If you want to add some festive cheer to your acrylic repertoire, check out the Christmas nails of these two skilled techs. Young Nails educator G Elizondo of D'Hair to be Different in Las Vegas explains her detailed Santa nail and Donna Schur, owner of Nails by Donna in Huntsville, Texas, makes quite a festive Christmas flower nail.

Elizondo’s Santa

Start by doing the extension in a stiletto shape.

This is the “tool” I used for texturizing the beard. (It used to have four of these fan-like things but I shared).

After filing the nail, start by using Sissy Salmon to do the face.

Use something round (I used the point of some tweezers) to hollow out two eye holes.

Fill in the holes with black acrylic.

Add white for the Santa hat and texturize it.

Add a small ball of white acrylic to make a “pom-pom” for the hat.

Add a little more Sissy Salmon to make the face a little bigger. Then add Blushing Girl Pink to make the nose.

Add red glitter mixture to the top and form the Santa hat.

On a form, make long pieces of white acrylic and shape them on his face to make a mustache. Also, I added a little white to the sides of his face.

Add a large ball of white to start his beard.

Texturize the beard.

Add more white balls of acrylic and texturize as needed.

Texturize.

Add more white balls of acrylic and texturize as needed.

Just add more white here and there and texturizing as you go along.

Add more white balls of acrylic and texturize as needed.

Add more white balls of acrylic and texturize as needed.

Check where you need more white balls of acrylic and texturize as needed.

Add two dots of white acrylic paint to give a little twinkle in his eyes.

Brush his beard with some gel and carefully sprinkle crystal glitter, just enough to make a little sparkle.

After curing, check to see if the glitter is everywhere you want it to be. Then use finishing gel to give the nails a shiny look.

Side view of finished Santa.

Schur’s Christmas Flower

Apply gold acrylic.

Cut one slice of a star-shaped fimo cane.

Carefully score the excess around the design so you can remove it.

Apply top coat or clear acrylic to seal in the design.

Place the design onto the nail, and remove the excess with an orange wood stick.