31 Pretty Floral Nail Designs to Save for a Rainy Day

Nude manicure with dainty pressed flowers on the middle and ring finger nails — @nailtherapy.co / Instagram

Regardless of where trends go, something about a romantic floral manicure always catches our eye. Not everyone has a green thumb, but luckily, gardening skills aren't a prerequisite to rocking a cool floral nail look. Since you can never go wrong with blooms, we've rounded up our absolute favorite flower-inspired designs from delicate to bold and everything in between.

01 of 31

Negative-Space Blooms

Short manicure with Floral Nail Designs and Negative Space — @betina_goldstein / Instagram

If you want to add a pop of color to your nails without fully painting them, look no try something similar to these negative-space blooms. To create the look yourself, use a toothpick or dotting tool dipped into the colors of your choice. Since the design is so intricate, don't be discouraged if it takes a few times to nail the look.

02 of 31

Cuticle Blooms

Short pink nails with daisies at each nail bed — @oliveandjune / Instagram

Minimalist nails can make a statement, too—even better when you add a few flowers to the picture. Instead of picking a plain neutral shade, opt for this pinkish nude and adorn each nail with a daisy nail sticker.

03 of 31

Flourishing Borders

Nude almond-shaped nails with bright floral borders — @nailsbylindseylu / Instagram

This bordered nail look adds a subtle touch of color to your manicure without covering the whole nail. We love how the playful, cheery accents liven up the otherwise nude set.

04 of 31

Dainty Daisies

Short nude nails with allover daisy nail art — @betina_goldstein / Instagram

We love this look for its seriously simple nature. All you need to bring it to life is a toothpick and bottles of white and mustard yellow polish. Start by creating a few yellow dots to serve as the center of the blooms, then follow up with six white dashes surrounding each to finish the fan-fave mani.

05 of 31

Picturesque Poppies

Short nude nails with poppies at each nail's corner — @betina_goldstein / Instagram

These lifelike poppies require a bit more expertise than the previous nail art we've covered, so they may not be your best bet for a DIY project. Instead, just bring this picture with you to your nail appointment, and a professional manicurist can likely recreate the gorgeous look.

06 of 31

Sunny Motifs

Rounded pink nails with hearts, cherries, and daisy nail art — @oliveandjune / Instagram

We love how simple this design is to create. Just grab a toothpick, white, yellow, and green polish, and start stippling your design to life overtop a cheery base color.

07 of 31

Beautiful Blue

Short nude nails with blue floral nail art — @betina_goldstein / Instagram

Searching for an eye-catching nail art design with a bit more maturity? This blue manicure looks like a sophisticated porcelain print.

08 of 31

Stained-Glass Garden

Stained-glass floral nail art — @vanityprojects / Instagram

These complex blooms are a true work of art, sure to turn heads with the intricate line work and ombré stained glass background. Best of all, they don't have to be identical—pick a few favorite flowers and colors, and embrace how they complement one another.

09 of 31

Blue-Tinted Beauties

Negative-space Floral Nail Designs in Blue and Purple hues — @vanityprojects / Instagram

Here, we have another negative-space look that lets the colorful blooms shine. While we love the pastel palette, you can swap in any hues of your choice. If you're going the DIY route, make sure you have a good topcoat to protect your delicate floral nail design.

10 of 31

Glittery Bouquet

Short nude nails with gemstone florals appliques — @betina_goldstein / Instagram

We're obsessed with these turquoise blue gemstone blooms. To create the look, glue small blue gemstones in clusters on your nails.

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Fern Accents

Short pink nails with a green fern on each ring finger nail — @nails_by_syd / Instagram

Technically, stems are part of the floral family, so if you're a major plant mom or like the look of simple green sprigs, check out this pale pink mani. It's easy to recreate—just paint your nails pink and let them dry. Follow your base with a quick green stem design using a toothpick or dotting tool, and don't forget to finish with a topcoat.

12 of 31

Half-Moon Florals

Short nude nails with Floral Design Half Moon — @betina_goldstein / Instagram

Why opt for a simple crest of color at the base of your nail when you can swap it out for an intricate floral design? This negative-space mani uses ultra-fine lines and bold pops of color to create a stunning nail look that's bound to turn heads.

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Stunning Sunflowers

Short nude nails with sunflower nail art — @nobodyschild / Instagram

Nude nails overlaid with cheerful sunflowers? Yes, please. Luckily for us, this particular nail art design is super simple to achieve. Again, just dot your nails where you'd like your flowers to be and follow it up with yellow petals surrounding each dot.

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Pastel Petals

Square-shaped pastel blue nails with tiny purple flowers along the cuticle — @bylexy / Instagram

Pale blue nails topped off with pastel pink blooms are a nice way to usher in sunny weather. Consider choosing your signature hue from our list of perfect shades of blue polish.

