13 Tie-Dye Nail Ideas That Make Us Nostalgic for Summer Camp

Rocket Pop Tie-Dye Tips

Let's kick things off with a classic summer color palette: red, white, and blue. But instead of crisp white, consider a creamier, off-white shade that edges into butter-yellow territory. One of the seasons' hottest nail colors, this subtle shift makes for a toastier tie-dye that alludes to the warmth of summer.

To get the look, use a nail art brush to create diagonal wavy lines in the three colors across your fingertips. While the polish is still wet, drag a toothpick through it for the tie-dye look. Finish with a top coat.

Blue Tie-Dye Nails

This mismatched manicure includes tie-dye, French tips, and Evil Eye designs. The blue color palette keeps things relatively minimal.

Minimalist Tie Dye Nails

Not ready to rock full tie-dye tips? Showcase a strip of the colorful nail art down each finger for a more minimalist approach. Simply apply a large dot of every color polish you'd like, one right after the other, from cuticle to tip. Then, on the far side of the dots, drag a toothpick from tip to cuticle; in the middle, drag from cuticle to tip; and on the other far side, drag from tip to cuticle. Then lock everything in with a top coat.

Bright Sunshiney Tie-Dye Nails

Looking for something a bit zestier? Opt for neon yellow, lime green, and juicy orange swirls. You can DIY this look (if you have a steady hand) by painting regular swirls onto your chosen nails. Then, use a toothpick to drag through the wet polish for a true tie-dyed effect.

Pastel Neon Tie-Dye Nails

We love the look of this pastel neon manicure. Again, it's all about the toothpick hack. Paint your chosen colors slightly diagonally across each nail. Then, do the toothpick trick until your tie-dye nail art looks as spliced as you'd like. Finish with a glossy top coat.

Rainbow Chrome Tie-Dye Nails

Here we have an even easier-to-DIY tie-dye nail idea. Paint two metallic colors side by side on each nail. Do the toothpick trick in between the two and finish with a shimmer or chrome top coat.

Sherbet Swirl Tie-Dye Nails

Peach, hot pink, baby blue, and pale purple? It's a color combo that's warm and cool, making us think of summer nights spent with sherbet in hand.

Short Tie-Dye Nails

Here's proof that elaborate tie-dye nail ideas can work on short nails, too. While you can get this look with the toothpick trick, you can also achieve it with a water-marbling technique. In a cup of water, drop dots of color on top of each other, letting them bleed out a bit in between. Drag a toothpick through the color to create the swirls, then dip your nail to pick up the design. You'll definitely need to touch up the edges when opting for this approach, so make sure to have an angled brush and acetone on hand for easy clean-up.

Tie-Dye Flower Nails

We take a break from our regularly scheduled programming for an especially unusual take on tie-dye nail art: Tie-dye flowers. Unless you're especially skilled with a fine-lining brush, you'll probably want to leave this one for your nail tech.

Smiley Tie-Dye Nails

If tie-dye nail ideas aren't cheerful enough, you can always add smiley face nail art. Whether you paint them by hand or opt for cutie nail stickers, the result is happy and nostalgic.

Tie-Dye French Tips

Tie-dye French tips are just so fun. They're playful, nostalgic, and chic all at once. To perfect this nail look, we suggest using French manicure nail stickers to section off your tips. This will keep the rest of the nail clean from color and ensure that your tips have crisp edges, the signature of a French mani well done.

Tie-Dye Accent Nails

We love how this manicure features tie-dye accent nails paired with solid colors—summer-ready pistachio, turquoise, and spritz—to show off each vibrant tone. This is a great lower-lift option for DIY tie-dye nail art.

Watercolor Tie-Dye Nails

Not all tie-dye has to be super stripey or swirled. These watercolor tie-dye nails allude to the ice-dying technique with blended and blurred color combos. The gold nail stickers take the look to the next level.