Q: I've seen henna tattoos, and it seems as though henna would be a great alternative to regular fabric dyes or for printing on fabric, such as wall hangings, curtains, quilts and things that don't get wet too often. But can henna be used to print on fabric? The answer isn't clear from anything I've been able to find online.
Sent by T
Editor: As you know, henna is a flowering plant that produces a red-orange dye molecule that has the affinity for bonding with protein (think skin, hair, leather, silk, wool).It's been used widely on leather, such as on these drums:
EcoSalon has a great article on henna motifs, and Luanne has even commissioned a henna artist to create some designs on a curtain (although it's not clear whether or not the ink used was henna or something else).
Does anyone have a personal experience using henna for anything other than body art?
Image: Bulk henna powder via My Henna Business
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Henna can most definitely be used to dye fabric but not synthetics. Like any natural dye it fades after repeated washings. It will get darker and last longer if it is heat set, preferably with an iron. You can read more about henna and ask any questions you want of other users from around the world here: http://hennatribe.com/forum.php
Also, for clarity's sake, henna on the skin is not a tattoo; tattoo implies piercing the skin where as henna doesn't pierce the skin, it is applied on the surface of the skin and dyes only the layers of dead skin cells. This is why henna stains the darkest on the palms of the hands where the skin if 50 times thicker than anywhere else on the body.
view kenzilisa's profile
Henna can be used on fabric and has been often! I don't know how well printing would work due to the thick, muddy texture of the stuff though.
Henna likes keratin, and to a lesser degree cellulose. That means animal fibers, that are made of keratin take up the color best, like silk and wool. Plant fibers come close, and synthetics wont take up the dye hardly at all.
I know that squeezing henna out of a tube or bottle (like puffy-paint... remember that stuff?) onto the fabric works great. Then after a few days, remove the henna and iron the fabric.
You also might want to try doing it like a batik. Paint on the fabric with a resist like hot wax, then spread henna over the whole piece and wash it out hot to remove the wax and the henna. I'm thinking the heat would help set the color like ironing too.
I'd love to see your results!
HennaMuse.com
view Henna Muse's profile
Thanks for exploring henna on fabric after reading my post on Ecosalon.com.
My henna designs are actually painted on fabric, using the same motifs. And we do sometimes refer to henna as a "tatoo" even though it obviously doesn't pierce the skin. It is really a temporary tatoo, so to speak, the current one on my hands lasting about two weeks or so. Henna On!!!!
view Luanne Bradley's profile
henna is a natural dye, it is used for coloring one's hair with out any health hazard. Women in the South and th middle east Asian region have used henna to condition their hair for ages now. It is mandatory for brides to put on interesting patterns on their hand with henna, more so because henna or mehendi as it is also called, is considered auspicious.
view susrith's profile