15 of 31

Summery Hydrangeas

Blue-tipped almond-shaped nails with hydrangeas and birds — @vanityprojects / Instagram

Hydrangeas are a summertime staple that just don't get enough love in the nail art world. These baby blue French tips are bursting with frothy hydrangea accents and yellow-breasted songbirds for a stunning manicure that's totally tuned into the season.

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Detailed Sunflowers

short nude nails with a large sunflower on each nail — @betina_goldstein / Instagram

Sometimes a single stem is far more impactful than a full-blown bouquet. These hyper-realistic, negative-space floral nails look like they've been plucked straight out of the garden. If you have the patience to try to recreate the intricate look, grab the yellow, brown, and orange polishes of your choice and start creating your blooms one stippled line at a time.

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Butterflies and Vines

Short nude nails with green vines and butterflies along each side — @betina_goldstein / Instagram

Butterfly bushes are undeniably beautiful, so why not use them to inspire your next manicure? This sweet negative-space nail art features flourishing green vines and playful butterflies nesting along each nail's edge.

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Stray Petals

Short nude nails with tiny bloom nail art flecked throughout — @adaluz_nails / Instagram

Give your nude nails a touch of color with this dainty petal design. The short nails are flecked with colorful blooms and greens that seem to be dancing in the breeze.

19 of 31

Gilded Peonies

Short nude nails with pink poppy nail art accents and gold cuticle embellishment — @betina_goldstein / Instagram

This peony design is intricate and chic, creating a romantic take on traditional floral nail art. And don't overlook the gold nail accent, which adds a chic touch perfect for weddings and fancy functions.

20 of 31

Poppy Polka Dots

Short nude nails with bright red blooms dotted allover — @betina_goldstein / Instagram

Polka dots, but make them floral. These short nude nails are bursting with life courtesy of an allover print of vibrant red blooms.

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A (Not So) Secret Garden

Short nude nails with bright hand-painted floral nail art — @imarninails / Instagram

Paint a garden on your nails for the ultimate study in floral variety. If you're not sure you have the nail chops to create the mani at home, simply book an appointment at a studio that you know does nail art (doing a quick scope of their Instagram should tell you everything you need to know).

22 of 31

Dotted Delight

Short pastel pink nails with daisies dotted throughout — @oliveandjune / Instagram

We love a manicure that's easier than it looks. Once you take a closer look, you'll realize it's just a series of well-placed dots that creates this mini, retro motif.

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Floral Tips

These bright floral nails are one of our favorites for fall and spring, but if you adjust how dark or light the blooms are, you can make them work all year round. Best of all, given their semi-blurred finish, you don't have to be a pro at delicate details or intricate lines—so have fun with it.

24 of 31

Popping Pink Accents

Short Nail Designs alternating Pink and negative-space with flower — @oliveandjune / Instagram

Prefer a curated take on floral nail art? These pink and green accent blooms have us smitten. The design is all about the Lilly Pulitzer vibes, and we don't hate it one bit.

25 of 31

Sweet Baby Blues

Short nude nails with tiny blue flowers flecked throughout — @chalkboardnails / Instagram

Give your nails a hint of print with this whimsical nail art. We're obsessed with this look for an ultra subtle something blue on your wedding day—or any day for that matter.

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Harvest Buds

Short nude nails with autumnal-hued flower buds — @nailsbylindseylu / Instagram

Floral manicures aren't just for the brighter months. These dusky, wheat-like buds leave us yearning for all the cozy autumnal cues.

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Green Goddess

Nude matte almond-shaped nails with green ivy vines — @nailsbysuman / Instagram

Who knew crawling ivy vines were the secret to unlocking your inner goddess? With a matte barely there base, the intricate nail art comes to life as if it's sprouting from within.

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Feminine Charms

Short pink nails with pressed flowers and white line drawings of female body and faces — @imarninails / Instagram

These pretty-in-pink nails are a true celebration of femininity. With tiny floral buds, graphic line drawings, and silhouettes of the female form, the ultra short manicure is proof you don't need long nails to make a statement.

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Graphic Growth

Matte nude nails with pink undertones and graphic black floral line art illustrations — @nailsbylindseylu / Instagram

A far cry from colorful bouquets, these line art floral illustrations are exceptionally moody and cool. The matte finish only amplifies the contemporary feel of this masterful mani.

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Encapsulated Blooms

Encapsulated flower manicure — @imarninails / Instagram

What's great about these encapsulated nail art designs is that—if you have a tiny garden—you can even press your own blooms and bring them to your appointment for use. If you decide to DIY the look, start with a base coat and place the flowers on top of it once it's tacky (but before it's dry).

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Preserved Petals

For a daintier iteration, this subdued style has a certain old-world romance about it. In lieu of allover florals, the delicate pressed buds only accent two nails while the rest flaunt a dusty pink nude that's perfect for any season.

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