Gorgeous Traditional Diamond Lattice Mehndi Design for Full Hand

An elaborate traditional mehndi design providing full hand coverage, featuring crescent motif and anklet border. Rated as Easy, this pattern is perfect for everyday.

Full-hand designs run from the fingertips to the wrist, so allow extra time for application. Work from the wrist towards the fingers, or the other way round, so you never rest on wet paste. This is a beginner-friendly pattern: practise the main shapes on paper first, then copy them onto skin with a fine-tipped cone.

The dye in henna, lawsone, binds to keratin in the skin, which is why the stain lasts until the skin sheds. Traditional South Asian motifs include the paisley (also called ambi or mango), the peacock and the lotus.

Application tips: Wash and dry the skin before application and skip lotion or oil, which block the dye. Keeping the skin warm while the paste is on helps the colour develop.