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Where to Find Henna Supplies & Designs
BY J.A. BEYDLER
Photos by Eva Janey Bramwell
Copyright
1999 by Parents' Press
Pre-mixed henna tubes
Many natural food, herbal, and East Indian markets carry imported
henna, pre-mixed in applicator tubes, for around $4. Amrit and
Rane are good brands to look for.
Kits
We like the kit developed by Life Henna Lounge in San Francisco, because it really does have everything, including very helpful hints from artist Sarah Laight. Life Henna Body Art Kits ($16 to $18) are sold at Life Henna Lounge, 604-A Haight St., San Francisco (415) 252-9312, and will soon be available over the Internet: http://www.lifehenna.com/
The Henna Kit by Body Arts has good materials but not-so-great
instructions. Kits cost $18 to $25 and are available at gift
shops and other retail outlets, and via the Internet:
http://bodyarts.com/
Books
The Mehndi Kit: Learn the Traditional Art of Henna Body Decoration by Mirza Zaynab ($24.95) is the best of the "kit" books, but it only includes one tube of pre-mixed henna (no oil or stencils). It does have the advantage of being easy to find at almost any major bookstore (Barnes & Noble, Crown).
Mehendi: The Timeless Art of Henna Painting
by Loretta Roome ($16.95). The best overall resource we
could find. Roome shows the individual design elements (borders,
flowers, spirals, etc.) from a variety of henna traditions, and
teaches you how to combine them to create your own designs. Lots
of photos, good how-to tips, and a fascinating cultural history
of henna.
Mehndi: the art of henna body painting
by Carine Fabius ($11, Random House). This book has some historical
information, 30 designs to copy, fair instructions, and good
how-to tips.
Supplies
Henna powder, stencils, oils, cones, and bindi are available
from mail order supplier Afshan, 38725 Lexington St., #116, Fremont,
CA 94536, (510) 796-7579.
Artists
Professional henna artists charge from $25 (a simple hand or foot design in their studio) to hundreds of dollars for traditional weddings, festivals, and private parties at your home.
Comments about this article? Send us an e-mail and we'll add your remarks to the feedback page.
"My friend had a henna party, and
it was really fun. We're both good artists, and we practiced
first, so the patterns came out really nice. I did flowers and
a butterfly for her, and she did a lotus blossom on my hand."
-Katie, 13
