35 Genius Ideas that Will Change the Ways You Paint Your Nails

Looking for some cool new manicure ideas to try at home? We found some of the coolest, but easiest ways to add sparkle and glamor to your nails. Genius nail art ideas that you can get with little effort, all complete with step by step tutorials. Try one of these awesome ideas out today!

DIY Nail Art Ideas

1. Use Water Based Metallic Sharpie

thebeautydepartment

Use Water Based Metallic Sharpie, a fun nail painting idea to try at home and a creative nail design anyone can copy

2. Dotted Fade Manicure

makeup

Dotted Fade Manicure, a creative nail design anyone can copy and a simple trick for a salon quality manicure

3. Splatter Paint Nails

prettygossip

Splatter Paint Nails, a simple trick for a salon quality manicure and a budget friendly way to change up your nails

4. Get The Perfect Shapes On Your Nails

sellzcutethings

Get The Perfect Shapes On Your Nails, a fun nail painting idea to try at home and a pretty design perfect for a night out

5. Sexy Scalloped Nails

cosmopolitan

Sexy Scalloped Nails, a pretty design perfect for a night out and an easy technique using items already in your kit

6. Geometric French Nails

sonailicious

Geometric French Nails, an easy technique using items already in your kit and a creative way to make plain nails pop

7. Easy Optical Illusion Nail Art

diyprojectsforteens

Easy Optical Illusion Nail Art, a fun nail painting idea to try at home and an easy DIY manicure technique

8. Sugared Stars And Stripes

chalkboardnails

Sugared Stars And Stripes, an easy DIY manicure technique and a creative nail design anyone can copy

8. Rainbow Sprinkles Nails

blog.lulus

Rainbow Sprinkles Nails, a creative nail design anyone can copy and a simple trick for a salon quality manicure

9. Water Marble Nails

prettyplainjanes

Water Marble Nails, a fun nail painting idea to try at home and a budget friendly way to change up your nails

10. Romantic Floral Mani DIY

michellephan

Romantic Floral Mani DIY, a budget friendly way to change up your nails and a pretty design perfect for a night out

12. Geometric Nails

myawesomebeauty

Geometric Nails, a pretty design perfect for a night out and an easy technique using items already in your kit

13. Sideways Ruffian Nails

sonailicious

Sideways Ruffian Nails, a fun nail painting idea to try at home and a creative way to make plain nails pop

14. Zig Zag Nails

byaranka

Zig Zag Nails, a creative way to make plain nails pop and an easy DIY manicure technique and it comes together fast

15. DIY Pastel Ombre Manicure

ladylifehacks

DIY Pastel Ombre Manicure, an easy DIY manicure technique and a creative nail design anyone can copy

16. Spangled Nails

chloesnails

Spangled Nails, a fun nail painting idea to try at home and a simple trick for a salon quality manicure

17. Scalloped Nails Using Shearing Scissors

chloesnails

Scalloped Nails Using Shearing Scissors, a simple trick for a salon quality manicure and an easy DIY manicure technique

18. DIY Nail Soak For Longer Stronger Nails

styletips101

DIY Nail Soak For Longer Stronger Nails, a budget friendly way to change up your nails and an easy DIY manicure technique

19. Repair Broken Nail With Tea Bag

chickettes

Repair Broken Nail With Tea Bag, a fun nail painting idea to try at home and a creative way to make plain nails pop

20. DIY Nail Stickers

thebeautydepartment

DIY Nail Stickers, an easy technique using items already in your kit and a creative way to make plain nails pop

21. DIY Watercolor Nail Art Using Permanent Markers

icreativeideas

DIY Watercolor Nail Art Using Permanent Markers, a creative way to make plain nails pop and an easy DIY manicure technique

22. Galaxy Nails

angelsstyle

Galaxy Nails, a fun nail painting idea to try at home and a creative nail design anyone can copy and the results are worth it

23. Mix Your Own Shimmer Nail Polish

A Beautiful Mess

Mix Your Own Shimmer Nail Polish, a creative nail design anyone can copy and a simple trick for a salon quality manicure — Loose pigment mixed into clear polish to make a custom shimmer shade. (Image credit: A Beautiful Mess)

This is the nail trick worth actually knowing, because one bottle of clear polish becomes any color you want. Loose pigment, or an eyeshadow you love and never wear, gets stirred into a clear base, and how much you add decides whether it finishes as a sheer wash or a solid metallic. The teal here is a shade nobody sells. Mix a small amount first and test it on one nail before you commit the whole bottle, because pigment goes further than you expect. A Beautiful Mess has the tutorial.

24. Snake Skin Nail Art

confessionsandcreations

Snake Skin Nail Art, a simple trick for a salon quality manicure and a budget friendly way to change up your nails

25. Fast Dry Your Nails

fashioncapt

Fast Dry Your Nails, a fun nail painting idea to try at home and a pretty design perfect for a night out

26. Putting Glitter Nail Polish The Right Way

glamour

Putting Glitter Nail Polish The Right Way, a pretty design perfect for a night out and a creative way to make plain nails pop

27. Write On Your Nails Using Sharpie

lyndarthemerciless

Write On Your Nails Using Sharpie, an easy technique using items already in your kit and an easy DIY manicure technique

28. Tortoise Shell Tips

seventeen

Tortoise Shell Tips, a fun nail painting idea to try at home and an easy DIY manicure technique and the results are worth it

29. Peel Off Base Coat

wackylaki

Peel Off Base Coat, an easy DIY manicure technique and a creative nail design anyone can copy and it is easier than it looks

30. DIY Blue and Pink Fan Brush Striped Nail Art

icreativeideas

DIY Blue and Pink Fan Brush Striped Nail Art, a creative nail design anyone can copy and an easy DIY manicure technique

31. Perfect Polish Everytime

charisadarling

Perfect Polish Everytime, a fun nail painting idea to try at home and a budget friendly way to change up your nails

32. Cat Face Nail Decals

DIY in PDX

Cat Face Nail Decals, a budget friendly way to change up your nails and a pretty design perfect for a night out — Homemade cat face decals over a pale pink manicure. (Image credit: DIY in PDX)

Freehand nail art asks you to paint something recognizable inside a space the size of a fingernail, which is why most of it goes wrong. Decals sidestep the problem entirely. The design gets printed at home onto decal paper, cut out and sealed, then it goes on over a plain base coat and disappears under a top coat, giving you a level of detail no brush was ever going to manage at that scale. Once the method is yours the image can be anything, so cats here but flowers or tiny prints work the same way. DIY in PDX has the full tutorial.