4 Quick and Easy Ways to Make Temporary Tattoos at Home

If you want to experiment with body art without permanently altering your skin, a temporary tattoo is the way to go. You can make your own temporary tattoo with just a few household supplies and items from the craft store. Learn three techniques for making temporary tattoos: using an eyeliner pencil, using a stencil, and printing one on paper.

Creating a Temporary Tattoo

Draw on your skin with an eyeliner pencil or a Sharpie marker to make a temporary tattoo.
Use a stencil to create a design on your skin. Color in the spaces with the markers of your choice for a professional-looking tattoo.
When you've finished your design, cover it with a layer of baby powder and hairspray to help it last longer.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Creating an Eyeliner Tattoo

Download Article

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.
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. ^{[1]
  X
  Research source}
- Practice drawing your design with your chosen eyeliner pencils on paper. Get used to the pressure you need to exert to create smooth strokes.
Advertisement
3
Draw the design on your skin with the eyeliner pencil. 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.
- 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.
^{[2]
X
Research source} 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.
Wash it off . 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.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Creating a Stencil Tattoo

Download Article

1
Make a stencil . You can create professional-looking temporary tattoos by making a stencil, which helps you control the tattoo design rather than relying on your drawing skills to do the job. Decide what shape you want your tattoo to be, draw it on an index card, and cut out the shape using a cutting knife or a pair of small scissors.
- Simple, bold shapes are the easiest ones to create with this method. Try diamonds, circles, and other geometric shapes.
- For a more detailed tattoo, you can create a stencil based on an existing image. Check out How to Make a Graffiti Stencil for more information on this method.
2
Buy permanent markers. Choose one or more marker colors to use with your stencil. Black is a classic option, and may be the most likely to help your tattoo pass as a real one. Using another color can be just as fun.
- Permanent markers contain chemicals that aren't meant to be used on skin. Look for markers that are labeled as safe for this type of use. ^{[3]
  X
  Research source}
- If you'd rather not use permanent markers, washable markers are also fine. The tattoo just won't last quite as long.
- Another good ink choice is stamping ink, which comes on wet stamping pads. To use this type of ink for your tattoo, press a cotton ball onto the ink pad and use it to wipe the ink over the stencil and onto your skin.
3
Apply the tattoo. Place the stencil against the part of your body where you want the tattoo to be. Use one hand to hold it firmly against the skin, so that the cut out shapes are lying flat. Use the other hand to color in the shapes with the markers you chose. When you're finished, lift the stencil away and allow the marker ink to dry.
- Make sure you apply the tattoo to clean, dry skin. Shave the hair in the area for a more even application.
- If you have trouble holding the stencil in place, try using tape to affix it to the area. You could also try applying the tattoo to a part of your body with a flatter surface.
When you're finished sporting your temporary tattoo, it can be washed off with warm, soapy water, or you dab a cotton pad in oil and 'scrub' your tattoo off.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Making a Paper Tattoo

Download Article

1
Buy water slide paper. Have you ever bought a temporary tattoo from a quarter machine or the toy store? These temporary tattoos are printed onto water slide paper, a special paper lined with adhesive on one side. The tattoo design is printed with ink on the adhesive.
- Water slide paper is available online or in craft stores.
2
Design the tattoo. The sky is the limit when you're using water slide paper; any shape, color or pattern will print beautifully onto the paper and show up clearly on your skin. Use Photoshop or a similar computer program meant for creating images to come up with a tattoo design.
- Decide whether you want the tattoo to be in black and white or color. If you have a color printer, your design can include as many colors as you want.
- Choose colors that will show up well against your skin. You have the chance to see the design beforehand on paper before it goes onto your skin.
- Keep in mind that when you apply the tattoo, the image will be reversed on your skin. That means that if your tattoo includes a word, it needs to be reversed in the design, or it will read backwards once you put it on.
Feed the water slide paper into the paper handler in your printer. Make sure the paper is placed correctly so that the image will be printed onto the adhesive, not the matte paper. Cut out the tattoo with a pair of scissors when you're finished.
Place the tattoo ink-side down on your skin. Cover it with a damp cloth or paper towel. Press down on the cloth or paper towel and hold it in place for 30 seconds, or until it becomes translucent. Remove the cloth or paper towel and peel back the paper. The dampening process causes the adhesive to "slide" from the paper to your skin.
This type of tattoo may last a week or more before it starts to peel off. If you want to remove it before it comes off on its own, scrub it off with soapy water and a scrub brush.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Creating a Sharpie Tattoo

