Longing to bring summery, breezy, boho vibes into fall? Keep the spirit of summer alive by adorning your body with beautiful pressed flower temporary tattoos. Follow the instructions from K.L Cao’s DIY Temporary Tattoo Art: Easy Step-by-Step Instructions for Watercolor, Henna, Flash Tattoos, and More! to add some floral art to yourself!
Pressed Flower Temporary Tattoo
Have you ever pressed flowers? Or maybe you forgot to add water to an arrangement? Either way, this Pressed Flowers tattoo gives these dried-out blooms a second chance and turns them into a beautiful wearable garden. If you want to enjoy that loving bouquet that was sent to you for a just a bit longer—and be a little bohemian chic at the same time—this temporary tattoo is just perfect.
What you need:
Assorted flowers (I used 1 carnation, 1 hydrangea, and 1 sweet William)
2 (4″ × 5″ × 1⁄4″) wooden blocks (Note: The size of the blocks is optional, as long as both are the same size.)
2 (12″ × 7″) paper towels
3 rubber bands
Tweezers (not pictured)
1 (0.18-ounce) tube brush-on eyelash glue
6 pressed, dried mini baby’s breath (Note: They come in different colors; and I used 2 purple, 2 white, 1 pink, and 1 blue for this look.)
1 (1⁄4″) angled brush
Silver cream eye shadow glitter
What you do:
1. Carefully remove the petals and leaves from the flowers. Select 5–10 petals from each flower that are large and can lay flat on their own. Then select 8–10 leaves from each flower that can lay flat.
2. Place a wooden block on a work surface and lay a paper towel on top of it.
3. Place the petals and leaves on the paper towel without overlapping. Then carefully cover the petals with the remaining paper towel and place the second wooden block on top.
4. Bind the blocks together tightly by placing a rubber band around each end of the short sides of the blocks and another around the long side of the blocks.
5. Place the blocks in the microwave and heat for 30 seconds. It’s best to check halfway through to make sure you are not burning the petals.
6. Let the block cool for about 10 minutes, and then carefully remove the rubber bands from the blocks. Remove the top block and paper towel to reveal the petals. Use tweezers to carefully remove the petals and leaves from the paper towels and set aside for 5–10 minutes to cool to room temperature. (You can also make extra and store them in an airtight container for other craft projects or tattoos.)
7. To apply the flowers, pick an area that is pretty flat such as the shoulder blade. Use the eyelash glue brush to add a dot of glue to the skin.
8. Place the petals and leaves on the glue, starting with the larger petals. The best way to geta dynamic look is to overlap the flowers. Try placing some hydrangeas on top of the carnation petals or leaves slightly on top of the sweet William. Add a few of the colored, pressed baby’s breath around the edges of the tattoo to make the look more dynamic. As you arrange the leaves and petals be sure to use a mix of different types of flowers and sizes to create an elaborate design. After you have arranged all the flowers and leaves, allow the glue to dry for about 10 minutes.
9. Use the angled brush to add cream glitter around the flowers. Allow the cream glitter to set about 5 minutes. Now you’re ready to show off this new tattoo!
Tattoo Tips
Feel free to use any flowers that are light and bright in color for this project. Flowers with contrasting colors such as carnations look more dynamic when dried. Also, to press a whole flower, try selecting smaller blooms of baby’s breath, dianthus, or hydrangeas. In addition, when you’re heating the flowers in the microwave, be sure to increase the heating time for petals that are thicker, such as those of roses or tulips, and lower the heating time if the petals are thin, such as hydrangea petals.
Excerpted with permission from DIY Temporary Tattoo Art: Easy Step-by-Step Instructions for Watercolor, Henna, Flash Tattoos, and More! by K.L. Cao.
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