As trees shed their leaves and a crisp chill fills the air, our excitement for pumpkins extends beyond spice lattes and baked goods. In fact, one of our favorite sources from which to draw inspiration for fall nail art is this iconic autumnal produce. From burnt orange French manis and festive fall ombrés to dainty details and Halloween-inspired designs, pumpkins are the perfect motif to take your nails from the start of September through Thanksgiving. To inspire your next nail design, we scoured social media for the most gourd-geous pumpkin designs.
Find the 18 best pumpkin nail ideas to recreate this fall, ahead.
Watercolor Gourds
Talent and time were spent creating this stunning watercolor set. The added copper leaf is a must-see detail, too, as its scattered placement mirrors crisp golden leaves blowing about in the fall wind.
Pumpkin Orange Polish
The easiest way to evoke pumpkin vibes without doing full-on art is by using orange polish. This sheer jelly nail look with chunky silver glitter and stars ups the festiveness (and trendiness) factor.
Cherry Pumpkins
One of the latest nail decals we've seen pop up on our feeds is cheery 'lil cherries masquerading as Jack 'O Lanterns. It's a fun Halloween twist on the ever-popular fruit nail trend.
Subtle Spook
With calming hues of blue, green, and tangerine, these fall floral nails, complete with bats and pumpkins, lean on the not-so-scary side of Halloween. Plus, they're the perfect September to October transitional design.
Pumpkin Spice Ombré
If you love the look of changing leaves or multicolor pumpkins, check out this impeccable seasonal gradient. The spicy burnt orange base fades into an even bright blood orange, topped with glam gold flakes.
Pink Pumpkins
"Pink Halloween" is gaining traction on TikTok and in the seasonal decor department, which means it's the perfect time to try the trend on your tips. Our favorite detail here? The high-contrast black spiderwebs and stems make the pinks and peaches pop even more.
Mismatched Pumpkin Nails
Mismatched nails epitomize the "Why choose?" mindset. Here, we see fully polished nails beside regular and pumpkin Frenches, as well as a pumpkin-dotted grid design.
Short Pumpkin Nails
Classic, sweet, and simple, these short, milky white nails look divine with honeyed amber pumpkin nail art at the cuticle line. Think of it as Fall's answer to the popular half-moon design.
Dynamic Duo
Kitty cat faces with haunting silver eyes are paired with pumpkins and stars for this adorable Halloween set. We adore how the pumpkins are painted in an eye-catching velvet nail finish
Melting Jack 'O Lanterns
Melted and gruesome without any of the gore, these Jack 'O Lantern nail art reminds us of decomposing pumpkins in a totally new, trippy way.
Pumpkin Polka Dots
Calling all DIYers—this mani is for you! To create these simple pumpkin polka dots, you need only orange, green, and white polish, a dotting tool, and a thin brush.
Pumpkin French Tip
Much like a Heart-shaped French, pumpkin tips are created by painting two small, adjacent semi-circles at the tip of your nail. Connect the semi-circles with a “V” shape at the bottom, and add a stem to complete the look.
Pastel Pumpkins
Those of us who have visited an IRL pumpkin patch (or just a fully stocked gardening center) know that not all pumpkins are orange. However, this version of the autumnal produce looks straight out of a whimsical fairytale, with pastel shades of blue and pink.
Swirls and Stripes
This is Halloween, which means you may feel inclined to kick the spook level up a notch. May we suggest this subtly "Nightmare Before Christmas"-inspired set? They're absolutely Sally Skellington-approved.
Chrome Pumkins
Autumnal chrome has never looked better. The pumpkins' rainbow finish is absolutely marvelous and a perfect contrast to the sleek black French tips and detail lines.
Disney-Inspired Pumpkin French
If there's one thing a true Disney fan loves to do, it's look for hidden Mickeys. Here, the main mouse is not so secret, with mini pumpkins attached to the base of a larger pumpkin, creating that iconic silhouette.
Mixed Finishes
Play with more than just the nail art with this dual-finish pumpkin set. The pumpkin accent and green accent nails are painted with a matte topcoat while the gold chunky glitter nails are left to shine on with a glossy topcoat.
Neon Nails
Though this pumpkin orange mani doesn't go bump in the night, it sure does make a glowing impression when shown in the dark.
Read the original article on Byrdie.