DIY Temporary Tattoos: How to Make Temporary Tattoos

Table of Contents

Temporary tattoos offer a way to experiment with body art without the commitment and permanence of real tattoos. It allows us to express ourselves through various designs. Applying a temporary tattoo is painless and generally safe, and typically more affordable than permanent ones. For many adults, temporary tattoos can also evoke nostalgic feelings from childhood, when they may have enjoyed applying and wearing them. Making DIY temporary tattoos is a simple and cool way to jazz up your style, play around with your creative side, and try out designs you might think of getting inked for real someday.

3 Ways to Make Temporary Tattoos

You can make your own temporary tattoo with just a few household supplies and items from the craft store.

DIY Temporary Tattoos: Make Eyeliner Tattoos

1) Design your tattoo on paper
Grab a regular pencil and paper to draft your desired tattoo. Keep in mind that larger designs tend to give off a hand-drawn vibe, while smaller ones usually appear more ‘authentic’. Avoid intricate patterns as they are prone to smudging and may lose their recognizability. It’s better to stick to simple, clear shapes for the best results.

2) Practice drawing your design with eyeliner pencils
Pick a simple eyeliner pencil that needs to be sharpened, not shiny or oily. Smooth and dry marks will make a longer-lasting smudge-free tattoo. You can also choose more than one color to add a small accent.
Try drawing your design on paper using the eyeliner pencils you’ve chosen. Feel out how much pressure you need to apply to get smooth lines. Get comfortable with it before you start on your skin.

3) Draw the tattoo on your skin
You can put your tattoo wherever you like on your body, but spots with less hair are usually easier to deal with. Just ensure your skin is clean and dry before you start drawing. And if you want to blend colors or add some shading, a cotton swab will do the trick! Remember that if you don’t like it, you can wash it off and start over. It washes off easily with warm, soapy water.

4) Help the tattoo last longer
Give your tattoo a quick spray with some hairspray. The stuff that keeps your hair in place also seals the tattoo, helping it last longer. No need to drench it, just a light spray will do. If you don’t have hairspray, clear nail polish works too, matte or glossy, your choice!

How Long Do Temporary Eyeliner Tattoos Last

Eyeliner tattoos can stick around for about a day before it starts to smudge.

How To Get Temporary Eyeliner Tattoos Off

It’s super easy to wash off with some warm, soapy water. You should take it off before bed to avoid getting eyeliner on your sheets. If you used nail polish instead of hairspray, some nail polish remover will do the job.

DIY Temporary Tattoos: Make Temporary Paper Tattoos

1) Design the tattoo and cut it out
Use a pencil to for design tracing on water slide paper. Switch to a gel pen to fill in the colors. Colored ink pens should also complete the task quite nicely. This part is incredibly fun.

You can also design the tattoo on your computer and print it. The sky is the limit: any shape, color or pattern will print beautifully onto the paper and show up clearly on your skin.

Remember, when you put the tattoo on, the image is gonna be flipped on your skin. So, if there’s a word in your tattoo, you need to reverse it in the design, or it’s gonna read backwards when you apply it.
Cut out the design, leave a ½ inch rim around the edges.

2) Soak the tattoo to last longer
Soak the tattoo in perfume or hairspray. Apply a generous amount to both the back and front of your design.
Then soak the tattoo in a bowl with hot water for 3 minutes.
Lastly, take the wet paper tattoo out of the bowl and spray it with perfume or hairspray again.

3) Apply the tattoo
Put the tattoo with the ink side directly on your skin. Then, cover it with a damp cloth or a wet paper towel. Press down and hold it there for about 30 seconds, or until you can see through it. Then, just remove the cloth or paper towel and peel the paper back. Getting it wet makes the adhesive shift from the paper onto your skin.

How Long Do Temporary Paper Tattoos Last

This type of tattoo may last a week or more before it starts to peel off.

How To Remove Temporary Paper Tattoos

If you want to remove the paper tattoo before it comes off on its own, scrub it off with soapy water and a scrub brush.

DIY A Temporary Tattoo That Last Longer

You will need a temporary tattoo pen, some baby powder and hairspray. We recommend use a Sharpie Permanent Marker. The process is very similar as for eyeliner tattoos. But after you finish draw the tattoo on your skin, you rub the tattoo with some baby powder. And then apply the hairspray lightly onto the tattoo.
Be careful not to overdo it, or your skin will end up feeling really dry. If you accidentally spray too much, just grab a cotton swab and dab around the tattoo with some water.
The Sharpie temporary tattoo should last around a month.

Tools To Make Temporary Tattoos

When choosing tools to make temporary tattoos, consider the following aspects.

1) Non-Toxic Materials
Choose skin-friendly, non-toxic, and preferably FDA approved materials. This is crucial to avoid skin reactions and irritations.

2) Precision Tools
Fine-tip pens or brushes are important for detailed designs. If you are not confident in your drawing skills, opt for stencils to ensure precision and symmetry.

3) Variety of Colors
Having a range of colors allows for more creative and vibrant designs. But be sure to choose long-lasting colors. Black and grey are the most enduring tattoo inks. Blue and green generally last quite well, with slower fading compared to other colors.

4) Durability
Choose materials that allow your temporary tattoo to last as long as possible, typically a few days to a week. But also consider how easily the tattoo can be removed.