Just because you love to sport short nails doesn’t mean you are restricted to minimal nail art. With less space for designs, many people automatically assume their options are limited. In reality, you just have to know how to dress them up. During December, your short mani can showcase festive holiday color combinations, glitzy glittery accents, elevated French tips, or cutesy Christmas motifs. Ahead, find 15 manicures that show off our favorite short nail ideas for December—no extra length required.

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Festive French Tips

If you love a red and gold manicure for December but want something a bit more demure, consider this dainty French design. Start with a sheer nude base and add cranberry-red French tips. Then, swipe sheer gold glitter along the edge of each nail, extending from the cuticle to the tip.

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Shimmery Mistletoe Nails

The easiest way to make your manicure festive is to opt for a shimmery polish (or three). To recreate this look, start with an ultra-fine champagne glitter base. Then, use a dotting tool and nail art brush to add the little mistletoe accents as a finishing touch.

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Minimalist Mistletoe Mani

For a more minimalistic take on the seasonal staple, draw multiple mistletoe on each nail to create a holiday print of your own. Start with a sheer milky nude base, then use a nail art brush to create foliage and teeny snow-like splotches.

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Chrisrtmas Dot Nails

If you want to DIY a festive design but are still a beginner with a dotting tool, this manicure is for you. Start with a sheer nude base. Then, pick a few holiday colors, such as red, green, white, or silver. Scatter the alternating colors across each nail, concentrating towards the tip. The result? An easy and highly customizable seasonal design.

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Cranberry Cutout Nails

Half-moon manicures are the ultimate short nail-friendly design. To perfect this look, place a French manicure stencil sticker at the base of each nail and paint cranberry red polish above the line, up to the tip. Remove the stickers once your nails are dry. Then, use a nail art brush to add a thin metallic border between the red tip and the negative space.

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Navy and Gold Swirls

For a less Christmas-coded short December nail look, consider pairing a metallic gold and navy blue. Dark blue nail colors and metallic accents are both top trends for the month, so it’s a combo you can’t go wrong with.

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Gold Glitter Double French

This manicure is proof that you can still keep your manicure minimal and still incorporate shimmery nail art. Start with a sheer or milky base color and use an ultra-fine brush to add small accents across each nail. We especially love the way this design combines a half-moon and French tip design.

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Black Bow French Tips

Black nail art is an easy way to incorporate the dark and moody hue into your short mani rotation. To dress them up for the holiday season, consider adding pink and red bow stickers on top of a French tip. Just be sure to encase them in a clear top coat to prevent the edges of the stickers from prematurely lifting.

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Minimalist Holly Nails

We love how dainty these minimalist holly nails are. Since the art can get pretty intricate, it is best to opt for a nail sticker or consider booking an appointment to have a professional hand-paint the design.

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Jelly Cranberry Confetti

For a monochromatic manicure, consider this cranberry confetti creation. You can get the look with an oxblood base topped off with a jelly confetti polish in the same color. Whenever working with ultra-dark nail colors like this one, just be sure to go in and touch up your edges for an extra crisp end look.

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Simple Grinch Skittle

Skittle nails are the one trend that works on any nail length—and this manicure is proof. Here, the mix of creamy and metallic finishes with classic seasonal colors takes the guesswork out of creating a December-worthy design.

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Rhinestone Holiday Nails

Believe it or not, this 3D sparkly look is easy to DIY. Simply start with a neutral base color, then use nail glue to affix rhinestones in the pattern of your choosing. Once dry, your nails will glimmer in more than one dimension.

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Wrapping Paper Accent Nails

Is it just us, or does this evergreen, burgundy, white, and gold striped manicure look like old-school wrapping paper? This mismatched set gives all the holiday vibes without the typical designs.

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Plaid Holiday Nails

Creating fabric-like texture on the nails is a big trend this year and plaid is at the top of the list. The nail art may look intricate but it’s quite simple to DIY. Start with a dark red base, then apply an overlapped vertical and horizontal stripe of dark navy blue along one side of the nail.

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Winter Moodstone Nails

For an ethereal, wintry nail look, consider this iridescent baby blue manicure. The glittery finish nods to the icy feel and magic allure of the month. Wear the hue alone or top off the set with snowflakes or icicles to complete the chilly-themed look.