4 Halloween Nail Art Designs to Recreate at Home

You don’t need to be a professional to nail these looks.

Nail art on the streets of NYC during 2022 New York Fashion Week.Shannon Finney/Getty Images

As soon as October hits, it’s crunch time for pulling together the perfect Halloween costume, nails included. Whether you order your Halloween look six months ahead, or you are a put-the-finishing-touches-on-while-running-out-the-door type of person, your level of commitment to the Halloween spirit can be instantly upped with an at-home manicure. Even if you decide to opt out of festive garb entirely this holiday, it’s never a bad time for a fresh set of nails.

However, salon manicures can get expensive fast, especially if you’re seeking a fun design. Lucky for you, our go-to expert for all things nails, Sydney Beggins, created four Halloween-inspired nail art designs, each with their own easy to follow set of instructions. Thanks to Beggins’s shockingly easy-to-follow steps, we guarantee you there is nothing to fear. Plus, this is the perfect activity for a girl’s night as the weather gets cooler. Grab your polish and take notes.

Contents

1. Pumpkin French Tip
2. Devil French 
3. Argyle Sweater 
4. Sparkling Ghost

Pumpkin French Tip

Bring the pumpkin patch with you everywhere you go. Utilizing the season’s most iconic colors, this pumpkin French tip detail is deceivingly easy.

1. Start with a nude base.

2. Paint the shape of the top of a heart.

3. Using a darker color, outline the shape and then add lines curving down either side.

4. Paint a stem out of the middle of the heart shape and add white details to create a shiny dimension.

5. Finish with a shiny top coat.

Devil French 

The devil really is in the details. This design is perfect for all 10 digits or scattered among some solid red and black nails, too.

1. Start with a pink base.

2. Add a black french tip. 

3. Using white polish paint two curved horns and a curved line with an arrow for a tail.

4. Allow white to dry and paint over with a red polish. Finish with a shiny top coat.

Argyle Sweater 

1. Start with a gray base.

2. Using a darker color, paint parallel lines at an angle.

3. Using the same color, paint parallel lines at the opposite angle to create a criss-cross pattern.

4. Fill in every other square to create a checkerboard pattern.

5. Using a white polish, paint parallel lines again, this time crossing in the center of each filled square. Finish with a shiny top coat.

Sparkling Ghost

This might be the most adorable ghost we have ever seen. The sparkle details help to zhuzh up the classic Halloween motif.

1. Start with a purple base.

2. Paint one large circle in the center towards the cuticle. Paint three smaller circles in a curve towards the tip of the nail.

3. Connect all of the circles with curved lines.4. Fill in the shape.

5. Paint three circles for eyes and a mouth.

6. Add small dots and stars.

7. Finish with a shiny top coat.

Beggins counsels that there is always a lot of trial and error when trying a design for the first time. “I find the less I think, the better the final look is” she says. So, take her advice and don’t think too hard or fixate on perfection. You don’t need to be a professional to nail these designs.

About the expert: Sydney Beggins received her New York State Specialty Nail License from Christine Valmy Beauty School this spring, following her withdrawal from the Fashion Institute of Technology, to pursue her passion for nails professionally. You can check out Beggins’s work here.