Fourth of July Nails

5 PATRIOTIC 4TH OF JULY NAIL ART DESIGNS

The Fourth of July is such a fun time, and there is a lot you can do to show your patriotism. As with all holidays, people love to get their nails done according to the theme of the holiday. For the Fourth of July, you can expect a lot of nail art inspiration that comes in red, white, and blue. Plus, people love festive designs such as stars, stripes, and fireworks. Thanks to the variety of nail polishes and press ons that are available, these designs are easy and enjoyable to do. 

The best part is that even a simple red, white, and blue design is synonymous with the American flag, and therefore works well for this patriotic and firework-filled day. So if you’re not at a super-advanced nail design level, you don’t need to worry. There are a ton of designs that look amazing with minimal technique required. On the other hand, if you are more advanced, then you can really go crazy and create works of art on your or your friends’ nails. 

We have compiled a list of the five best Fourth of July nail designs we could find. These designs range from simple all the way to extremely detailed, but we encourage any skill level to try each design out and see what you like best. If you don’t have a lot of nail art design skills, you can always turn to press on nails from Clutch Nails to make things easier. By the end of this article, you should have plenty of nail art design ideas ready to try!

1. STAR-SPANGLED

This is one of the simpler designs on the list, but it looks so awesome when finished. It’s also a great manicure design for all of the summer months and not just the Fourth of July. It’s super chic and cute with just the right amount of American mixed in! You are sure to be the star of the show with this design. You will need two colors, which can be any duo of red, white, or blue. Alternatively, you could use all three colors but stick to two if you want the manicure to look trendy beyond the Fourth. 

Start by picking your base color out of the two (or three) colors. Typically, people like to choose a red or blue base coat and white for the stars, but it’s really up to you. Start by applying two coats of this base coat. Then, either get a stencil or freehand stars in different spots on all of the nails. A stencil will ensure you have perfect stars that are all even in shape, but freehand will still look nice too. Finish it off with your favorite top coat, and you are ready to rock. 

Pro tip: get this look without the work by using our Lucky Nude Star press ons. 

RED, WHITE, AND BLUE TIE-DYE

This nail art design will require a bit more of an advanced skill set to accomplish. Tie-dye is a really tricky design to get just right, and when not done perfectly, it can end up looking like a colorful blob. The good news is this red, white, and blue version only requires three colors, whereas traditional rainbow tie-dye needs five or six colors. So it is easier in the sense that it needs fewer colors, but tye dye is still a tricky design overall. 

Obviously, start by getting red, white, and blue polish. Paint all of the nails white to start. Then, start to add tie-dye lines with one color at a time. Start with the blue, then go back and add red, and then you can add more of each color as needed. It will be helpful if you have a smaller detail brush, and you can use the bristles to make a sort of scraggly line that will end up looking like tie-dye. There are also other ways to create a tie-dye design, so watch some tutorials to see which way you prefer. 

DOUBLE FRENCH MANICURE

This is the chicest nail art design on our list. It’s also easy enough for beginners to do, but it looks really advanced once finished. If you love French manicures, you are really in for a treat, because the double French manicure is classic, chic, and edgy all in one. And, of course, it’s super-patriotic. You will need red, white, and blue polishes, as well as whatever color you typically use for the basecoat on a regular French manicure. 

Start by doing a regular French manicure, but alternate the tips of the nails with red, white, and blue in random order. Once you finish that, it’s time for the ‘double’ part. Now, go back and do a french manicure at the top of the fingernail, close to the cuticle line. You can make the polish thin like the bottom part, or make it thicker for a more artsy look. Again, alter the colors so all of the nails look different. 

Pro tip: Use our French Tip press ons for a classic look. 

PATRIOTIC POLKA DOTS

This is another easy and simple nail art design that looks so cool once finished. This is a great design for those who love a retro style. You even have the option to do one accent nail with a nail sticker, which is an added pop of fun. You can also choose what size you want the polka dots to be, ranging from small to large. Smaller dots tend to look more crowded and busy, but larger dots can be spaced out and give you that retro feel (almost like comic book dots). 

You will need red, white, and blue nail polish, and the optional nail sticker if you choose to use it (think American flag, fireworks, a star, ice cream, etc.). Start out by painting all of the nails white and do two coats to make the white color really pop. Then, alternative between fingers doing red polka dots and blue polka dots. Try and make them spaced evenly apart so they look uniform. This is what will give it that retro feel. If you are using the sticker, leave one nail without polka dots and apply the sticker. 

RED, WHITE, AND BLUE WAVES

This is a super cute design that is a little bit more difficult than some designs on the list, but not as hard as the tye-dye design. It’s reminiscent of a popsicle or something sweet because you switch the blue to a soft, lighter shade. So while it still looks patriotic, it will also look sweet and summery. Think popsicles and slushies. You will need red, white, and blue polishes, but choose a non-American flag blue. Soft baby blue would be perfect. You will also need a silver sparkle to create the wave design. 

Section your nail into thirds and start with blue on top, white in the middle, and red on the bottom. Create a wave design with the blue, then the white section, then the red section. The lines don’t have to be perfect because you will go over them with the sparkle. Take the silver sparkle polish and a detail brush and make the waves’ edges sharper and more defined with the sparkles. Top everything off with a super shiny topcoat to make the waves glisten in the sun. 

Pro tip: Use our Cold Hearted press ons for a pretty blue and white ombre look. 

RED, WHITE, AND YOU!

Nail art is such a great way to express yourself through design and color, and themed holidays just make it more interesting. Plus, you don’t have to get as creative and wrack your brain for design ideas when it comes to the Fourth of July. It’s a pretty straightforward holiday in regards to theme and possible designs. And, pretty much every red, white, and blue design turns out super cute and fun (if done well) when it’s done for the Fourth of July. 

Even from this short list of ideas, you can see there are tons of patriotic Fourth of July nail art designs that you can try for yourself. Feel free to be creative! Have fun with the designs and put your own spin on them by switching up the colors or adding an accent nail or sparkly firework design. On the other hand, if you are stuck on ideas, feel free to use all of these ideas to make some incredible designs. Whatever you come up with, be sure to get all of your press on nails from Clutch Nails for the best and coolest selection available!