Download Article

Also get some baby powder and hairspray. ^{[4]
X
Research source}
Use whatever design you like and place it wherever you want, somewhere easily reachable.
Don't use too much, or your skin will feel extremely dry. If you spray too much by accident, get a cotton swab and dab the area around the tattoo with water.
The tattoo should last around a month.

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

Can you make your own temporary tattoos?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Yes, you certainly can make your own temporary tattoos. You can make them from pen or marker ink, from eyeliner or other types of makeup, from paper and stamps, from paint, from henna, from glitter, etc. And you can use stencils or shapes to help define the design you’d like. For instructions on using a few of these items to make temporary tattoos, follow the methods in the article above.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 51 Helpful 79
Question

How long do temporary tattoos last?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

The length of time a temporary tattoo will last depends on what you’ve used to make the tattoo. Some marker tattoos can last up to a week, while some paper tattoos will wash off in the next shower. Henna tattoos can last up to 3 weeks. A rough estimate would be about anywhere between 2 days to 3 weeks, depending on what it was made from and how careful you’ve been not to wash or scrub it off.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 38 Helpful 72
Question

Can you print your own temporary tattoos?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Yes, you can print temporary tattoos with a design of your own choice by using water slide paper. The instructions for doing this are found here: How to Make a Temporary Paper Tattoo .

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 53 Helpful 67

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

Read Video Transcript

Reader Videos

Submit a Video Tip!

Share a quick video tip and help bring articles to life with your friendly advice. Your insights could make a real difference and help millions of people!

Submit a Video

Tips

Wait for the hairspray to dry before touching the design.

Thanks
Helpful 631 Not Helpful 124
Make sure you make the design before you draw it on your skin in case of a mistake.

Thanks
Helpful 78 Not Helpful 17
Apply a layer or two of baby powder over the permanent marker and spray with hairspray to make the tattoo last longer.

Thanks
Helpful 108 Not Helpful 26

Show More Tips

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Apply hair spray in a very thin layer so that it doesn't get sticky when it dries. You can always add another layer if you feel like there isn't enough after it dries.
Do a patch test on your skin to make sure you're not allergic to whatever you're going to use for your temporary tattoo. Wait 12 hours to see if you have a reaction.
When doing the Sharpie method, try to do it the day you need it. If you go to sleep with Sharpie temporary tattoos, they could smear and stain your bedsheets.
To make a temporary tattoo last longer when you're using a Sharpie, go over the design once every couple of days. It could last for weeks!

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Warnings

Be careful about using Sharpie. The type of chemicals in the markers are not meant to be used on skin, and they could have dangerous effects. Try to use another method if you can, and otherwise be sparing with the Sharpie.

Thanks
Helpful 274 Not Helpful 64

Things You'll Need

Eyeliner Tattoo

Eyeliner pencil
Hairspray

Stencil Tattoo

Index card
Scissors
Marker or ink pad

Paper Tattoo

Water slide paper
Printer
Scissors
Damp cloth

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

Log in

4 Quick and Easy Ways to Make Temporary Tattoos at Home

Creating a Temporary Tattoo

Steps

Creating an Eyeliner Tattoo

Creating a Stencil Tattoo

Making a Paper Tattoo

Creating a Sharpie Tattoo

Community Q&A

Video

Reader Videos

Tips

Tips from our Readers

Warnings

Things You'll Need

Eyeliner Tattoo

Stencil Tattoo

Paper Tattoo

You Might Also Like

Expert Interview

References

About This Article

Reader Success Stories

Did this article help you?

Quizzes

You Might Also Like

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Featured Articles

Featured Articles

Watch Articles

Trending Articles

Quizzes

Explore Categories