mehndidesigns

Mehndi is the art of applying Henna on the body. It is a beautiful form of temporary body decoration.
Mehndi is a traditional form of decoration for both men and women in countries such as India,
Morocco, and Pakistan. It is generally used for special occasions, particularly weddings.
Henna is a small shrub called Hawsonia inermis, and is found in Iran,India,Pakistan, Egypt, and North
Africa. The young leaves and twigs are ground into fine powder, then mixed with water and applied
on the hands, feet and hair to give them a reddish-orange color. The henna mud mixture can be
applied in beautiful patterns via a small plastic bag with a small hole pricked into one corner. This
bag acts as a mini pastry-decorating tube.

By Radha, Rochester, NY

By Manoranjani, Dubai

How to Apply Mehendi? You can make your own powder by drying henna leaves in shade. It might
take weeks for them to dry to a crisp and you need to grind them thoroughly. You may also buy
henna powder from the market.
Take...

Henna powder seived through a muslin cloth.
Well strained strong tea decotion.
Eucalyptus oil (a few drops).
Strained lime juice.
Sugar(1 table spoon).

Take the henna powder in a bowl, add the tea till it becomes a thick paste (similar to a dough).
Add eucalyptus oil, sugar and lime juice and mix well to make it into a smooth and thin paste.
Leave it covered over night or during the day if you prefer to apply in the night.

Cone: Take a thick plastic cover (milk cover is best in India)or use any thick freezer bag - cut it into
7" X 4" rectangle. Twist one corner of the cover to make a cone. Tighten the tip to make tiny hole.
Hold the tip and fill the paste and tie the broader end tightly with a thread (the final cone looks like
a carrot with leaves).

You also get ready-made cones from the stores. My experience with these cones have not been
really great as you do not have control on the width of the tip.

Remember...
You should leave the mehndi to dry on your skin and keep it on for as long as possible (10 - 12 hours
if possible - you can go to bed with it). Scrape it after that. The color will become deeper if you
leave it untouched by water for another 10 - 12 hours. A deep color may last upto two weeks. The
coloration varies from person to person.

SandadeSanda
di

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