more than just an eighth of the space, creating a fuller and fuller moon as you go.

Use binder ring reinforcement stickers for the original French manicure. Place the stickers on your nails where you want the line to start. Now you don’t have to worry about making the perfect line with your shaky hands. This works better than tape since you’ll get a natural looking round line instead of a straight one.

Are you a book lover? This style is for you! Paint your nails a light color like grey, pink, or white. Soak one finger at a time in rubbing alcohol for about 5 seconds and then apply the newspaper to the nail so the ink can transfer. Cover with a top coat to make sure the ink has set.

Flowers can be tough to paint, especially on a small canvas like a nail! But daisies are a good entry level flower to get you started! Just paint your base coat, some white petals in a circle (or semi-circle) and then a yellow dot at the centre!

Paint your base coat and wait for it to completely dry before applying a sticker in your preferred shape on the nail. Paint another coat in a different colour over the entire nail and the sticker. When dry, remove the sticker to expose the base coat color!

A perfect holiday touch! Use festive colors and draw on ribbon with or two simple lines, and a bow, which requires a little more delicate handiwork. To make it easier, glue a rhinestone bow to the centre where the two ribbon lines meet! It’s easier, and looks more impressive at the same time.

You’ll definitely need some nail extensions to get the full effect for this look. And a plethora of gold rings.

Paint a base coat (either a light pink, nude, or just a clear coat). Draw an x shape from the bottom of each side of the nail and cross upward to the tip of the nail. Fill in the top color but leave the little exposed triangles near the nail beds. Voila!

Paint a base coat, in this case a ballet pink. You may need two coats to make sure the color is opaque. Add a triangle sticker, pointing the tip down towards the base of your nails. Apply a top coat to keep the stickers in place.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to use stickers, you can paint on a black tip instead!

This is a cute Valentine’s Day look, or if you’re going to a poker night.

Tape won’t be able to help you with this design, so you’ll need a steady hand. Shape your nails so that the tips are pointed into an almond shape. Apply your base coat, and then carefully draw on a heart shape at the tips, with the top of the hearts pointing down towards the base of your nails.

Paint the pink base coat and wait for it to dry before carefully painting some rounded edges on the corner. Use a very think black brush, nail pen, or sharpie to emphasize the line between the two colors.

Apply a lightly colored base coat and let dry. Paint a second color from the centre of the nail to the tip. Then with the same color, create a half moon shape over the base of the nail.

Add some 90 degree angles to your look! Add a feature colour and white dividing line to make them pop!

Get out your sponge and mix a dark yellow and light brown palette together. Dab them together over the entire nail until you’re happy with the balance. Wait until dry, before adding some medium sized black dots (use a bobby pin for best results). Apply a top coat for glossy cheetah print talons!

This is a luxe look you can achieve in just a few quick steps! Choose your favorite ballet pink and apply two coats so it’s adequately opaque. Strip up some small gold leaf pieces and apply them carefully with a pair of tweezers to the bottom corner of each nail. Gloss it over with a top coat to keep everything in place.

Another stunning look for those with long nails or extensions. Choose a vibrant color and paint three nails on each hand entirely. Leave two fingers bare. On those bare nails, apply a light pink or nude base coat and let dry. Cut a piece of tape to achieve the shape you want – basically the exact size of your nail but just slightly smaller. Apply the tape and paint the vibrant color around the outside, and reveal to create an outline just at the edge of the nails. Stunning!

Looks good enough to eat! Paint a barbie pink colour over the entire nail and let dry. Then, take some of your brightest colours (red, yellow, green, white, etc.) and brush tiny lines across different areas of the nail to give a sprinkled effect. Yum!

This one is a little more challenging, so I saved the most advanced for last. For this one, you can use real candy sprinkles, or find some small plastic ones at the dollar store. Apply a base coat and let dry before applying some nail glue across the entire nail. Dip your finger in the sprinkles and they should adhere to the glue. Fill in any naked areas manually. Voila!