Henna does not take as well on other parts of the body, but it still looks great. There is a myth that traditional henna is done only on the hands and feet. The ancients used it all over the body as well. Henna lasts longer on the hottest parts of the body. The inner arms stain well, as does the belly. (Lie down on your back for belly application.) Necklaces are a common request by Americans seeking henna painting, but the skin of the neck and collarbone is too thin for the stain to last very long. The back also is not a great place to paint henna if your intention is a dark and lasting stain. The legs can be a good choice, but truly, everyone’s skin is different. The thickness of the skin, color, hairiness, and the amount of time the henna paste is left on all make a difference in the amount of time the stain lasts. The less traditional areas of the body, although they do not take as well to henna, are great for experimentation. As a new mehndi artist, this is your territory. Have fun with it.

You have probably noticed that the ankles and tops of the feet are a popular location for permanent tattoos. It is traditional in India to have the soles of the feet painted. You may be thinking, now why in the world would I paint my soles? Who would see it but me? Many American brides have the soles of their painted because they want to share their henna with only their husbands. Body art is not always about showing off. Often, it is about sharing a secret ritual with yourself! (And of course, the henna artist working on you.) One of the problem encountered by those who have the soles of their painted, obviously, is walking. A couch, a television, is walking. A couch, a television, and an intimate friend are important accessories to henna-painted feet. If you can work it out, try getting painted at a location that you can remain at for many hours. Look for a place where you can camp for that night, like your living room couch if it is okay with the rest of your family.

In India, the feet are revered. Here in America, we tend to take our feet for granted. We shove them into high heels and let them sweat in sneakers without a break. Try to examine your attitude toward feet (yours and other peoples, too). Do they disgust you? A lot of people are afraid of their feet. They like to keep them hidden, and they dread the summer when their feet get exposed in sandals. Other people abuse their feet every day and get a pedicure once in a while to pamper themselves. Henna painting is the most sensual way to experience and love your feet. Think of it: You get to rest with your feet up for at least twelve hours! (That is if you really want the henna to take.) The reason Indian people place importance on the feet is that they view them as the point where our bodies make divine contact with the earth. Americans seem to be far less connected to the earth than people of other cultures, so it makes sense that we would ignore this idea. Try to love your feet. Giving yourself a pedicure is a real treat. Henna is an even better treat, and it is practical too. Henna is cooling, so it refreshes hot, sweaty feet! Use the patterns on the following pages or create your own designs.

Mehndi is meant to be painted on the palms of the hands. In fact, it stains more deeply there. Think about your hands for a moment. We usually do not stop to appreciate the role they play in our lives. They are there for doing and showing. We use them for mundane tasks, like washing dishes and opening doors, and also for more romantic tasks, like holding hands or writing in our journal. Many women and even mean invest time and money on weekly manicures. Our hands are our representatives: They come before us. Mehndi on the palms and the outer hands is a tribute to their power.

The actual act of having mehndi done requires contact between the artist and the person being painted. Energy is exchanged this way, through the hands. This can be very healing for the artist and the client. Mehndi softens the skin. You must sit still to receive it, which can help to still the mind, and this is the essence of meditation.

In the Egyptian fashion, you can dip your fingertips in henna paste. Egyptian women also painted henna on their nails. If you do this, it will last for a few months and grow out with your nails. Think of this as an alternative to nail polish.

Creeping vines are great motifs for the backs of the hands. In India they are known as b’hai ki bal. You can even use them to hide skin imperfections like scars. If the skin is dry or tanned, it will be hard for the henna to take. Remember to moisturize and stay out of the sun for a few days beforehand. Roome suggests using Moroccan symbols of protection on the tops of the hands and images of “opening and offering” on the palms of the hands. She suggests the sun, flowers, or mandalas for the insides of the hands. The palms are a place where you can create elaborate and intricate designs as you experiment and create new worlds. Or you can try to copy some of the more traditional designs.

