21 Best Plaid Nail Ideas to Perfect Your Cozy Look

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While colder weather brings plaid to the forefront (think: cozy flannels and pleated skirts), it’s truly a timeless print. That’s why it’s no surprise that the pattern has made its way to our manicures. Unlike other trendy nail art, plaid is fairly easy to DIY at home, plus there are endless ways to incorporate the print into a mani.

From plaid French tips to a seasonal accent nail, scroll on for 21 plaid nail ideas you’ll want to recreate year-round.

Tartan Plaid

A classic tartan plaid is always a good idea. For a more traditional plaid look, go for a bright red base color, then top it off with black, yellow, blue, white, and green.

Icy Cool Plaid

For a wintry feel, try an icy, almost pastel blue base like this one. We love how it cools things down while adding a hint of sweetness. It’s perfect for the holiday season.

Classic Red Plaid

Here’s another way to wear a classic red plaid nail. The mixture of glossy and matte nails adds a striking visual element to the manicure.

Nude Plaid

A nude base with red, dark green, gray, and black gives Burberry vibes in the best way. It feels classic, elevated, and oh-so-sweet.b

Pretty Plaid

Opt for a plaid print with just three colors to keep things simple. It’ll pack a punch without requiring too much work on your end.

Festive Plaid

This is a really easy holiday plaid manicure to recreate at home. Grab your favorite green, red, gold, and pink polish and start painting.

Simple Green Plaid

Skip a base color and go right in with your green, yellow, and silver polish to create a minimalistic take on plaid. This cozy color combination feels perfectly on-trend.

Plaid French Tips

Add plaid to take your long French manicure to the next level. Start with a sheer, shimmery base and add green plaid tips on top.

Lucky Green Plaid

There’s so much to love about this mani. From the green color palette to the hints of gold, it’s a stunning way to approach a plaid manicure.

Jelly Plaid

Sure, plaid is usually reserved for the colder months, but this look makes a good case for a spring and summer plaid manicure. The jelly polish gives the set a playful feel, while the bright colors and white outlining make things pop.

Christmas Plaid

Match your nails to your wrapping paper this year for a seriously impressive seasonal manicure. We suggest opting for just a few plaid accent nails; otherwise, you’ll be working on those details for hours.

Gilded Plaid

This mismatched manicure is incredibly chic. Though this look has several different designs, the golden plaid accent nail stands out the most.

Yellow Plaid

When we saw this yellow mani, our minds immediately went to the movie Clueless. We love the brown polish, but you can always swap it out for black if you want to lean even heavier into a Cher-inspired look.

Wild Wild Plaid

Mix two prints for the ultimate bold mani. Cheetah print and plaid seem like an unexpected pair, but this set proves that the two can blend well together.

Chained Plaid

For all the maximalists out there, this manicure should be at the top of your list. It combines all of the buzziest nail trends (from plaid to chrome to 3D embellishments) in a fun, edgy way.

Woven Plaid

This intricate, woven plaid design is downright mesmerizing. Recreating it will require a lot of time and precision, but the result is absolutely worth it.

French With Plaid Accents

This take on a French plaid manicure has a more minimalist feel. The subtlety of the print adds to its elevated aesthetic.

Neon-Lined Plaid

We will always be down for a swirly nail design; this look is an immediate yes. The plaid blobs are so cool on their own, but the neon outline puts this mani over the top.