Henna Painting Instructions  
 

  1. First, you have to get the tubes of henna. Our workshop leader found hers in an Indian grocery store in the East Village. They were around $2.50 apiece. If you aren't lucky enough to live near an Indian market, you can order more expensive tubes from Body Art Supply. Or you can mix your own paint from powdered henna. This takes longer and is more complex, but you do get a greater variety of colors to choose from.

  2. Once you have your henna paint, you have some decisions to make:

    • Where do you want your design? Traditionally, the designs go on the palms or the soles of the feet. They are supposed to last longer there because of the callused skin (sort of like hair dye clings better to bleached hair). But you can put your design anywhere on your body that you like. Keep in mind that you will have to keep the body part almost completely still while the henna is drying.

    • What do you want to paint? Again, you can choose a more traditional design or your own creation. It may help to make sketches first, or even to draw lightly on your body with a pencil or crayon. Some design ideas are available here.

  3. Now assemble the rest of the materials you'll need:

    • strong scissors or pocket knife
    • cotton balls
    • a lemon
    • sugar
    • gauze pads and surgical tape (available in the first aid section of pharmacies)
    • Saran Wrap or sandwich bags

  4. Mix the lemon sugar solution now (you might not be able to do it while the henna's drying later). In an 8 oz. cup of water, mix the juice from a couple slices of lemon with 3 teaspoons of sugar. Put this aside for later.

  5. Cut the tip of the henna tube open with scissors or a knife. Squeezing gently, "draw" with the henna on your skin, following the lines of your design. It should tingle a bit as it goes on. If you make a mistake, you can carefully scrape the wet henna off with your fingernail.

  6. Leave the henna to dry for 30-45 minutes, then when it starts to feel hardened and dry...

  7. Dip a cotton ball into the lemon sugar solution. Pat the lines of henna GENTLY with the cotton ball. If you do it too hard, you'll smear the henna.

  8. Let this sit for another 10 minutes or so, then repeat.

  9. You can keep dabbing the henna with the solution every 10-15 minutes for as long as you have time. The solution is crystallizing the henna and making it cling to your skin better. Eventually, though, you'll need to eat/sleep/go somewhere, so...

  10. Protect the henna for the rest of the day by covering it with a gauze pad. Again, do this GENTLY so it doesn't smear the lines.

  11. You can "waterproof" the pad by covering it with Saran Wrap or a plastic sandwich bag. (I still don't advise you to shower with it, though...) Then hold the whole "dressing" in place by taping it to your skin with surgical tape.

  12. Try as much as possible not to bump or rub the henna'd area for the rest of the day, or move it around too much. The more still you can keep it, the clearer your finished design will be. Sleep with the dressing on, too.

  13. In the morning, remove the dressing and wash the now-dry henna away with plain water. You should have dark-reddish lines on your skin where the henna had been. These will last 1 to 3 weeks. Till then, enjoy your new body art!

 

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