Mehndi is an Ancient Indian form of body art created by applying a design to the body using the dry, crushed leaves of the henna plant that has been mixed with oil. Unlike a tattoo, the dye is applied on the surface of the skin and will usually fade away in 1 – 3 weeks. It was mainly used by brides for marriage ceremonies and for celebrations of special holidays. Originally it was used exclusively on women, mainly on hands and feet, but today other body parts can be covered and men will also be decorated with mehndi designs. Today we have our own Henna Hands Craft for Children.
Materials for Henna Hands Craft for Children:
- paper
- pencil
- fine line washable markers
- construction paper (optional)
- glue stick (optional)
Henna Hands Craft for Children
If possible share some photos of mehndi designs with your child. There are many sites online that have beautiful examples of henna artwork.
With a pencil, have child trace their non-dominant hand on a piece of paper. Their fingers should be apart.
Taking inspiration from photos, draw a mehndi design with pencil. Practice drawing a design that can be transferred to their own hand. Although henna hands are usually quite intricate, encourage child to keep the design simple enough that they can draw it on their hand.
Using their drawing as a guide, draw the design on the back of their non-dominant hand. If there is more than 1 child doing this activity, they might want to embellish each other’s hands. (Even little brother and big brother got in on the fun!)
Finished Designs.
Someone got a bit carried away and adorned her whole body!
Note: The washable marker will come right off with water and a little soap. If you would like a more permanent record of the mehndi design, take a photo! If you use regular markers, the design can last for a day or two.
Alternative Directions:
If you would rather your children did not write on their bodies, have them trace their hand and pencil in a design.When they are satisfied with the design, go over it with marker. Cut out the hand and glue it to a contrasting piece of construction paper.
