How to Make Homemade Tattoo Ink From Household Items

Making your own tattoo ink is sometimes risky, but it can save you and your clients from dangerous toxins and heavy metals that are often found in commercial tattoo inks.

Making homemade tattoo ink can be safe if you know how to follow the right protocols and use the right kind of ingredients. However, since tattoo ink is often inserted under the skin, your best bet is to find a professional that has experience in order to reduce the risk of infection. Sterile supplies and procedures are key to preventing infections, which sometimes can be deadly. Many tattoo artists now make their own homemade tattoo inks because commercial tattoo inks can contain heavy metals and because manufacturers are reluctant to release the ingredients. This homemade tattoo ink recipe focuses on items that you have readily available at home. However, there are some inexpensive alternatives that can be obtained at your local art supply store that will go a long way and save you some of the effort.

Things You'll Need

• Carbon pencil
• Razor blade
• Lighter
• Shampoo
• Stir stick
• 2 oz. plastic bottle with lid
• Latex gloves
• Rubbing alcohol
• Piece of paper
• Water

Instructions

1. Sanitize your work area and all supplies thoroughly. Soak the plastic bottle and lid in boiling water. Wipe down the stir stick and your work counter with a small amount of rubbing alcohol. Run the flame of the lighter over the razor blade several times, and wear latex gloves when performing all of these procedures.

2. Remove the carbon stick from the pencil by scraping away the wood part of the pencil with the razor blade. Start at the tip of the pencil and work your way down. You do not need a very large piece of carbon, so it is not necessary to strip all of the pencil. Move the blade at an angle, always working away from you so that you do not cut yourself.

3. Use the razor blade to process the carbon stick into a fine powder. Scrape at the carbon stick with the blade while holding the stick over a piece of paper. Again, always be sure to use movements going away from your body so you do not cut yourself.

4. Combine the carbon particles, a drop of water and two drops of the shampoo in the plastic bottle. Use the stir stick to mix, and then put the lid on the bottle and shake well. The shampoo contains alcohol and propylene glycol, which not only adds texture to the ink but also helps to sanitize the mixture.

5. Check the consistency of your homemade tattoo ink. The mixture should not be so think that you cannot easily pour it from the bottle, but it should not appear to be too watered down either. To thicken the mixture, add more carbon particles from the carbon stick. If your mixture appears too thick, add another drop of water.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase India ink from an art supply store instead of making homemade tattoo ink whenever possible.

• Wear a surgical mask or cover your mouth and nose when gathering the carbon particles to prevent them from blowing away.

• Fold the piece of paper in half before scraping the carbon particles onto the paper. This makes it much easier to pour the carbon into the plastic bottle.

• Colored homemade tattoo ink can be made by using dry pigments purchased from an art supply store instead of the carbon from the pencil.

• Be sure that you are using a carbon pencil and not a lead or graphite pencil, which can contain dangerous amounts of heavy metals. These materials are not safe for inserting under the skin.

• Never use pen ink for a homemade tattoo. This ink is too thick and can cause deadly infections.

References

• All About Carbon in Art
• Homemade Henna Tattoos
• More Homemade Tattoo Ink Recipes

Resources

• Tattoo Regulations by State