How to Make a Temporary Tattoo
Design the tattoo., Pick out eyeliner., Draw the design on your skin with the eyeliner pencil., Spray the design with hairspray., Wash it off.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Design the tattoo.
To make a great tattoo, put some thought into its design before you apply it to your skin.
Use a regular pencil and paper to sketch out some ideas, keeping the following pointers in mind:
Your eyeliner tattoo will look best with bold, simple strokes.
Finer lines and more complicated designs could be more likely to smudge and become unrecognizable.
Stick with clear shapes.
Decide how large you want it to be.
A bigger tattoo may be more likely to appear to be hand drawn, whereas a smaller tattoo may look more "authentic." Design your tattoo according to the effect you want to achieve. -
Step 2: Pick out eyeliner.
Go to the drugstore and buy a simple eyeliner pencil, the type that needs to be sharpened.
Pick one that isn't meant to be shiny or oily; a pencil that makes smooth, dry marks will make a longer-lasting smudge-free tattoo.
Jet black eyeliner makes for a striking temporary tattoo, but there's no reason not to choose more than one color.
Try emerald, purple, and sapphire to create your design or add a small accent.
Avoid liquid eyeliner.
It's more difficult to keep this type of eyeliner in place on parts of your body other than your eyelids.
Practice drawing your design with your chosen eyeliner pencils on paper.
Get used to the pressure you need to exert to create smooth strokes. , Take your time and make sure the design is applied exactly how you want it to look.
If you don't like it, you can wash it off and start over. /images/thumb/5/51/Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-3-Version-4.jpg/v4-550px-Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-3-Version-4.jpg /images/thumb/5/51/Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-3-Version-4.jpg/v4-300px-Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-3-Version-4.jpg You can draw your tattoo on any part of your body, but areas without a lot of hair might be easier to work with.
Make sure the skin is clean and dry when you draw your design.
Use a cotton swab to blend colors and create shading. , The same chemicals that help hold your hair in place act as a sealant for the tattoo to keep it from coming off for a few hours.
There's no need to completely soak it; just give the area a light application.
You can also use a clear nail polish/topcoat instead of hairspray.
The clear nail polish/topcoat can be matte or glossy; it is up to you. /images/thumb/0/0a/Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-4-Version-4.jpg/v4-550px-Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-4-Version-4.jpg /images/thumb/0/0a/Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-4-Version-4.jpg/v4-300px-Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-4-Version-4.jpg , This tattoo will last about a day before it begins to smudge.
It washes off easily with warm, soapy water.
You may want to remove it before going to bed to avoid getting eyeliner on your sheets.
If you're using clear nail polish instead of hairspray, you can peel it off or remove it with nail polish remover. /images/thumb/8/85/Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-5-Version-4.jpg/v4-550px-Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-5-Version-4.jpg /images/thumb/8/85/Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-5-Version-4.jpg/v4-300px-Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-5-Version-4.jpg -
Step 3: Draw the design on your skin with the eyeliner pencil.
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Step 4: Spray the design with hairspray.
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Step 5: Wash it off.
Detailed Guide
To make a great tattoo, put some thought into its design before you apply it to your skin.
Use a regular pencil and paper to sketch out some ideas, keeping the following pointers in mind:
Your eyeliner tattoo will look best with bold, simple strokes.
Finer lines and more complicated designs could be more likely to smudge and become unrecognizable.
Stick with clear shapes.
Decide how large you want it to be.
A bigger tattoo may be more likely to appear to be hand drawn, whereas a smaller tattoo may look more "authentic." Design your tattoo according to the effect you want to achieve.
Go to the drugstore and buy a simple eyeliner pencil, the type that needs to be sharpened.
Pick one that isn't meant to be shiny or oily; a pencil that makes smooth, dry marks will make a longer-lasting smudge-free tattoo.
Jet black eyeliner makes for a striking temporary tattoo, but there's no reason not to choose more than one color.
Try emerald, purple, and sapphire to create your design or add a small accent.
Avoid liquid eyeliner.
It's more difficult to keep this type of eyeliner in place on parts of your body other than your eyelids.
Practice drawing your design with your chosen eyeliner pencils on paper.
Get used to the pressure you need to exert to create smooth strokes. , Take your time and make sure the design is applied exactly how you want it to look.
If you don't like it, you can wash it off and start over. /images/thumb/5/51/Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-3-Version-4.jpg/v4-550px-Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-3-Version-4.jpg /images/thumb/5/51/Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-3-Version-4.jpg/v4-300px-Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-3-Version-4.jpg You can draw your tattoo on any part of your body, but areas without a lot of hair might be easier to work with.
Make sure the skin is clean and dry when you draw your design.
Use a cotton swab to blend colors and create shading. , The same chemicals that help hold your hair in place act as a sealant for the tattoo to keep it from coming off for a few hours.
There's no need to completely soak it; just give the area a light application.
You can also use a clear nail polish/topcoat instead of hairspray.
The clear nail polish/topcoat can be matte or glossy; it is up to you. /images/thumb/0/0a/Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-4-Version-4.jpg/v4-550px-Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-4-Version-4.jpg /images/thumb/0/0a/Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-4-Version-4.jpg/v4-300px-Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-4-Version-4.jpg , This tattoo will last about a day before it begins to smudge.
It washes off easily with warm, soapy water.
You may want to remove it before going to bed to avoid getting eyeliner on your sheets.
If you're using clear nail polish instead of hairspray, you can peel it off or remove it with nail polish remover. /images/thumb/8/85/Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-5-Version-4.jpg/v4-550px-Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-5-Version-4.jpg /images/thumb/8/85/Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-5-Version-4.jpg/v4-300px-Make-a-Temporary-Tattoo-Step-5-Version-4.jpg
About the Author
Amy Edwards
Enthusiastic about teaching practical skills techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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