8 Winter Nail Art Tutorials That You Can Actually Copy

There’s a reason nail salons stay in business. Drawing nail art with a free hand is hard work. On top of having to keep steady, you also have to contort your hands into weird angles while drawing intricate patterns that may or may not look halfway decent when you finish. The struggle is always real.

MORE: 13 Expert-Approved Winter Nail Colors to Try Now

And although we love bookmarking fancy designs on Pinterest, the truth of the matter is we don’t have the time or patience to attempt copying them. So instead, we’re relying on foolproof YouTube tutorials we can press play and pause on while painting. Ahead, we’ve gathered a handful of winter-themed tutorials that you can practice through the New Year. Give one of them a try; you may just surprise yourself.

Winter Ombre

Hannah Rox paints each nail with a different shade of green polish from Sally Hensen and tops it off with a dot of glitter liner just above each cuticle.

Snowflakes and Polka Dots

Coat your nails in gray polish and reference this three-minute video while drawing a snowflake on your index finger and covering the others in polka dots.

Glitter 101

If you want to turn up the glitz and glamour for a New Year’s Eve celebration, this back-to-basics tutorial will teach you how to apply glitter polish without making a mess.

Pale Pink Snowflakes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXbdojqfFKc

Be sure to invest in a striping brush before drawing snowflakes on each pinky nail. You’ll also need two colors: pale pink and white glitter for your accent nail.

Sparkly Ombre

Apply a glittery boat and use a sponge to lightly apply a second coat to the top of each nail, creating a glitzy ombre effect. Don’t forget to lock it all in with a top coat.

Silver and Red Realness

Instead of attempting to draw intricate patterns with a free hand, take note from this tutorial and invest in a time-saving stamping plate instead.

Turkey Day Tips

While you’re waiting for dinner to be served, test your skills by drawing this adorable turkey onto one of your nails.

Winter Mountains

This one requires a little prep time, but once you get your colors mixed, all you need is a long striping brush to replicate these snow-capped mountains.