Changing leaves, chilly weather, and the debut of all things pumpkin spice — a new season is here, and what better way to celebrate than with some cute pumpkin nails?! 🎃
As we stock up on all the pumpkin flavors and decorations this year, we’re also adding these pumpkin themed nail designs and nail art ideas to our autumnal mood boards. From spooky jack-o’-lanterns to pumpkin spice nails, we’re covering all the bases for your seasonal manicure. Plus, we’re also sharing a few tips, tricks, and treats to help you ~nail~ these pumpkin designs at home.
So grab your PSL and let’s get into it!
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Everything You Need to Know To Create Cute Pumpkin Nail Art At Home – FAQs
‘Tis the season for all things cozy at home — including DIYing the perfect at-home pumpkin nail art! If you’re looking for a new hobby this season, we created this guide to help you design your favorite pumpkin themed nail ideas from the comfort of your living room. It’s the perfect festive activity to do as you rewatch old episodes of Gilmore Girls, sip on pumpkin flavored coffee, and plan out your seasonal outfit ideas.
Keep scrolling for everything you need to know to create cute pumpkin nail art this season, from the best nail polish colors for your design to our step-by-step tutorial for your festive mani!
Must-Have Tools For DIYing Your Pumpkin Nail Art Designs
To help you create the cutest pumpkin nail ideas at home, here are the essential tools you need to DIY your own personal pumpkin patch!
- Nail art brushes: Whether you’re DIYing multiple tiny pumpkins or large jack-o’-lantern designs, small nail art brushes will help you create a clean, professional-looking manicure.
- Pumpkin themed nail polish: While an orange and black color palette is the most classic look for pumpkin nail ideas, you can also mix things up with pastel hues or shimmery shades. There are no rules when it comes to your pumpkin mani!
- A top coat and base coat: These are essential for any nail art design, your pumpkin nails included. A clear base coat will protect your nails and help your polish stick, while a top coat will seal your design and ward off any chips or scratches.
- Nail stickers or decals: Not a nail art pro? No prob! You can also easily DIY a pumpkin nail design using festive nail stickers or decals. From spooky stickers to adorable decals, the options are endless!
Step-By-Step Tutorial: How To Draw Pumpkins On Your Nails
While DIYing pumpkin nail designs may be a bit tricker other fall nail ideas, we’ve created this simple tutorial to make it a little easier. Scroll on for our step-by-step guide, and get ready to embrace your pumpkin era!
- Prep your nails: Get your nails pumpkin-ready by filing them into your desired shape, pushing back your cuticles, and applying a clear base coat.
- Apply your base color: What color do you want as the background for your pumpkin nail art? This could be a sheer nude color to make your pumpkins pop, or a bright orange hue for a bold and festive design.
- Paint your pumpkins: Once your base color is dry, use your orange nail polish (or any color of your choice!) to paint a pumpkin shape on your nails. To get that classic pumpkin look, make two half circles at the top and connect them at the bottom, kind of like a wide, rounded heart. This doesn’t have to be perfect — after all, no two pumpkins look the same!
- Draw your outline: To give your design definition, use a small nail art brush and a darker nail polish color (such as black or brown) to outline the pumpkin. You can also add a few rounded lines from the top to the bottom to mimic the natural curves of the veggie.
- Add a stem: Pumpkins aren’t complete without their stems! Keep it simple with a small dash of green nail polish, or have some fun with curling vines, tiny leaves, or detailed designs.
- Finish with a top coat: Once your nail art is dry, apply a clear top coat to seal the deal and protect your design. While a glossy top coat is the most classic, you can also mix things up with a shimmery polish or matte top coat for a unique and trendy look.
And voilá: you have a pumpkin manicure! Once you’ve nailed this step-by-step process, you can easily customize your pumpkin nails with different colors, sizes, or other festive finishing touches, such as spooky nail art or glittery design ideas. Happy doodling!
Colors That Are Trending in 2024 For Pumpkin Nails
While the classic October colors (read: orange and black) will always be trending when it comes to pumpkin nail ideas, there are a few other shades that we’re adding to our roster for 2024. For a manicure that’s festive, classy, AND on-trend this season, we’re loving hues inspired by a pumpkin spice latte. Think: spicy rust orange, warm caramel brown, and creamy nude shades. (Olive & June has the ultimate PSL polish set for your pumpkin manicure!)
Shimmery and metallic colors are also trending this season, with the chrome manicure trend still going strong in 2024. Give the look a pumpkin inspired twist with shimmery orange polish and pops of metallic hues, like glittery gold and shiny copper.
