How to Host a Dip Mani Party for Your Birthday

10 min read

It’s Dipwell's birthday month, lovely dippers. Let's get the dip mani party started!

In celebration of our 4th birthday, we've prepared a guide on how to host a dip manicure party for your own birthday (or any other milestones, for that matter).

Start taking notes. In this checklist, we'll cover all the dip mani party basics, such as:

  • What to prep for a dip manicure party
  • How to make your dip mani party at home more fun
  • Lots and lots of birthday nails inspo from the Dipwell community!​​​​​​​

While you have an option to book nail technicians to come to your home and assist with the nail pampering gathering, for a more budget-friendly group manicure party, you can either have a do-your-own-dip-mani policy or you and your friends can also pair up and do each other's nails for a really special bonding experience.

Now, here’s how to throw a DIY dip mani party that takes the cake and leaves the attendees feeling fabulous with their birthday party nails.

Btw, if you're new to DipWell, here's a full review of our dip system ;)

1. Set the party date, time, and place

Nice nail party starts here!

▢ PARTY DATE: Why, yes, of course, you can have a week-long birthday celebration, so your dip mani party doesn’t have to happen on your birthday itself. And, yup, you can host a nail party at home anytime just because. Pick a date when most, if not all, of your besties are available, to lessen or avoid inadvertently inflicting FOMO.

▢ PARTY TIME: Best to do it at snack o’clock in the afternoon, so you’ll only have to serve fun-size party food that’ll be easy to pop in your mouth while planning your mani or after your mani is done. You can also make it cocktail hour and serve drinks with lids or straws to minimize the chances of acrylic powder or buffing dust getting in.

▢ PARTY PLACE: Choose a spacious location in your house, so your pals won’t feel cramped. It’s tricky to hold the dip manicure party outdoors, though, as the winds could easily empty your jars of nail dip powder.

Once you got all the details nailed down, show off your arts and crafts skills by creating DIY dip manicure party invitations. Or you can simply search for blank birthday party invitation templates online. That’s totally fine, too.

2. Create a cozier version of a nail salon

A well-planned ambiance makes for a fun dip mani party at home. Think decors, music, lighting, and the perfect at-home manicure station.

▢ DECOR: This depends on the theme of your dip mani party, so decorate accordingly. Want to simply have a spa-like environment? Don’t forget to include scented candles or essential oil diffusers on your must-prep party list. Flowers will also help set the mood.

▢ MUSIC: Prepare an epic party playlist on your Spotify. (Try Add Dipwell’s “Feelin’ Em-powder-ed” playlist.) You can select relaxing songs for when everybody’s doing their nails and play more danceable tunes for the after-party.

▢ LIGHTING: Have a well-lit birthday party area to make sure everybody gets to create the perfect dip nails. You can add colorful mood lighting in all corners of the room, but the dip manicure station of each guest must have adequate lighting. Make desk lamps available if need be.

▢ DIP MANI STATION:

  • For sanitary purposes, everybody should BYOD — bring your own dip nail powder kits. But since sharing is caring, keep a dip tray (or any small, open container) handy anyway in case the dip mani party attendees want to try another person’s dip powder color. Then they can apply it using the pour-over method to avoid cross-contamination.
  • And because you’re the best host ever who preps for “I forgot my __________” moments, you should also have an extra station for dip manicure essentials, such as cotton balls, aluminum foil, and other disposable tools, such as a Buffer Set. Perhaps even uncooked rice (The Hot Rice Method) for those who have yet to remove their old dip mani.
  • Add a surprise to each dip manicure station. For example, get your hands on some nail art stickers, nail decals, or nail foils like the limited edition gold flakes dip powder, so your party guests can get creative and experiment with various party nail ideas for birthday.

Other important dip party details to consider:

3. Serve party food to please every dipper’s palate

Finger food is always a good party spread idea. Just check for allergies to make sure all attendees get to satisfy their appetites. Ask about what’s a definite no-no when you send out the mani party invitations.

▢ PARTY FOODS: Have plenty of noshes and nibbles that are not too sloppy to eat. You don’t want the nourishment to mess up with your dip nail application. Try the dessert balls or no-bake cookies in our list of No-Bake Pumpkin Recipes To Whet Your Autumn Appetite.

▢ PARTY DRINKS: Prepare different types of beverages for everybody. Have some alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. You can also create a signature drink to personalize your birthday get-together in a unique way. If your dip mani party happens to be this fall or winter, check out these Holiday Drinks And Christmas Nails To Match.

4. Print out pictures of birthday nail designs

▢ DIP NAIL INSPO: Lucky for you, Dipwell’s Dipper Club members have shared their DIY birthday nails for your inspo. Here are some cute birthday nail ideas for you to choose from.

a. Cake-inspired acrylic birthday nails

Dip mani that looks like a birthday party. (Image by Hannah Harris Ward.) Do your own set of fun dip nails with PA 18 Light Teal dip powder and NE 06 Bright Raspberry Magenta dip color from Dipwell’s Neon Dip Powder collection, and make them sparkle with the limited edition iridescent crushed glitter.

Look at these adorable party nails! Such a playful look by Hiba Issa, featuring PA 01 Cool Pink dip powder. To add some pastel sprinkles to your birthday nails, try the limited edition birthday funfetti dip powder. (Psst! Dipwell is currently running a birthday promo. Get a free funfetti dip nail powder + free shipping over $35 by using the code BDAYSET.)

These nails for birthday courtesy of Cass Joy Browning are seriously giving off Funfetti birthday cake and ice cream vibes. Recreate this look using MK 01 Milky White dip nail color from the Milky Dip Powder collection and the Funfetti Dip Powder. Score bonus glam points for adding the silver lines!

