Spice Up Your St. Patrick’s Day with These 120 Festive Nail Ideas (2024)

I absolutely love St. Patrick’s Day. As someone with Irish heritage, it’s always been one of my favorite holidays to celebrate.

This year, I wanted to really step up my St. Paddy’s Day style with some fun nail art like these:

After scouring Pinterest and Instagram, I found tons of creative DIY nail ideas to try for March 17th.

Who knew you could do so much with just some green polish and a few simple tools?

From glittery four-leaf clovers to geometric shamrocks, there are endless ways to get your nails in the Irish spirit.

In fact, nail salons report that appointments for green manicures double in the weeks leading up to St. Patrick’s Day!

St Patrick’s Nails Photo Gallery

See Also

21 St. Patrick's Day Nail Ideas: Get Festive with These Creative Designs30 St. Patrick's Day Nails For A Bit Of Extra LuckLucky You🍀! St. Patrick's Day Nail Ideas You'll Love17 Beautiful Green Nails Ideas For St. Patrick's Day

See Also

31 Classy And Simple St. Patrick's Day Nails In 2024 - Beauty Unbounded

Gold and Green Glitter Nails

Start by painting your nails with a rich emerald green polish made by OPI or Essie.

Make sure to apply two to three thin coats to get full opaque coverage.

Let each coat dry completely before moving onto the next.

While that dries, use a makeup sponge to dab on Anastasia Beverly Hills loose gold glitter near the tips.

Focus the glitter on just the last 1/4 of each nail for a bold accent.

The combo of glittery metallic gold and matte deep green is super playful and festive.

It’s reminiscent of grids of Irish flags waving in the St. Paddy’s Day parade.

For even more sparkle, add a layer of quick-dry topcoat like Seche Vite.

The topcoat helps smooth down the texture and makes the glitter really pop.

Shamrock Nail Decals

Nail decals from brands like Twinkled T and Dash Nails make it so easy to get a professional-looking manicure at home.

Look for sets that include various sized shamrocks in bright Kelly greens and deeper forest greens.

The vibrant emerald shades match the traditional Irish holiday colors perfectly.

Make sure to rough up the surface of your nails lightly with a buffing block first.

This helps the decals adhere better so they won’t pop off prematurely.

Use a pair of small cuticle scissors to trim the decals to fit your nails.

Then just peel and stick them on accent nails for an instant St. Paddy’s Day mani.

Finish with a layer of clear topcoat to smooth and seal the edges.

Etched Clovers

Grab a bottle of dark forest green polish, like Essie’s Going Incognito.

Also grab a toothpick and fast-drying topcoat like INM Out The Door.

Paint your nails with the deep green polish first, applying two coats to ensure full coverage.

Let the green polish dry completely before moving onto the etch art so it doesn’t smear.

Once dry, use the toothpick to gently “etch” four-leaf clover designs randomly on different nails.

Focus on making thin lines for the clover stems and outward lines for the leaves.

You can keep the etched clovers small and subtle, almost like watercolor art.

Or make them bigger and bolder depending on your preference.

Apply the fast-drying top coat in smooth strokes to seal and smooth the etched art.

Metallic Gold Tips

For a simple but eye-catching look, start by painting your nails with a deep emerald or forest green shade.

Essie’s Mint Candy Apple is a great green polish option for this manicure.

Make sure to let the green polish dry fully before moving on.

Next, use striping tape to precisely mask off the tips of each nail.

Apply the tape so you leave just the last 1/4 of each nail exposed.

Then paint the exposed tips with a rich metallic gold polish, like OPI’s Worth a Pretty Penne.

Apply two thin coats of the gold polish to ensure full opaque coverage.

Let it dry completely before peeling off the striping tape.

This reveals super crisp edges and a gorgeous two-toned effect on each nail.

Finish with a layer of topcoat to smooth and lock in the perfect color blocks.

Green Glitter Ombre

Ombre nails are a fun and trendy option for St. Patrick’s Day.

Start by painting your base color first in a pale muted green.

Essie’s Play Date works perfectly for the base shade.

Make sure to apply two to three thin coats to get it fully opaque.

While the polish is still wet, use a makeup sponge to lightly dab and blend up into a darker green near the tips.

Try Sally Hansen’s Emerald City for the darker ombre shade.

Focus the deepest color concentration closest to your cuticles and fade it out toward the nail tips.

Then use the same sponge technique to lightly press on green glitter near the cuticles for a sparkly, faded effect.

Make sure not to press too hard, as you want the glitter placement to look gradual.

Finish with a glossy topcoat to smooth any texture and lock in the design.

Green and Gold Chevron

Paint alternating nails with OPI’s metallic gold polish, Worth a Pretty Penne, as your base color.

Apply two thin coats to ensure fully opaque coverage before moving on.

On the alternating nails, use Essie’s vibrant green shade Mint Candy Apple as your base.

Again, apply two coats and make sure each layer is dry before adding another.

Once both base colors are fully dry, start creating chevron stripes using striping tape.

Apply alternating diagonal stripes of tape on each nail, spacing them close together.

Then take the opposite polish and paint over the exposed stripe areas.

For example, paint the green nails with gold polish over the chevron tape stripes.

And paint the gold nails with green polish over the taped stripes.

