27 Cute Back to School Nail Ideas!

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back to school nail ideas

Back to School Nail Ideas

It’s August, which means HOT days, lots of sunshine, and…back to school (or heading to college for the first time!).

When you have to study a lot, take notes in class, and write papers, you might as well have some fun back to school nails to look at…right?

Many women go to salons to get their nails done, but gel nail polish can damage your nails and it can get expensive to get your nails done professionally. Instead, why not have fun back to school nails that you can do at home?

With the right fall nail polish color and fun back to school nail decals or stickers, you can get colorful, eye-catching back to school nails for the first day or school.

This post is all about back to school nail ideas. Let’s jump right in!

Here are my favorite back to school nail ideas and designs for summer/fall.

To make things easy, I included links to buy each of the back to school nail decals/stickers on Amazon with the recommended nail polish to use.

1. Crayons, Apples, and Rulers

cute back to school nails
Image via @tessa.lyn.nails

These back to school nails incorporate everything you would normally think of for school: Crayola crayons, apples, math equations, lined paper, and a ruler! 

2. Disney’s Winnie the Pooh 

Disney Winnie the Pooh Back to School Nails
So Cute and Fun!

View on Amazon

What You Need for These Disney Themed Back to School Nails

3. Maple Leaf Nails 

fall leaves and maple leaf nails for back to school nails
Lots of Choices to Choose From!

View on Amazon

These back to school nails are perfect for getting you in the fall spirit!

Maple Leaf Nail Decals and Base Coat Nail Colors 

4. White Graffiti Art 

white graffiti art fun back to school nails
So Unique and Fun!

View on Amazon

How to Get This Graffiti Art Look for Back to School Nails

5. Back to School Inspo!

long back to school nails
Image via @vee_nailedit

These long back to school nails are fun with French Tips! You can incorporate lined paper with math equations and a pencil! 

6. Red Apples

back to school nails with red apples and white base polish
Such a Classic Idea!

View on Amazon

Get These Apple Smart Back to School Nail Decals/Stickers and Nail Polish

7. Yellow Maple Leaf

back to school yellow maple leaf nails and nail art
Perfect for Fall!

View on Amazon

Get these Fall 2023 Nails for Back to School

8. Green Maple Leaf 

back to school green maple leaf nails
Perfect for Back to School Nails and Fall Nails

View on Amazon

Get These Green Base Coat and Maple Leaf Nails for Back to School 

9. Nude Brown 

back to school fall nude nail polish toxic and vegan
Neutral Colors for Back to School

View on Amazon

nude brown fall nail colors
Eternal: Wild Nudes

View on Amazon

10. White, Pink, Red, and Brown Cow Print

back to school white base with light pink, bright pink, and brown spots for back to school fall nails
SO. Much. FUN!

View on Amazon

Get These Fun Back to School Nails

11. Fun Blue and Silver Stripes

Back to School Nails with White and Blue Stripes
So Cute and Fun!

View on Etsy

These blue and silver nails are so, so pretty! 

12. Fresh Lemon Nails and Polka Dots

Cute Lemon Nails for Back to School
Cute and Cheerful!

View on Etsy

These lemon nail wraps are perfect for fun back to school nails.

13. Summer Fruit 

Fun Back to School Fruit Nails in Red with Cherries
Cute in Red with Cherries!

View on Amazon

One super easy back-to-school nail idea is to paint your nails red, and then add fun nail stickers!

14. Bright Pink Nails with Popsicles

Hot Pink Back to School Nails with Popsicles
So Fun and Bright!

View on Etsy

Who says summer ends when you go back to school? Keep the summer spirit going with these hot pink back to school nails.

15. Teacher Inspired with Apples

Back to School Teacher Nails
Perfect for A+ Students and Teachers!

View on Etsy

These red nail wraps with apples are just perfect for teachers and back to school!

16. Hearts and Clouds 

Cute Back to School Nails with Clouds and Smiley Faces
So Cute!

View on Etsy

These nail wraps aren’t necessarily back to school themed, but they are so, so cute!!

