Nail Your Christmas Look with These Turtle-Themed Designs

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

Christmas is right around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to add a little holiday flair to your nails!

If you’re a turtle lover like me, why not combine your favorite reptiles with festive nail art?

I’ve gathered some adorable and creative turtle-themed Christmas nail designs that’ll get you feeling merry and bright.

10 Turtle Christmas Nail Design Ideas

1. Festive Turtle Shell

Items Needed:

  • Red and green nail polish
  • Thin nail art brush
  • Gold or silver glitter polish
  • Clear topcoat

How to Do It:

  • Paint your nails alternating in red and green as a base.
  • Use a thin brush to outline turtle shell patterns (hexagons) on each nail with a contrasting color (green on red nails and red on green nails).
  • Add gold or silver glitter along the shell edges to create a sparkling effect.

2. Santa Hat Turtle

Items Needed:

  • Red, white, and green nail polish
  • Thin nail art brush
  • Clear topcoat

How to Do It:

  • Paint your nails a solid Christmas red as the base.
  • On one accent nail, draw a small turtle at the tip.
  • Add a Santa hat on the turtle’s head using red and white polish.
  • Use a thin brush for details like the hat’s fluffy brim.
  • Apply a clear topcoat to seal the design.

3. Christmas Lights Shell

Items Needed:

  • Green and black nail polish
  • Bright colors (yellow, red, blue) for lights
  • Thin nail art brush
  • Clear topcoat

How to Do It:

  • Paint your nails green to mimic a turtle shell.
  • Draw a thin black string using a nail art brush across the nails.
  • Add small colorful dots along the string to represent Christmas lights.
  • Use a clear topcoat to make the lights pop.

4. Snowy Turtle

Items Needed:

  • White, light blue, and green nail polish
  • Glitter polish (optional)
  • Thin nail art brush
  • Clear topcoat

How to Do It:

  • Paint your nails with a white or light blue base to represent snow.
  • On one nail, draw a small green turtle in the middle.
  • Add tiny white dots or glitter to mimic snowfall around the turtle.
  • Seal the design with a clear topcoat.

5. Turtle Candy Cane Nails

Items Needed:

  • Red and white nail polish
  • Green nail polish for turtle
  • Thin nail art brush
  • Clear topcoat

How to Do It:

  • Paint most of your nails with red and white candy cane stripes (diagonal red lines over a white base).
  • On one accent nail, paint a small green turtle.
  • Add the candy cane pattern to the turtle’s shell for a fun twist.
  • Finish with a topcoat to make it shine.

6. Holiday Gift Turtle

Items Needed:

  • Red, green, and gold nail polish
  • Thin nail art brush
  • Clear topcoat

How to Do It:

  • Paint your nails with a green or red base.
  • On one accent nail, paint a small turtle holding a tiny wrapped Christmas gift.
  • Use gold polish to add sparkle to the gift wrapping.
  • Apply a topcoat to protect the design.

7. Glittery Turtle Christmas Tree

Items Needed:

  • Green and glittery polish (gold, silver)
  • Thin nail art brush
  • Clear topcoat

How to Do It:

  • Paint your nails green as a base.
  • On one nail, draw a turtle with a Christmas tree pattern on its shell.
  • Add glitter polish to the “tree” for a sparkling ornament effect.
  • Seal with a clear topcoat.

8. Turtle in a Christmas Sweater

Items Needed:

  • Red, green, and white polish
  • Thin nail art brush
  • Clear topcoat

How to Do It:

  • Paint your nails with a red or green base.
  • On one accent nail, draw a turtle wearing a cozy Christmas sweater with small white snowflakes or reindeer.
  • Use a thin brush for sweater details and patterns.
  • Finish with a clear topcoat to add shine.

9. Wreath and Turtle Combo

Items Needed:

  • Green, red, and white nail polish
  • Thin nail art brush
  • Clear topcoat

How to Do It:

  • Paint your nails in a festive green or red base.
  • On one accent nail, draw a Christmas wreath using a green base and red dots for berries.
  • Add a small turtle crawling through the wreath on one nail for a cute touch.
  • Seal the design with a clear topcoat.

10. Turtle and Reindeer Duo

Items Needed:

  • Brown, green, and red nail polish
  • Thin nail art brush
  • Clear topcoat

How to Do It:

  • Paint half of your nails with a green base for the turtle designs and the other half with brown for the reindeer.
  • On the green nails, paint a small turtle with a holiday vibe (e.g., wearing a Santa hat).
  • On the brown nails, paint a reindeer face with antlers and a red nose.
  • Alternate the turtle and reindeer designs on each nail for a fun, festive look.
  • Finish with a clear topcoat.

About Author

Muntaseer Rahman started keeping pet turtles back in 2013. He also owns the largest Turtle & Tortoise Facebook community in Bangladesh. These days he is mostly active on Facebook.