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30 Awesome Halloween Nail Art Ideas

Four close-up views of purple Halloween nails with orange pumpkins and black-and-white skulls by The Illustrated Nail

By

Jamie Slack

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Halloween nail art can be as simple as two dots staring back at you or as elaborate as a haunted house on your thumbnail. This collection gives you 30 designs to browse, plus links to our individual tutorials when you want more than a picture.

Pick your Halloween nail design

You can also use a design as one accent nail rather than repeating it across every finger. Pick the amount of tiny painting you actually want to do.

Browse the 30 nail ideas

Start with the design you like, then decide whether you want one accent nail or a whole set. The tutorial links below take you through the matching look.

1. Green spider nails

Green spider nails
The lime-green base makes the tiny black spiders stand out.

2. Blood-drip nails

Blood-drip nails
Red drips sit over alternating black and pale nails. Art and photo: Do Not Refreeze.

3. Little orange-and-black bats

Little orange-and-black bats
The bright eyes keep these little bats on the cute side of spooky. Original credit: Plisherrific.

4. Classic candy corn

Classic candy corn
Three blocks of white, orange, and yellow do the work here. See the step-by-step tutorial.

5. Candy-colored swirls

Candy-colored swirls
Orange, yellow, black, and white swirls give this set a busier pattern than simple stripes.

6. Vampire fangs

Vampire fangs
A single white fang accent breaks up the black-and-red manicure. Art and photo: Nails by Kayla Shevonne.

7. Green stitched nails

Green stitched nails
Use the stitched pattern as inspiration for one accent nail or the whole set.

8. Frankenstein faces

Frankenstein faces
Round eyes and a little black hairline turn green polish into a face. See the step-by-step tutorial.

9. Little white ghosts

Little white ghosts
White ghosts with black dot faces work without a lot of colors. See the step-by-step tutorial.

10. Wrapped-up mummies

Wrapped-up mummies
The little eyes peek out between the bandages. See the step-by-step tutorial.

11. Skulls and orange accents

Skulls and orange accents
This set mixes black-and-white skulls with raised orange-nail accents.

12. Stitched orange tips

Stitched orange tips
A line of little black stitches gives orange French tips a Halloween twist.

13. Candy-corn dots

Candy-corn dots
The candy-corn colors are dotted together rather than painted in solid bands.

14. Tiny spiders on orange nails

Tiny spiders on orange nails
Most of the nail stays orange, with a small spider near the tip. Art and photo: Pimp My Nails.

15. Black-and-white spiderwebs

Black-and-white spiderwebs
Alternate the black-and-white backgrounds to make the web pattern pop.

16. Purple haunted house

Purple haunted house
The yellow windows make the haunted-house accent easy to spot among the bats. Art and photo: Nails by Kayla Shevonne.

17. Pumpkin faces and a black cat

Pumpkin faces and a black cat
Orange pumpkin faces share the set with a black-cat accent.

18. Jack-o’-lanterns on black

Jack-o’-lanterns on black
Small orange pumpkins stand out against black polish.

19. Graveyard silhouettes

Graveyard silhouettes
Black gravestones and bare branches make a tiny scene across the pale nails. Art and photo: Simply Rins.

20. Spider French tips

Spider French tips
Little spiders hang over orange-and-black tips. Art and photo: Simply Rins.

21. Nightmare Before Christmas characters

Nightmare Before Christmas characters
Choose one character as an accent if a full mixed set feels ambitious. See the step-by-step tutorial.

22. Little owls

Little owls
The brown-and-cream palette also works after Halloween. See the step-by-step tutorial.

23. Purple-and-green patchwork

Purple-and-green patchwork
Purple and green sections are joined by black stitches.

24. Black-and-white skulls

Black-and-white skulls
White nails, black eyes, and short black lines make a graphic skull design.

25. Green slime

Green slime
Bright green drips do most of the work in this black-and-green manicure. See the step-by-step tutorial.

26. Wide-eyed spider faces

Wide-eyed spider faces
Big yellow eyes give these purple spiders plenty of personality.

27. Watching eyes

Watching eyes
Tiny pairs of eyes peek out of the black background. See the step-by-step tutorial.

28. Green Frankenstein stitches

Green Frankenstein stitches
A lime-green base and uneven black stitches make a simple monster-inspired pattern.

29. Vampire bites

Vampire bites
Red drips and paired bite marks are the focus of this pale manicure.

30. Orange jack-o’-lantern faces

Orange jack-o’-lantern faces
Orange nails become little pumpkin faces with black details. See the pumpkin design at Polish Sickness.

Bonus: Mix pumpkins and skulls in one manicure

For a more detailed design, The Illustrated Nail’s Halloween pick-and-mix tutorial for OPI combines orange pumpkins and black-and-white skulls over purple polish. Start with the larger shapes and leave space between them before adding outlines and faces. A fine detail brush or nail-art pen helps with the small lines.

Purple pumpkin-and-skull nail art shown in four stages by The Illustrated Nail
Art and photos: The Illustrated Nail for OPI.
See the full Halloween nail inspiration collage

Collage of the 30 Halloween nail designs

Keep the fall nail ideas going

For leaves, turkeys, and a manicure you can wear into November, browse our Thanksgiving nail art ideas or try owl nails.

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