Peel off the striping tape carefully to reveal perfect chevron patterns.

For extra flair, add a matte top coat just on the chevron stripes to make them stand out.

Shamrock Nail Wraps

For a super quick and easy shamrock mani, use nail wraps from Twinkled T or Dash Nails.

The nail wraps come pre-designed with various sized shamrocks in green and gold foil.

Start by trimming them down into smaller pieces that will fit each nail.

Lightly file the surface of your nails to rough them up a bit first.

This helps the nail wraps grip better so they won’t lift or peel off.

Remove the clear plastic top layer and position the wraps on each nail.

Use the flat side of an orange wood stick to smooth them on and push out any bubbles.

Then file the edges to blend seamlessly and remove any overhang.

Finish with a glossy topcoat to smooth and seal the edges.

Four Leaf Clover Accents

First, paint your nails with a rich emerald green creme polish all over.

Let the green polish dry thoroughly before moving on.

Next, use a small detail brush or toothpick to hand-paint little four leaf clovers on accent nails.

Dip the brush in OPI’s Worth a Pretty Penne metallic gold polish to paint the clovers.

Outline each clover shape first with the gold polish.

Then fill them in carefully with the polish.

Make some of the clovers tiny and delicate.

And make others bigger and bolder.

You can add single clover accents to just a few nails.

Or fill all your nails with a random allover scattering of golden clovers.

Finish with a layer of fast-drying top coat to seal in the intricate designs.

Matte Green and Glitter Rainbow

Start by painting your nails with Essie’s dark forest green shade, Going Incognito.

Apply two coats and let dry fully before moving on.

Once dry, paint your ring finger nail with a layer of clear base coat or polish.

While the clear coat is still wet, use tweezers to carefully press on strips of different colored glitter.

Try pressing the glitter vertically in rainbow order, starting with red at the base and purple at the tip.

This creates a bold sparkly rainbow effect against the matte green base.

Finish by applying a matte top coat like OPI Matte Top Coat just on the green nails.

This adds a cool modern contrast between the matte green and glitter rainbow accents.

Green Pot of Gold

Start by painting your nails with Essie’s Mint Candy Apple polish.

Once it’s dry, use striping tape to precisely mask off the tip of your ring finger.

Paint the exposed nail tip with OPI’s Worth a Pretty Penne shimmery gold polish.

Apply two coats and let it dry completely before removing the striping tape.

This creates the “pot” shape at the end of the rainbow against the green base.

Use a dotting tool dipped in the gold polish to add metallic “coin” details on top of the gold pot.

Try making different sized dots and positioning them randomly for a fun scattered effect.

Finish with a glossy topcoat to smooth and seal in the multi-dimensional design.

Etched Shamrocks

First, paint your nails with Sally Hansen’s crisp white CSM polish.

Let it dry thoroughly before moving onto the etched art.

Next, use a toothpick to gently scratch out simple shamrock shapes onto the white base.

Try etching some small delicate shamrocks.

And make some larger and bolder for variety.

Fill all five nails evenly with etched shamrocks.

Or just accent one or two nails.

Dip the toothpick in Esse’s Mint Candy Apple polish to fill in the etched shamrock lines.

This makes the designs really stand out against the white background.

Finish with a matte top coat to dull the background and make the shamrocks pop even more.

Green Gradient

Gradient nails are big for spring and perfect for St. Paddy’s Day.

Start by painting your base coat in a very pale mint green.

Essie’s Play Date is a great shade for the base gradient color.

Make sure to apply two thin coats to get it fully opaque.

While the polish is still wet, use a makeup sponge to gently dab and blend up into a deeper green near the tips.

Essie’s Mint Candy Apple works perfectly for the darker shade.

Focus the gradient darkest near the tips and fade it lighter toward your cuticles.

For even more dimension, add a layer of topcoat.

While wet, lightly sprinkle green shimmer dust near the cuticles using the sponge.

This creates a fun ombre color effect with added shimmer.

Green Lines and Dots

Start by painting your nails with a neutral nude or light pink base, like Essie’s Ballet Slippers.

Once it’s completely dry, use various sized striping brushes dipped in Essie’s Mint Candy Apple polish to paint on diagonal green lines.

Paint them randomly crossing over each other at different angles on each nail.

Also make small, medium, and large green dots in between the lines.

Keep the placement organic, filling each nail with a graphic abstract design.

The vibrant green pops against the neutral background for a modern geometric mani.

Finish with a slick of topcoat to smooth and seal in the intricate line artwork.

Green Confetti

Start by painting your nails a festive emerald green shade all over.

Essie’s Mint Candy Apple is perfect for this fun confetti look.

While the polish is still a little tacky, use a toothpick to gently place various sized star, circle, and square hole punches on each nail.

Try foil glitter paper in shades like metallic gold, holographic silver, and emerald green for the confetti.

Scatter and layer the festive confetti pieces randomly on each nail for lots of texture.

Once dry, seal it all in with a slick, glossy topcoat to smooth any rough edges.

The glittery confetti sprinkled over the deep green base creates such a fun St. Patrick’s Day mani.

Whether you’re Irish or not, anyone can get in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit with these festive nail art ideas.

Let me know if you end up trying any of these fun and easy manicures this March!