This article was originally posted on www.AncientSunrise.Blog. The technique can be adopted for filling cones. For laws and regulations on the use of henna on skin in the United States, see the About page.
A customer messaged me about a trick she learned from using piping bags and frosting, and sent me instructions on how she did it. This is really cool! It makes storing and thawing portions a breeze, and clean-up is so simple. You can even re-use the same carrot bag over and over, because the inside of the carrot bag stays clean. Thanks, Jeannine!
Here’s how.
Separating and Freezing
1. Lay a rectangular piece of plastic wrap flat on your work surface.
2. Spoon your henna directly into the center of the plastic.
3. Fold the top and bottom edges of the plastic over the paste so each edge overlaps the paste completely.
4. Pinch the open sides together and twist. You can hold the sides and twirl your paste lump until both sides are tightly twisted. Don’t worry, henna will not go flying.
5. Repeat until all your paste is wrapped, and store in the freezer. (Note: sometimes the dye from the paste can leech through thin plastic. I put a piece of wax paper down in my freezer where I stored the portions.)
Thawing and Filling
1. When you need to use your paste, pull out a portion and allow it to thaw. Cut the tip of a carrot bag.
2. Once the paste is thawed, cut the tip of a carrot bag and drop the portion in so that one twisted end can be pulled out of the tip. (I’ve learned that it might help to tape the twisted end to help it thread through more easily, like licking the end of a thread.) Pull gently until the portion forms to the bag.
3. Close the open end of the carrot bag with a rubber band or clip, and cut the plastic wrap twist where it sticks out.
4. If you do not use all of the paste, simply tape the end and store.
5. When the carrot bag is empty, simply pull out the plastic wrap, rinse the carrot bag if needed, and put it away for next time!
If you have cool tricks and tips you’d like to share and see posted in the blog, feel free to email me at r_chou@mehandi.com
