How to Make Homemade Tattoo Ink with A Pencil

“Do It Yourself” is something that we love to do and invent things, and making tattoo ink by our hands is not of any exception. And that’s not the crazy part. You can eventually create tattoo ink at home with household items.

But I’ll thrash out on how to make homemade tattoo ink with a pencil among all items. It’s straightforward to put pieces together, such as a graphite pencil, hammer, knife, and other essentials, and invent the ink at home.

And, no worries about any health hazards. The ball will be in your court. Impressed already?

Let’s get started with the process!

Process of Making Homemade Tattoo Ink With A Pencil

So, how does the process work? I got your back, relax. But you should pack up some fundamentals and safety belongings before you begin the procedure. And they are:

• A number 2 graphite pencil
• A hammer
• A knife
• Butter paper or wax paper
• Shampoo, body wash, or soap liquid
• A pair of gloves
• Face mask

So, that’s all you need. There isn’t much fuss to brag. Let’s get into the procedure.

Things you’ll have to do: Step-by-Step Guide

1. Get your hands on a number 2 graphite pencil. Crack it in a way that you can lure the graphite out of it. A knife or saw can be your assistant.
2. When the graphite bar is in your hand, bring out the hammer to crush it. But don’t take out a big hammer; a smaller hammer will do.
3. Ensure that you are crushing the graphite on wax or butter paper, in case you won’t lose any of it.
4. Keep hammering the graphite until you know it has become fully powdered.
5. Do it for 10–15 minutes. The graphite will be ready to be used.
6. Now, lure a tiny amount of shampoo – can be a baby shampoo, or hair shampoo – and mix with the graphite powder.
7. Before you start mixing ruggedly, wear a face mask and a pair of gloves to measure total safety. You never know what happens.
8. When the mixture is ready, check if it’s not too runny or thick. If you find the mixture too runny, the ink won’t remain on the needle to enter the skin. And if the mixture becomes too thick, the ink will kick back to the needle’s top rather than going in.
9. Lastly, as soon as you know the right texture, pour the ink into a container. So that all drops stay in one place.

Note: You can use a blender to make the paste.

Well, there you go. Your homemade tattoo ink is ready. It’s time to apply.

How to Apply Homemade Ink?

We somehow get stuck to the applying method, but it’s not too scary a process to be fretful. Let’s show you an effortless and safe procedure.

• Adding Color to Your Ink (not recommended)

If you are a person of colors, you’d surely love to add some colors to your ink, wouldn’t you? You can do so by counting on fruit colors. Fruit colors come non-toxic, so your health is in your safe hands. Add a little amount of it because the colors are powerful. However, if you love black, well, you have no fuss to do for colors.

• Pack your supplies

Now, the mainstream of work begins. Before you start applying the ink at home, you have to gather some supplies, including a solid sewing needle, a pen, sewing threads, alcohol swabs, and matches. Lastly, take your ink container.

• Clean your hands

Before you start the tattoo procedure, ensure that you have thoroughly cleaned your hands. You should clean your hands for two minutes. For added safety, you can rub your hand with alcohol pads.

• Ready Your Needle

Now, you have to prepare your needle with a longer handle so that you can control it as you prefer, and do the tattoo comfortably. Plug the needle’s eye end to your pencil’s eraser (Take an extra number 2 pencil), and wrap it up with thread so that the needle lands securely. Plus, you can rely on some tape for wrapping thread.

• Heat the Needle

Once the needle is in place, you’ll have to heat the needle’s tip. Get a match, and light it up. Then hold your needle on top of the match’s light for 10 to 15 seconds. Make sure to circulate the needle’s tip so that it will get heat evenly. Plus, heating will kill any kind of bacteria or germs from the needle tip, leading to prevent further skin infection as well.

• Make Your Design

It’s time for some alcohol swab. Rub the skin with an alcohol swab where you would do the tattoo. Next, use your pen to draw the design. You can try with a regular or small design if you haven’t tried a tattoo by yourself before. Otherwise, you can practice a few times to get your design perfect.

• Dip Your Needle

Once the design is ready according to you, it’s a now or never situation. Dip the needle into the ink container, which you’ve previously made. And hold the needle to the container’s lid or jar to eliminate excessive inks. I’m sure you won’t love the dripping needle.

• Apply Ink to Your Skin

As you’ve collected ink on the needle, ping the needle on the design you’ve recently drawn. To ensure the ink perfectly attaches to the skin, you’ve to poke the needle through the skin’s first 2 layers. And keep continuing this method until you ink the whole design. Meanwhile, you’ll have to reload the needle because sometimes the ink will fade as the process continues.

Remember, in some cases, your skin might bleed because of needle pokes. If it bleeds heavily, stop right there, and take safety steps.

• Finishing Touch & Take Care

This is the last, and final step of the whole procedure. As soon as you’ve completed your tattoo, you should clean it gently with mild soap and water, and then use antibacterial ointment. If you have designed a tattoo that will face rubbing against the cloth, cover it with a crystal clear plastic wrap. Whenever you unwrap the cover, wash it with water and soap, but never wipe with a cloth.

Lastly, when your skin will dry out after a few days of your tattoo, you might get worries – but, nothing to fret about. You can use a moisturizer, and apply it gently. It’ll heal.

Additional Read:

• How to make homemade colored tattoo ink
• 6 Stick and Poke Ink Alternatives
• How to make a tattoo gun
• Different Types of Tattoo Ink

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

During the whole session, I believe some common questions were hunting your mind. Well, check them up.

Wrapping Up

As you’ve found out how to make homemade tattoo ink with a pencil, I believe you won’t have to run to the professionals anymore. You are already on the expert’s side. But some safety measures should be counted such as a face mask, and a pair of gloves. You must wear them during the whole process – never take a chance.

However, last but not least, a token of tip for you that before you start the tattoo, ensure you have crafted a nice design. The nicer, the better.

Break a leg!