Henna Transfers

Most henna books and kits come with transfers. These are heavily inked designs that, when pressed against the skin, leave a faint guide mark for you to follow. The designs available are many and varied; whatever type of mehdni you're looking for, you should have no problems finding it.

It's important to prepare your skin properly before applying the transfer and your henna art. When the area if ready, you can apply the transfer and get down to the fun part.

If the transfer is a part of a larger sheet, cut around it carefully. Make sure to leave a reasonable gap round the edge to make handling the transfer paper easier. If the area you're going to be decorating is curved (the arm or leg), you'll need to make small incisions around the design to make it flatten to the contours of your body.

Before you use the transfer, brush a thin player of mehlabiya oil (usually provided and readily available) over the area.

Place the transfer on to the area, ink down, and use one hand to hold it in place at the centre. Use your other hand to push outwards, pressing the design firmly against the skin. Once it's held in place, tap at the transfer a few times to ensure that the design has transferred to the skin, then ease it away in one smooth motion.

You should be left with a faint but distinct outline of your furture mehndi. You're now ready to apply the henna.

When you've had more practice at applying henna body art, you might want to try free hand application.