For another birthday look featuring the limited edition birthday funfetti dip powder and NA 21 Nude dip powder, watch the Glitter French Mani dip nail tutorial below.

French Funfetti: A Glitter Ombre Inspired by Birthday Cake

Fun birthday nails by Lorien Furlow — with coffee filter extensions to boot! This too cute dip mani reminiscent of a birthday cake features GW 03 dip powder from the Glow In The Dark collection. It's a vivid magenta by day, violet by night.

Here’s another aesthetically pleasing birthday dip mani courtesy of Patricia Martin. It features GW 05 White (day) and Green (night) glow in the dark dip powder as a base, GL 44 Ultra-sparkly White & Silver glitter dip powder, and CL 07 Classic Lilac dip powder with a translucent/iridescent foil, chrome, stamps, tapes, and jewels over them. The whole birthday nail art shebang!

b. Birthday nail design to match party balloons (or other party decors)

Lovely birthday mani by Lucy Rosensteel. It can also be repurposed for a gender reveal party. How versatile! Get the same salon-quality nails for your birthday using fun balloon dip colors from the Pastel Dip Powder collection. Should you choose to decorate with balloons, this can be your own birthday dip mani as the party host.

c. Birthday party accent nails

How sparkly this many is! Glittery birthday manicure by Erica Sandoval Urdanivia. She used CL 34 Taffy Pink dip powder for her thumb, index, and pinky fingers.

Fantabulous birthday claws courtesy of Hannah Harris Ward, featuring PA 2 Soft Jade and NA 2 Light Peachy Sand dip powders. Have a cute party finger using the limited edition birthday funfetti dip powder. When you wear this style, it’ll be the sweetest birthday mani anyone has seen!

Beautiful birthday manicure by Sabrina Rose. Add a little sparkle to your festive birthday manicure, too, with CL 14 Cranberry dip shade and GL 12 True Gold Glitter dip powder. Browse the Glitter Dip Powder collection to choose your own sparkly accent nail.

Perfect set for celebrating your birthday courtesy of Vann Lucena. Get these glamorous birthday nails that are fun to look at using GL 27 Iridescent Glitter and PA 15 Pale Mint dip powders.

Super shiny birthday dip nails by Glenda Besler, featuring CL 21 Mid-tone Rose dip nail color from the Classic Dip Powder collection. You can also use GL 46 True Rose Gold dip powder for the birthday accent nail. As to how to get maximum shine on your dip mani, try The Reverse Sealer Method like she did!

Blue-themed birthday party dip nails courtesy of Sabrina Rose. With Dipwell’s easy acrylic dip system, your birthday nail designs will also last longer than your birthday week!

d. Glitter birthday nails

Shimmering birthday nails by Helen Moro. Rock the same simple birthday look using GL 30 Deep Purple glitter dip powder. It’s your birthday, you can sparkle if you want to.

Birthday color combo courtesy of Cheril Petroni. How beautiful these dip nail colors pair together! Try your hand at colorblocking and marbling for your birthday with a good purple and a bright pop of color. NA 06 Sherbet Orange dip color from the Naturale Dip Powder collection fits the bill! If you’re new to colorblocking or marbling, follow these tutorials:

We have more dip nail tutorials to match your birthday celebration. Visit the page for birthday perfect nails that look professionally done.

5. Make your dip nail party more memorable with any of these manicure birthday party ideas

▢ PAMPERING STATION: Give your birthday party guests the royal treatment from head to toe. Offer head massage, facial masks, or foot soaks  — indulgent things they should treat themselves to!

▢ DIP PEDICURE STATION: Speaking of toes, did you know you can also create dip powder toes? Open up the tutorial on your tablet for anybody who wants to do a dip pedi. Or you can also give each other a hand in prettifying your feet. Then end the pedicure session with a spectacular 5-minute foot massage.

▢ CONTEST: After all is dipped and done, why not hand out creativity awards? Best Birthday Nail Design. Best Coffin Birthday Nails. The Most Cute Birthday Nails. Get creative with the titles and prizes! You can even give out consolation prizes so that each attendee gets something, even if it’s just the ‘A for effort’ award.

▢ PARTY WITH PURPOSE: Turn your birthday nail party into a donation drive. Any contribution counts! Because what better way to celebrate your birthday than to give back to your community. Studies also show that being generous makes you happier. So that’s a win-win for everybody! Need help figuring out where to donate? Refer to 5 Ways To Give Back On Thanksgiving for some charitable ideas.

▢ PARTY FAVORS: Don’t let your birthday guests leave your house empty-handed (notwithstanding their beautiful mani). Give away mini swag bags with dip nail accessories. If you’re feeling extra generous, gift them the limited edition fall tortoise dip powder kit. To make it more personal, give at least one dip nail powder to each guest — pick their favorite color! — and add a Thank You note.

Plan the Perfect Dip Manicure Party at Home

Start with this checklist when organizing a nail party with your dipping buddies. Most of the suggestions can be DIY-ed because hosting a fab dip nail party doesn’t mean breaking the bank.

For more tips, techniques, and dip mani inspo to strive for, check out Dipwell on Instagram (via @dipwellnails and the official hashtag: #DoYouDipWell). Or be a Dipper Club member on Facebook, and you might just meet your new nail besties in your area that you can get together with for a dipping party.​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​In the words of one of Dipwell's dippers, “The one place I know will always be a source of positivity and women uplifting other women is this page.” And it doesn’t matter if it’s your first or hundredth dip mani. Join us!