04.03.11
In-depth #5 – The Delicate Art of Cone Making
I had a pretty successful in-depth week. As I explained in my previous posts, I was having trouble meeting with my mentor because we couldn’t find a date to meet that worked for both of us. Therefore, I decided to try to find a new mentor – and I was successful. When I explained the project and asked her to be my mentor she was thrilled, and wanted to start teaching right away.
A few days ago I met with her for the first time, and I learned so much! She said she wanted to start off by teaching me the basics – how to make mehndi. The first thing she taught me was how to make a mehndi cone. What made it really difficult was that the hole at the tip of the cone needs to be the perfect size (about the size of a pin) for proper mehndi application.
First she showed me the material they use to make these cones, and also what size a good cone should be. She then made a few cones herself, while I carefully watched. After she made about 3 cones I gave it a try. Trust me; it is a lot harder than it looks! It’s so hard to get the tip the right size, and after 3 attempts of my own I finally got a cone that somewhat resembled one of her cones! My mentor also gave me a few sheets of material so that I could practice the “art” of cone making when I got home.
After that, she taught me a few basic mehndi designs. She showed me how to make basic flowers, and connect them through various designs. She told me the best way to learn mehndi is to practice, practice, practice. She said that when you’ve practiced enough, designs will start coming to you naturally when you are applying mehndi. She also told me to look for new or interesting designs wherever I go – in shawls, book covers, paper, and clothing – and try to replicate them on paper. I thought this was really interesting, because it’s not something you hear every day, but something my mentor had learned over years and years of practice. For now she said to start with a pen and paper to practice creating different designs.
Next week, she is going to teach me how to make the actual mehndi paste, and insert it into the cones we just learned to make. Then she will teach me how to use the cones to create simple mehndi patterns and designs. I can’t wait!
