Mehndi designs(Henna)

Henna is a form of temporary skin decoration that is very popular in South  Asia.Henna is mainly used for adorning hands and feet during weddings and festivals.It is considered auspicious and so is

 used on every happy occasion and festivals.

Henna designs are always beautiful and attractive even if it is a simple one.

Besides Indian designs ,Pakistan designs and Arabic designs are very popular.The designs of henna are endless but still I'm posting some of it(not my own creations).For those who are not good in art work,don't worry take someone's help(beauty salon/beauty parlour) or buy mehndi tattoos.Very simple.I'll soon be posting henna tattoos as well.Just wait and see.
More henna designs in "Accessories"

Uses of henna/mehndi
1.Its inherent soothing qualities are also part of the reason why mehandi is traditionally performed on the palms of hands.Since the palm contains numerous nerve endings ,when henna is applied to the area it helps to relax system.
2.In addition to its cooling properties, several other medicinal properties are attributed to henna.It is used as a coagulant for open wounds, and a poultice made with henna leaves works to soothe burns and certain types of eczema
3.The leaves of the mehndi are astringent and are used against skin diseases
4.A brew of mehndi leaves is used to gargle sore throat
5.Henna mixed with vinegar and applied to head is reputed to heal headaches.Good bye to aspirin.
6.Henna mixed with other natural dyes,is largely used as hair dye and even for textiles
7.The oil obtained from its flowers is used in pefumes
8.The oil of the mehndi is also used to add colour to the henna patterns


How to make henna paste at home- Scroll down

  Now let's have a look at the designs

Indian designs 

Henna design on both sides of the hand

                                     

 

Henna design for feet

Mehandi design on your palm(Pakistani design)

Arabic design

Mehandi design on wrist

Henna design from wrist to finger



 

 

How to make henna paste from home

Making henna paste is not very hard. You only need a few key ingredients.
The main ingredients that are needed for making mehndi or henna paste are: Fresh henna powder, coffee, lemon juice, essential oils and your basic sugar.

Buy the freshest henna powder you can afford. Henna loses potency over time, so when the powder has lightened and turned brown, it won't leave a good stain. Look for brownish-green dark henna. Bright green henna may have dye added, to make it look fresh. The best hennas are pre-sifted, cheaper hennas may need to be sifted for body art. Store leftover powder in the freezer, where it will stay potent for at least a year.

In the beginning of it all, boil some coffee (it should be extremely potent, boil it more than usual to make it darker). We will use this coffee to make the paste. Take almost 25 grams of henna paste and add about ¼ cup of lemon juice and add 1 tea spoon of sugar in it. Mix it extremely well to get a thick paste. Now start adding the coffee. Keep adding it until your paste is smooth. Now mix in your essential oils.
For sensitive skin, use lavender only or skip this step. Add about 1-3 drop per tablespoon of oil. You can use any oil that's skin safe, but only oils containing terpinols will darken henna (and eucalyptus isn't one of these.) 
All these ingredients are very valuable because coffee and essential oils helps to give a darker stain while lemon juice (which is a little acidic in nature) breaks the cellulose in henna leaves and allow the dye to come out. In this way you will get a darker and better henna tattoo.

Mix all these ingredients extremely well. This will make a really thick paste. Make sure that everything is evenly mixed well. Any uneven paste will definitely jam your applicator. If you feel that your henna paste is a bit thicker, then you can add more coffee into it. And if your henna paste is slightly too thin, than you can add some henna powder to the mix as well.
Once you mixed everything, you will get a creamy looking paste. Cover it with whatever plastic wrap you can find and press it against the paste well to discard of all the air. Now store it in a lukewarm place for 6 to 12 hours. After almost 6-12 hours the henna paste will release the dye and it will be ready for you to use.
You can store henna paste for up to two weeks in the refrigerator while it can last for up to two months if stored properly in your freezer. With this step by step guide on how to make henna paste at home. you should be able to start creating your henna artwork in no time.

Source of information: ezinearticle, inidamart, earth henna, ehow