And last but certainly not least, we’re also seeing tons of cute pink pumpkin nail art ideas trending in 2024. Because pink is always a good idea — and that also applies to your pumpkin mani!
Pumpkin Nail Art Designs and Ideas We’re Loving in 2024
Ready to (pumpkin) spice up your nail game this year? We’ve rounded up the best pumpkin nail art ideas for every style and occasion, from spooky October designs to classy manicures you can rock all season long. Plus, we’ve also linked some of our favorite nail polish and nail art tools to help you DIY these pumpkin designs at home. Let’s get into the inspo, shall we?!
1. Shimmery Orange Pumpkin Patch Nails
photo: @bycheznails
If you can’t make it to the pumpkin patch this year, why not bring the pumpkin patch to you?! This pumpkin nail art channels all the cozy and festive vibes of the season, with a bright orange hue and adorable veggie designs.
And yes, we found the perfect nail polish to bring this look to life — it’s warm, it’s shimmery, and it’s just a little bit spicy. Obsessed!
2. Simple White Nails With Cute Pumpkin Designs
photo: @nicolemstrickland
Want to ~spice~ up your everyday mani for October? Just add a cute pumpkin!
This simple nail design is like the autumnal version of the milky nails trend, with a creamy white base coat and a subtle pumpkin accent. It’s festive without going over the top — perfect whether you’re headed to work, the pumpkin patch, or anywhere in between.
3. Pumpkin Themed French Manicure
photo: @nicoles.beauty.lounge
Your favorite French manicure, but make it festive! We love how these nails trade traditional white French tips for bright pumpkin designs. It’s fun and playful, while still looking classy and elegant. Talk about the best of both worlds!
To DIY this look, use a light orange nail polish to paint the tips of your nails, then add a darker orange shade for the outline. And don’t forget a swipe of forest green for the stems!
4. Happy Jack-O’-Lantern Nail Art
photo: @zoescott420
Spooky season pending….
As you gear up for all things spoOoOoky this October, why not kick things off with this cute jack-o’-lantern nail design? They’re the grown-up version of carving pumpkins — minus the effort and messiness (especially when you use these cute nail stickers!).
As you get prepped and ready for spooky season, don’t miss our list of the best couples Halloween costumes for October 31st. Because an iconic duo deserves an iconic costume!
5. Orange French Manicure With Classy Pumpkin Designs
photo: @thestudiobyleila
Calling all minimalists! If you subscribe to a “less is more” approach to nail art, this pumpkin design is here. for. you. It keeps things simple with burnt orange French tips, combined with a subtle and classy pumpkin design.
And if you’re not a nail art pro, we also found these super similar glue-on nails, so you can recreate this festive design at home!
6. Pumpkin Spice Swirl Nail Design
photo: @peachinails
Channel pumpkin spice and everything nice with this cute nail art! It’s a more abstract take on pumpkin nails, with a simple swirl design that has us craving a PSL.
Just combine classic white nail polish, a spicy orange hue, and a swipe of glitter gold for a festive manicure that’ll look gorgeous wrapped around your favorite pumpkin spice bevvie.
7. Elegant Metallic Gold Pumpkin Nails
photo: @samrosenails
If you’re looking for pumpkin nail ideas that are classy rather than cheesy, you can stop scrolling now. With a subtle pumpkin design and shimmery metallic gold accents, this manicure is proof that festive nails can still be super elegant. Brb, adding this to our seasonal mood board as we speak!
8. Moody Black Nails With Orange Pumpkin Designs
photo: @nailart.bycaroline
As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, we feel that annual desire to throw our bright colors in the back of the cabinet and reach for all things dark and moody. It’s spooky season, baby, and the black nail polish awaits!
To give your classic black manicure an extra festive touch, simply add a cute pumpkin accent to one nail. After all, you can’t go wrong with a black + orange color palette!
9. Cute Pink Pumpkin Nail Art
photo: @naileditbeauty
Another color that goes great with black? Pink! If you’re tired of the same old pumpkin orange hues, mix things up with this cute pink color palette instead. Because there’s never a bad time to rock a pink manicure, amiright?!
Add some scare factor to your nail art with a few creepy crawlies — we found the perfect spooky nail decals for the job!
10. Spooky Jack-O’-Lantern Manicure
photo: @naileditbeauty
Love the jack-o’-lantern design from #4, but want something a little scarier for October 31st? We’ve got you covered. These spooky pumpkin designs (which you can recreate with these jack-o’-lantern nail decals) are straight out of our favorite festive movies. Jack Skellington would definitely approve!
