Those seeking Christmas manicure ideas have no shortage of festive icons to choose from—think candy canes, snowflakes, bows, and the like. But one holiday hero that we think surprisingly flies under the radar is holly. Yes, the winter shrubbery gets a lot of love on the radio this time of year with lyrics from songs of yore that reference the plant. But, with evergreen-hued leaves and bright red berries, we think hollies would make for a stunning visual display in the form of a festive holiday French or intricate green nail design. Need convincing?

Ahead, peruse 20 holly nail ideas that are sure to put you in a holly-jolly mood this holiday season.

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Short and Simple

Minimalistic mani-lovers will appreciate that this short Christmas set skips the typical vibrant polishes associated with the holidays and focuses on the intricate holly nail art instead.

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Holly Mismatch

Those holiday icons that we mentioned? They, alongside the holly, make the perfect Christmas pairing. This mani features different types of winter greenery, snowflakes, and a gorgeous kelly green base.

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Gilded Leaves

The golden pear Christmas gift tradition gets an upgrade with the addition of simple hollies. The result? A look that’s warmer than a glass of steaming eggnog and brighter than your favorite ornament.

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Red Velvet Holly

Red velvet nails are naturally festive on their own. However, adding tiny holly leaves takes them to the next level.

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All Wrapped Up

With a print that is so pretty, we’d be more than happy to wrap our gifts up with this mistletoe and holly berry mixer for a manicure.

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Fresh Off the Branch

Milky white provides a fresh-fallen snow effect, adding to the over-arching theme of nature in the winter time.

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Mistletoe and Holly

A timeless nude base features sage green accents that evoke the chill of winter in this mashup between mistletoe and holly. Each spring is crafted with such detail and precision, giving the look a life-like feel,

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Deconstructed Glitter Holly

Creative, inventive, and eye-catching are the words to describe this abstract work of art. To create deconstructed glitter holly art at home, use polishes with varying sizes of glitter particles to add visual interest.

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Sweet Treat

We’ll take a figgy pudding to go, please! And don’t forget to add a frosted holly berry on top to garnish the kitschy-cute treat.

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Holiday Halfsies

Who says the holly nail trend has to be taken literally? This glittery, diagonal half-French, outlined with holly berry-esque dots, is totally fresh and modern while still paying homage to the icon.

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Holly Garland

It’s amazing just how striking a single accent nail—featuring a unique garland-like take on holly—with classic evergreen French tips can be.

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3D Berries

To achieve a 3D nail art effect without breaking out the hard gel, add white dots to your holly berries where the light would naturally reflect off. So juicy.

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Classic Holly French

Featuring crisp white tips framed by delicate holly springs, this finely detailed set is both charming and elegant. It’s sure to be the talking point of every holiday party you go to this season.

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Classic Plaid

Sometimes, a single holly is all you need to complete your look. Here, the leaves and berries tie in the colors of the plaid and chrome red French.

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Crushed Velvet French

For a more vintage vibe, ask your nail artist for a champagne-velvet French complete with muted holly detailing.

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Pretty in Pearl

Swapping stark-white tips for a creamy, swirly pearl polish is perhaps one of the easiest ways to update the classic French manicure. Add a teeny tiny holly (or two) to bring the look home for the holidays.

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The Holly on Your Front Door

Green winter velvet polish provides the trendy contrast to holly’s classic aesthetic in this mix-and-match manicure. We love how the holly leaves and berries border a single accent nail, forming a wreath-like shape.

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Candy Cane French

Playful and oh-so-festive, this design features red and white candy cane stripes on the tips. Accent nails are adorned with a small holly cluster at the cuticle line for an extra dose of holiday spirit.

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Deck the Halls

A maximalist’s dream, this design features just about every aspect of a day spent decorating for the holiday—from a car carrying a Christmas tree to hollies to multi-colored string lights.

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Nostalgia-Inspired Nails

If you’ve scrolled on TikTok in the past couple of months, chances are you noticed that “tacky” Christmas (aka the mismatched decoration holidays we enjoyed in our childhood) is back. This nail set fits neatly into that “anything goes” aesthetic.