Henna Tattoo Design – How to Make Henna Tattoos

Mehndi is a shrub like plant from the Middle Eastern countries is used for henna tattoo and in various henna tattoo design. It is more known as “Henna” and the art of henna tattooing has been an ancient tradition to the Middle Eastern culture. In places like India, Pakistan, Sudan and Egypt it has been a tradition and now a fashion throughout.

The henna or mehndi leaves are used in body painting or what we call as henna tattoo or temporary tattoo. People nowadays prefer to use it because it is cheaper, simpler and you can even make one and apply them your own. The henna leaves are ground and powdered and turned into paste then, applied in different body parts such as; hands, legs, feet, arms, ankles, neck, back, belly and even in toe and fingernails and in other parts of the body where you would prefer to have them.

Because henna tattoo has become a fashion, many suppliers now made henna in variety of colors but, studies showed that it is not safe. When other colors, chemicals or substances are added to henna to alter its color, there is some sort of chemical reactions that causes skin irritations which can be mild to severe in cases. Therefore, it is advisable to use henna in its pure and uncolored form.

Everyone can use henna and create and experiment any designs or you can choose one since, there are many henna tattoo design books or catalogs available in the market. Some people use the pre-made henna in tubes in the market but many still prefer to mix it their own way.

Surprisingly, doing so gives rather better results. There are actually henna recipes, designs and guides in the market that can help you in doing the henna paste and applying them your own. If you want to experience making one for yourself here is a simple and effective recipe and procedure that will guide you thru the process as well as, how to apply it.

First you will need:

1 and 1/4 cups of dry and sifted henna powder
2 packets instant coffee singles
1 and 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh)
5 drops eucalyptus oil
5 drops clove oil

Procedures in mixing the henna paste.

1. Boil the instant coffee and water down to 3/4 cup of dark liquid.

2. Mix enough coffee (dark liquid) into the henna powder to create a thick paste. Keep on mixing until it is well blended.

3. Add the lemon juice, the eucalyptus and clove oil. Mix till well blended. Just a bit of a reminder though, the paste must not be too watery or you need to add more henna powder. It should not also be so thick or you will need to add a little more of the dark liquid or a plain water will do. Lastly, let the mixture cool for about 2 hours before using. The measurement does only for a small portion of henna paste. If you plan to use more then you can do so by doubling the measurements. Unused henna paste can also be kept for later use provided that it is sealed. It may last for two weeks if kept in a chiller and may last for two months if kept frozen.

How to apply the henna paste?

In applying the henna paste, you can choose from using a toothpick, squeeze bottle or a cone. You can buy or make your own using available material that can be made such. Then you will have to decide for the design. There are various henna tattoo design kits available in the market. It comes with a sample design and a stencil.

However, you can do it your way. Create your own design and not need for some fancy stencils and stuff and do it freehand! After applying, you must live it until the paste dries. This may take longer than the application. It may take hours and when it is finally dry; you will see the fine results you just did. Cool! The tattoo may last for 4 to 6 weeks depending on how you would care for it.

So the hard work, handwork and time spent are worth it!

Body Painting: Henna Tattoo

Henna tattoos are an ancient custom in India: girls and women are body painted before ceremonies, like marriage. They painted complicated patterns on their hands and feet to symbolize their fertility. Henna (or ‘Mehndi’, the Indian name) is made from the henna plant (Lawsonia Inermis). The leaves of the plant are dried and ground. The powder gets mixed with water and you get a sort of green-brownish mud. If you put that mud on your skin, let it harden, and then peel it off, you will notice it has left an orange color.

You can get your henna at an eastern shop or a ‘souk’ in many different colors. There’s orange, mahogany, brown and black. The orange one is the traditional henna. The black henna is synthetic. It contains PDD (P-phenylenediamene) and can cause allergic reactions. Even if it doesn’t cause irritations, it’s still unhealthy. Moreover, in the past, black henna at your wedding was considered a disgrace.

Henna Recipe

With one pack of henna, you’ll have enough to body paint the entire football team. Put the henna in a bowl and gently pour some lemon juice and boiling water in the bowl. Don’t use too much water, the mud has to resemble the thickness of sate sauce. The purpose of the lemon juice is to help the color hold better on your skin.

Your skin should be clean, dry and not fat. If you want to color your nails too, they shouldn’t have nail polish on them. Make sure you really want this, because your nails will be orange for about 2 months. It doesn’t come off! When the henna is cold, you can get to painting.

If you want to paint your foot soles, which is a traditional custom in Marokko, make sure you have a pillow of some kind to keep your feet off the floor, before you know it, the henna mud is everywhere! You can apply the henna with all sorts of instruments, what works best is a syringe (without the needle of course).

Symmetric and geometric shapes work best. Don’t make the lines too thin, the color won’t come on to your skin very well. The bigger the surface, the brighter the color will be.

Now: the annoying part: Waiting…

Let the henna dry in the sun, the warmth of the sun will get your color deeper into your skin. You can also use a hairdryer.

If you make a mistake in the picture your painting: ACT QUICKLY! If you wipe it off too late, the henna will leave a red spot.

After a while, the henna will start to burst. Don’t peel it off yet! The henna has to stay on for at least two hours. Then you can start removing the crusts of mud.

DON’T remove the henna with water! Just scrape the crusts of your skin, you can do this with a bold knife. Don’t let your body painting get in touch with water for the first couple of hours. Right after you scraped off all the crusts, rub your skin in with olive oil. It will make the color brighter and help keep the color on as long as possible. Your henna painting will survive for about a month or so.

Also nice to know: Swimming, body peeling, scrubbing your back, and body scrub products will make the henna tattoo deteriorate faster.