Fairy lights are a wavy line and some dots. Nothing about them needs to be even, and the unevenness is what makes them read as a string of lights rather than a pattern.
Draw the wire as one loose curve and let it dry. Then place the bulbs alternately above and below it. Dots placed on a wet line drag the line with them.
Classic multicolour
A dark wire with red, green, blue and yellow bulbs.
Warm white lights
Cream bulbs on a dark base.
Gold lights on green
Metallic bulbs on forest.
Silver on navy
Cool and understated.
Red lights on cream
High contrast.
Lights across two nails
The wire continuing between fingers.
Lights across all ten
One string running the whole hand.
Lights at the cuticle
A row along the base rather than across the middle.
Lights on a French tip
Above the smile line.
Vertical string
Running the length of the nail.
Diagonal string
Corner to corner.
Drooping string
Two low curves, like a real garland.
Single bulb
One dot with a tiny cap. The minimal version.
Three bulbs
A short section rather than a whole string.
Bulbs with caps
A tiny gold rectangle above each dot.
Glowing bulbs
A soft halo behind each dot.
Glitter bulbs
Sparkle rather than flat colour.
Chrome bulbs
Metallic dots on a dark base.
Pastel lights
Soft bulbs on cream.
Lights on matte
Gloss dots on a matte base.
Lights over marble
A string on a veined base.
Lights and snow
White dots scattered behind the string.
Lights on a tree
A triangle with bulbs on it.
Lights round a wreath
A ring with dots.
Neon lights
Bright bulbs on black.
One colour bulbs
All red or all gold. Quieter.
Two colour bulbs
Alternating along the wire.
Lights with a bow
A ribbon where the string starts.
Broken string
A gap in the wire, deliberately.
Lights on toes
Big toes only.
Lights on a sheer base
Barely there and very pretty.
Lights in negative space
The wire bare, the background painted.
Tangled lights
The wire crossing itself.
Lights with a plug
A tiny detail at the cuticle. Very literal and very fun.
Lights over glitter
A string on a sparkle base.
Lights on red
Gold bulbs on cherry.
Lights on white
Coloured bulbs on cream.
Fine wire only
The line with no bulbs. Abstract and modern.
Lights with a star
One gold star at the end of the string.
Single accent nail
One nail with lights, the rest plain.
For other motifs, christmas nail art.
Questions people actually ask
How do you paint fairy lights on nails?
A loose curved wire first, left to dry, then dots placed alternately above and below it. Dots on a wet line drag the line.
What colour wire looks best?
Dark brown or charcoal rather than black. A pure black wire reads harsh against most bases.
Is this design hard?
It is the most forgiving Christmas motif there is, because nothing has to be straight or evenly spaced.