17. DIY Crayola Crayons

Crayola Back to School Nails
Photo: Copy Cat Claws

These Crayola nails for back to school are PERFECT for teachers. See the tutorial here.

18. Crayola Nail Wraps

Or, you can get these rayon nail wraps from Etsy for easy back-to-school nails!

back to school nails with crayolas
Image via Etsy

View on Etsy

19. Pencils and Paper

back to school nail idea with pencil
Image via @bombergirlnails

If you are good with fancy nail designs, these back to school nails are so cute!

20. Popping Pink 

pink back to school nail designs
Image via Etsy

View on Etsy

These nail wraps are so cute for back to school nails!

21. Energetic and Warm Pink

August nail color + back to school nail color
Image via Amazon

 

View on Amazon

If you want fun and bright back to school nails, just go with a colorful nail polish for the month of August! I love Big Bloom Energy for an August nail color.

22. Rainbow Checkerboards

fun and retro nails + checkerboard rainbow nails
Image via Amazon

 

View on Amazon

If you want fun nails for back to school, you will love these oval shaped acrylic nails on Amazon! These rainbow checkerboard nails bring back fun 80s vibes and are perfect for a fun back to school nail design!

23. Flower French Tips

flower french nail tips
Image via Amazon

View on Amazon

These flower French nail tips are perfect for back to school nails! They are classy and fun at the same time! Flower power all the way!

24. Blue Swirls

Back to school nails don't have to scream "back to school!" Blue nails with darker blue swirls are a cute nail design to rock at school.

blue back to school nails
Image via @thenaillologist

25. Fun and Sparkly 

fun and sparkly fall back to school nails with orange and mint light green nails
So Fun and Sparkly!

View on Amazon

Get These Fun and Sparkly Back to School Nails

26. Owls

fun owl back to school nails for 2021
So Cute with Little Owls!

View on Amazon

Get These Cute DIY Back to School Nails with Owls

27. Sparkly Crayolas

crayola nails
Image via @bahnannanails

These back to school nails are so cute!! 

Base Coat and Top Coat Nail Polish for Back to School DIY Nails

Before using ANY of the nail polish above, it’s helpful to use a base coat of nail polish and a top coat of nail polish.

Base Coat Nail Polishes for Back to School Nails

A base coat of nail polish makes your nail polish last longer, protects your nails, and prevents staining.

You don’t need to use an expensive base coat. I personally stick to the base coats by OPI.

Top Coat Nail Polishes for Back to School Nails

A top coat makes your nails look shiny and helps to prevent chipping of the nail polish.

It is especially important to use a top coat of nail polish when using nail decals or stickers, as it helps prevent the nail art from peeling off.

I personally use the OPI or the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel top coat nail polish.

Health Note: Don’t get the Seche Vite top coat nail polish. It gets AMAZING reviews and women absolutely LOVE how it looks. My hair dresser who knows all things beauty said that all of her clients wear by it. BUT…Seche Vite nail polish has a toxic ingredient in it (toluene), which is really bad for you.

How to Apply Back to School Nail Decals

If you are new to using nail decals, have no fear. It is SUPER easy. Basically, you just need to apply your base coat and let it try completely, apply the nail decals or stickers, and then apply a top coat.

This short 2 minute YouTube video shows you how to apply nail decals for easy and fun looking nails.

Summary

In summary, you have so many options when it comes to back to school nails! You can either go with school-themed nails (like apples, school buses, and crayons), or you can stick with cute summer nail colors, or embrace the fall with some autumn leaves for back to school nail designs! For more back to school nail ideas, check out this Pinterest board with back to school nail ideas or this Pinterest board with cute nail ideas!

More Nail Ideas

Fall Nail Colors to Try Right Now

Spooky and Cute Halloween Nail Colors

Best Brown Nail Polishes for Fair Skin

View All Nail Ideas

 

Back to School Nails and Back to School Nail Art Ideas by Very Easy Makeup
Back to School Nails and Back to School Nail Art Ideas by Very Easy Makeup
back to school nails for 2021 by Very Easy Makeup
Back to School Nails

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