As you discover yourself and the world through mehndi, you will start to notice some of the connections between the symbolism you encounter and the metaphysical arts. Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy dealing with truth and knowledge that is found outside of objective experience. Some of the occult sciences, like astrology and Tarot, are grouped with the metaphysical arts in bookstores. Palm reading is an example of an ancient Indian science that has resonance for many people but that cannot be proven by modern science. When choosing which hand you would like to be painted with mehndi, consider the traditional qualities attributed to each hand. If you are hoping to add power to parts of your inner life, such as honing your intuition, getting in touch with your emotions, or healing your body, consider having the left hand painted. If you want to do well on a test, get a job, or control some external influence in your life, consider the right hand. For balance, you can always have both hands painted, but total inactivity for at least a day will be necessary if you want the henna to take. Remember to ask someone close to you to help out.

Many women exfoliate the night before getting mehndi. You can use a loofah to do this. It is also suggested that you shave or wax the area you intend to paint (if it is a hairy area). Hair removal is not a necessity; it is just that the henna sometimes stains better on hairless skin. It is also important to moisturize the area very well. Do this about a week in advance of being painted, but not on the same day you are being painted.

Beyond prepping your skin, you will have to make some other arrangements before being painted with henna. If you plan to be painted on the insides of your hands, you can forget about using them for much of anything until after you have scrapped off the dried paste. Many Eastern women actually fast the night before being painted so they will not have to use the bathroom. You do not need to go to that extreme, but if you plan to get henna on the palms of you hands, make sure that you will not be driving, cutting up food, washing dishes, or whatever else you usually do with your hands. It helps if you treat the time you have henna on your hands as a short vacation. Think of it as time for you and only you. It also helps to have a person you are really close with around to assist you, like a boyfriend, a sister, or your mom. The next time, they can get henna painted on them and receive royal treatment from you!

Don’t forget that you can paint yourself, too! You can either paint one hand at a time or paint you feet. It is a little tricky to do this, but it gets easier with practice. Most people think mehndi is more fun when it is shared.

It is vital that you test the skin for allergies before painting henna art on anyone’s body. Most people are not allergic to the henna itself, but some folks are allergic to other ingredients. Test small areas by mixing a bit of powder with water and letting it sit for about an hour. Then test for richness of color and allergies by dabbing a bit of the mixture on the sole of the foot of the person you will be painting. Once it dries, scrape it off. If the person has an allergic reaction or if you think the color is too light, get different powder and start over.

Lemon sugar is applied to the design once the henna dries. It prevents the henna from flaking off, although it sounds like a delicious summer treat! It should be prepared just prior to painting. Roome suggests two teaspoons of sugar for every half a lemon. Make sure to strain the lemon juice before you mix it with the sugar. Simply mix it together. Then lemon sugar is dabbed on with a cotton ball.

As mentioned in the previous post, henna recipes are precious to the artists who create them. If you become friends with your local henna artist, she might share a special recipe with you. We are going to keep it pretty basic. Remember, though, that one of the best things about working with henna is that you have creative license. Feel free to experiment with essential oils and spices and whatever cool ingredients you find on the shelves of the store. Just be careful of synthetic ingredients.

The first time you make a batch of paste, expect to make mistakes. It might take a while to get the right ratio of henna to water. Keep tying, be patient, and have fun! Give your work your full attention. Do not watch television or talk on the phone as you make mehndi. Make sure that you have ample room, and spread newspapers out before you begin. The work can get messy. Put on your rubber gloves if you do not want your hands to stain. Wear old clothes that you do not really care about.

The simplest recipe calls for just henna and hot water. Do not boil the water; just make sure that it is very hot. You can also mix the henna powder with pure lemon juice. This is an African henna recipe. Roome suggests leaving the lemons in the sun for twelve hours before mixing. This is one recipe using half a cup of henna:

• Boil half a cup of dark tea leaves in four cups of water. Keep boiling until half the water is gone.
• Add cloves, dried limes or lemons, or even instant coffee to the brew. (This is optional.)
• Cover the pot and let it simmer for a while. Let it cool overnight.
• When you are ready to make your paste, pour the tea water into a bowl, being careful not to let the solid matter at the bottom of the pot pour out. First squeeze out any large particles with your hands, and then pour the mixture through a fine strainer.
• Add the juice of one lemon, straining out the seeds and pulp.
• Put your henna powder in a separate bowl, and have two plastic spoons ready.
• Use one spoon to add the powder to the brew while stirring the mixture with the other hand.
• When the consistency feels like cake frosting, stir out all the lumps and air pockets. (Don’t eat the mix)
• Add two teaspoons of eucalyptus oil to the mixture and stir again.
• Test the thickness by holding a spoon of the mixture above the bowl. It should drip slowly like molasses. It should be like a thick lotion or warm hot fudge, according to Roome.
• The henna should sit in a warm place for two hours. Stir it often or cover it with plastic wrap. If it gets runny, you will have to add more powder. It will stay for about two days. Do not refrigerate it. Make sure it is stored safely away from babies and pets.

