Bridal Henna Tip One - Use super fine, FRESH henna powder!

Jamila henna powder is ready to use right out of the box. If you do not have Jamila, then you must sift the henna powder before use. For bridal tattoo I sift the henna powder, then use a mortar & pestle to bruise it- this seems to help give good color and of course a super fine powder.

I may sift the henna powder twice more (through a stocking stretched over a little bowl) if the henna is very twiggy.

Here are some photos of bridal henna tattoo in process. I learned a lot doing this practice design! This is a page of useful tips for bridal henna. (Click the photos to enlarge the view.)

TIP TWO: Test the consistency of your paste before the bride arrives.

I cut a very small tip from my plastic henna cones and kept snipping the tip gradually until I was sure each made the fine line size I wanted. I also prepared a second set of cones with slightly wider tips for bolder lines.

(I have tried using squeeze bottles & mylar cones for henna tattoo, but I still prefer the plastic cone... twisted closed and sealed with a rubber band at the top. While this may not be the prettiest cone to use, sealing it with a rubber band enabled me to roll the rubber band down the cone as I ran out of henna.... so I could keep good pressure as I worked.)

MORE TIPS

• Draw the key design elements for each section of the arm first, then go back and fill them in with smaller design components.
• White space is a good thing! These photos show a clearly visible design is because of white space in the pattern.
• Start with the inner arms. When both are dry, applied henna to the outer arms. Next the back of the hands, then the palms of the hands.

It seemed easier to me to do the palms last for several reasons. I knew they would take the best color, and I could wrap the arms in cello & tissue so as not to disturb the pattern while working on the palms. Also, the wrap helped to heat up the henna to give good color.

Make ALOT of henna paste. I use rather small cones, about 5" long and 1.5" to 2" wide at the top. For full bridal tattoo, be well prepared with a least 10 cones that size. You can always freeze the extra for later!

MORE TIPS FOR BRIDAL HENNA ARTISTS:

• Start at the "top" of the design and work your way toward the fingers.
• Lemon sugar as you go to help keep the paste on the skin. A sugar glaze helps you turn the arm and continue to work with out flaking.
• As henna does not take as well on the arms as it does the hands, wrap the arms in tissue & plastic wrap when finished to get the best possible color.
• Use a blow dryer in cool weather to help heat up the sugared henna. This seems to boost the finished color.
• Be sure to get comfortable!