11. Simple Pumpkin Orange Nails
orange nail polish: Olive & June
When you want to rock a festive nail design — but don’t have time for a salon appointment or intricate nail art sesh — this pumpkin orange polish has you covered. It’s not too bright, not too dark, just the perfect spicy, warm, and cozy orange hue.
Catch us wearing this simple pumpkin manicure ALL season long!
12. Spooky Mismatched Nail Art
photo: @the_gelbottle_inc
Pumpkins, ghosts, and slime, oh my! Dip your fingers into all the different spooky season motifs with this cute mismatched nail design. We love how each nail reveals a different seasonal staple — kind of like a haunted house for your fingers.
To keep your mismatched mani cohesive, stick to one seasonal color palette. This black, white, and neon orange look is perfect for October!
13. Glitter Orange Pumpkin Nail Designs
photo: @beautybyles
If you ask us, there’s no such thing as TOO much glitter when it comes to your manicure. Light up the room (or the pumpkin patch) with these sparkly nail art ideas, featuring the ultimate glitter orange nail polish. SO festive!
To get this eye-catching look at home, we found the perfect shimmery polish (aptly named “Jack-O’-Lantern”) — or for an even easier DIY, we also found these similar glue-on nails. They’re even customizable for a one-of-a-kind look!
14. Cute Mini Festive Nail Art
photo: @phoebesummernails
Can we just take a moment to appreciate this adorable spooky nail art?! We love how the colorful designs pop against the festive black base coat. If you’re looking for a way to channel your inner (nail) artist this season, just grab your favorite polish colors and some nail art tools and start doodling!
15. Pumpkin Spice Latte Nails
photo: @naileditbeauty
One pumpkin spice latte, and keep them coming! Every year, we count down the days until it’s finally pumpkin spice season again — and what better way to celebrate its arrival than with this cute nail design!?
Get the look with these pumpkin spice latte nail decals…best paired with a PSL!
16. Pumpkin Spice Velvet Nails
photo: @disseynails
For a less literal take on pumpkin spice nails, we also LOVE this shimmery orange design. It embodies the sweet, spicy, and oh-so cozy flavor of pumpkin spice, with a warm bronze hue and glittery holographic look.
This nail artist used gel cat eye nail polish to create the velvety design — but you can also use this similar bronze hue for an easy at-home manicure!
17. Short Green Nails With Black Pumpkin Designs
photo: @m.o.n.a.j
This nail design is giving us major “monster mash” vibes, and we are HERE for it. For a unique and festive manicure, look no further than this ghoulish green nail polish. It looks so rad with the black pumpkin nail art — and as a bonus, green hues are super on-trend this season!
Want to DIY this look at home? Check out the nail artist’s full tutorial here!
Looking for more on-trend ideas to upgrade your fall look? We’ve got you covered with this list of 2024 fall fashion trends — plus the items that are currently in our shopping carts!
18. Bright Orange October Manicure
photo: @_karebeauty_
If October was a manicure, we’re pretty sure it would look something like this. The orange polish! The pumpkin designs! The spooky nail art! If you’ve been searching for the perfect seasonal mani, this is IT.
To make this design your own, grab your favorite orange nail polish colors and get creative with these themed nail stickers. The manicure options are endless!
19. Trendy Checkerboard Nails With Black Pumpkin Designs
photo: @kdnailedit
Checkerboard nail ideas are seeeeeeeriously trending right now, and we love this pumpkin themed take on the trend. Pro tip: use nail striping tape when creating your checkerboard pattern. This will help you achieve those perfectly straight lines!
Complete with a simple black nail decal, they’re the cool girl version of pumpkin nail art.
20. Barbie Pink Pumpkin Nails
photo: @naileditbeauty
Hi, October Barbie! This is another one of our favorite pink pumpkin nail ideas, with a classy French tip design and pretty pink hues straight out of Barbie’s Dreamworld. Whether you’re dressing up as Barbie for October 31st or just want a little extra pink in your life, these are the nails for you.
21. Posessed Pumpkin Nail Designs
photo: @paiwaloves
We’ve seen cute pumpkin nails, pink pumpkin nails, and even yummy pumpkin spice designs. Now bring on possessed pumpkin nails!
This manicure embodies the ~spirit~ of the season with black + orange tips featuring demonic jack-o’-lantern designs. They’re the perfect nails if you don’t shy away from the truly terrifying parts of October — bring on the scary movie marathon!