Now you are ready to paint! The batch will yield enough paste to do one elaborate pair of hands or feet, or about twenty simple bracelets. Heat helps the designs take. Carefully hold the painted part of the body near a heat source, like a candle flame. This is more difficult for larger areas of the body.

Unless you are buying presifted powder, you will have to spend a lot of time sifting your henna powder before you make it into paste. This is because twigs and other debris need to be removed before the henna paste will fit through the applicator. Sifting takes a long time; try searching for presifted powder. Some sources of good presifted powder are listed at the end of the book. You can also ask a local henna artist. Do not buy henna in bulk until you have tested it first. It would be a shame to waste on money on henna that failed to leave a design on the skin, and it would be really awful to spend time sifting and making paste for no reason. So buy small amounts and test first. You can tell right away that henna has not been sifted if you see twigs in the powder. Presifted powder is more expensive, but the convenience is worth it, especially for the new henna artist.

Even if the package says the henna powder is presifted, it is always a good idea to double-check. Presifted powder will be as fine as baby powder and free of twigs and other debris. You can check powder that you are not sure about by making a small bit of paste and filling a Jacquard bottle with it. Just mix the powder with a little water to make the paste. If the paste passes easily through the tip of the bottle, it has already been sifted. If there is any clogging, you will need to sift it yourself. Sifting is a time-consuming process. You can use a nylon stocking and stretch it over a bowl to do your sifting. You basically need to push the powder through the stocking and into the bowl. This should remove any unwanted particles. Now you are almost ready to make paste.

Cones are very important. Middle Eastern women often paint with cones. You will need them to fill the Jacquard bottles with henna paste. A mehndi cone is really just a small plastic funnel. It looks like a small pastry bag. To make a cone, cut a rectangle out of plastic (from a freezer bag or drop cloth) about five by seven inches. Cut the corner of one side to make a rounded edge. Roll the plastic into the shape of funnel, with the rounded edge at the tip. The tip should be no bigger than a pinhole. Next tape the seam, and reinforce the tip with tape. Once you have made your paste, you will drop it into the cone with a spoon.

Start with heavy duty plastic, such as a piece of drop cloth or a plastic freezer bag. Cut a 5″ x 7″ rectangle out of the plastic and round out one of the corners. Next, roll the plastic into a funnel shape, making sure that the tip is only about the size of a pinhole. Tape the seam shut along the side of the funnel and around the tip of the cone. Fill the cone about halfway with henna paste.

To seal the cone, fold the corners down as if you were gift wrapping a box. Keep folding the corners down over again until the cone is sealed tight. Tape down all the seams carefully to prevent leaking when you squeeze the cone.

That’s it! If the hole in the tip is too small for henna paste to pass through, you can widen it using a pin. Likewise, if you want to store the cone to use later, push a pin into the tip to seal it up and keep the henna from drying out.

The most important tool is the applicator. Loretta Roome, author of the wonderful book Mehndi: The Timeless Art of Henna Painting, recommends the Jacquard bottle for this purpose. The bottles are available at most art stores, usually in the craft section. Just ask someone at the store. If you cannot find them locally, you can order them from a distributor listed at the end of this book.

You will also need heavy-duty, four-millimeter plastic to make cones to fill the applicators with henna paste. Drop cloth or freezer bags work best. Other items you will need are scotch tape; scissors; a ceramic, glass, or wooden bowl; a tea strainer; cotton swabs (get real 100 percent cotton); paper towels; a sifter (if you need to sift the henna powder); flat toothpicks; rubber gloves; and finally lemons and sugar. You might want to get a lemon squeezer too. There are some other fun items that are not necessary, but you might want to get them down the road a bit. They include: coal, incense, porcupine quills, coins, and candles. These are mood enhancing, Middle Eastern toys for henna time.