Mehndi MadnessTM Blog
Krysteen
At Mehnid Madness, Henna for the Masses, we have staining drums and tambourines with henna as a fun art project from time to time. It's fun to do as a group and see how everyone is inspired. It's an adornment practiced throughout North Africa and the Middle East since the early 20th century. Staining techniques are similar to how you'd stain the skin or using a resist technique. The resist technique is done with a fabric like lace and the henna paste is spread over the fabric. When the paste dries the fabric is then lifted from the drum or tambourine leaving behind a pattern.
The Process
When buying a drum or tambourine to stain, try to find instruments that are not treated. You will know that they are not treated if they feel rough and dry. If all you have is a treated instrument, there is no guarantee that the henna will stain as dark as you would like. Here is a link to buy natural drums and tambourines.
Mixing the henna paste will be slightly different that mixing for skin. You will only mix henna and lemon/lime juice. Do not add oils! this may cause the paste to spread through the drum or tambourine and bleeding your design.
Go to The Henna Page to find a tutorial for how to stain your design on your instrument.
After you've applied the henna to your instrument, leave the paste on for at least 7 days. If you don't plan on using your instrument and only displaying it, you can leave the paste on. To scrap the henna off, use a blunt object like a credit card to scrape the paste off. The design will show very lightly but will darken within the next few days. If you would like to speed this process up, wipe your instrument with a damp ammonia cloth. Do this in a ventilated area!
If you need some design inspiration, Check out this google images gallery!