22. Foliage Inspired Pumpkin Nail Art
photo: @thegelhouse
Use the changing leaves as your inspo with this cute pumpkin nail art. The mix of bright orange and dark beige polish reminds us of crunchy foliage and crisp afternoons. Complete with glittery copper accents for golden hour vibes, it’s THE perfect autumnal manicure.
23. Wavy Checkerboard Nails With Cute Pumpkin Designs
photo: @naileditbeauty
The color palette of this festive manicure is absolute perfection. It’s cozy, it’s seasonal, and it looks so gorgeous with that cute pumpkin nail art. What more could you want?!
For nails that will instantly get you in the seasonal mood, combine this brown and cream nail polish with these mini pumpkin stickers. Festive vibes: activated.
24. Shimmery Short Pumpkin Manicure
photo: @nailedbyrebeka
Speaking of the perfect seasonal color palette, this is another nail design with a classy and moody color combo that you’ll want to wear long past October. Instead of bright neon orange, it channels warm pumpkin spice vibes with cinnamon brown hues and terracotta orange shades. YUM!
Recreate this dreamy nail art with this pumpkin spice latte nail polish set — and don’t forget to add a shimmery top coat for an elegant and trendy finishing touch!
25. Short + Sweet Pumpkin Nail Designs
photo: @naileditbyliv
The perfect pumpkin nail design doesn’t exi—
For an adorable manicure that you can rock from September to November, it doesn’t get better than this simple design. It’s cute, it’s classic, and it pairs great with your favorite cozy sweater! Plus, you can easily DIY this look using these pumpkin stickers. We love.
26. Festive Mismatched Matte Manicure
photo: @nailsby.hays
These nails have everything we could ever ask for in a festive manicure. Cute pumpkins? Check. Friendly ghosts? Check. Spooky cobwebs and trendy checkerboard designs? Check and check. Finished with a cool matte top coat, it’s October nails GOALS.
27. Witchy Turquoise Pumpkin Nails
photo: @pmichellenails
For pumpkin nails that stand out from the patch, why not rock a totally unexpected color? We love the shimmery turquoise hue of these pumpkin designs (which you can recreate using this holographic nail polish). It’s the perfect witchy manicure for your annual screening of Practical Magic!
28. Glamorous Gold Foil + Classic Orange Manicure
photo: @teodoranokti
Another way to add a dose of magic to your pumpkin manicure? Two words: gold foil.
Like nail stickers, you can easily add these gold foil flakes on top of your base coat for a glamorous addition to your pumpkin nail art. We love the combo of the glimmering gold with the rust orange polish — such a classy take on a pumpkin manicure!
29. Funky Orange Pumpkin Nail Art
photo: @paintbyjaz
Want to get a little groovy with your pumpkin nail art? Add a fun and funky touch to your festive manicure with these cute swirly designs. Paired with tiny pumpkins and white stars, these nails will brighten up even the darkest October days. Consider the joy sparked!
30. Cozy Brown Polka-Dot Manicure
photo: @beautybycholemayboyce
There’s something about brown nail polish that gives off the ultimate cozy vibe. For a subtle and seasonal pumpkin nail design that will go with all your cozy attire, skip the bright oranges and opt for this chic brown and white nail art instead. It’s simple, but SO effective!
Pro tip: Use a nail dotting tool to easily DIY the polka dot design. No salon appointment necessary!
31. Pretty Pink Pumpkin Nail Art
photo: @naileditbeauty
You didn’t think we could end this list without at least one more pink nail design, did you?! Think pink with this trendy nail art, featuring dreamy swirl designs, pretty pastel polish, and adorable pastel pumpkins.
And if you’re loving these pastel pumpkin nail ideas as much as we are, definitely stock up on these cute pumpkin nail stickers — they come in all our favorite shades!
Manicures For Every Autumn Occasion? We’re Your Home Base (Coat).
There’s nothing like ringing in a new season with a new and festive manicure. If you’re looking for more nail ideas to celebrate the beginning of autumn (in addition to this cute pumpkin nail art), don’t miss our list of the best fall nail designs that you can rock alllll season long.
Searching for a cute manicure for October 31st? We also have you covered with these cute Halloween nail ideas — best paired with your iconic Halloween costume!
And last but not least, round out the season in style with this list of classy Thanksgiving nail designs. They’re guaranteed to be the talk of the dinner table!
Which of these pumpkin nail art ideas were your fave? Need any other seasonal nail inspo? Let us know in the comments below!