I've just learned to do glitter tattoos and I want to do them at a street fair that I'm going to be at at the end of the month. The only problem is that I have no idea how to display the design choices. Does anyone else do glitter tattoos? If you do I would love to see pics of your displays, or just get any advice that you can give me about them. thanks so much!

i own 2 hanging jewelery organizers...they are great if the pockets will hold the 2x2 tatts! look them up they are cheap!

Don't know if you have time, but Glimmer Body Art sells all sorts of great tats and glitters. ANNNND You can order signs with the tat pictures on them. If you don't have one of the tats the sign displays simply place a "sold out" strip or postit slip over that picture.

Here's the site: Glimmer Body Art (http://www.glimmerbodyart.us/index.html)

Here's the posters: Results for Display Posters (http://www.glittertattoostore.com/servlet/the-Display-Posters/Categories)

Hope that helps!

Cinn~

I have seen people use the jewelery organizers and I have seen people cover a dark piece of thick poster board with the glitter tattoos.

One of the artists said not to let kids dig through your collection of tattoo stencils because they are too valuable if they play with them or take an extra one.

i hang the organizers where they can see them in line but I get them out of the pockets for them!! My friend uses a photo album but I think in a mean persons hands that can cost you alot of $$$$$ if they steal it!

I've just learned to do glitter tattoos and I want to do them at a street fair that I'm going to be at at the end of the month. The only problem is that I have no idea how to display the design choices. Does anyone else do glitter tattoos? If you do I would love to see pics of your displays, or just get any advice that you can give me about them. thanks so much!

No problem. I will try to remember to take a pic of our glitter tat display tomorrow for you (it's at an event right now).

Until then a description will have to do.

We use a tan sheet of foam core poster board and apply each tattoo to it, then top the thing with plexiglass or lexan to protect it. This is then suspended from a PVC framework stand (allowing us to disassemble the frame between events.

We have found that:

A. Unless you display the tattoos as finished colored pieces many MANY of your customers simply will not "get it" -- including when you explain it to them. You can run through your whole speech detailing exactly what these things are, and when you're done you will get a blank look and a, "So...ah... What?"

B. You MUST approach anyone who even glances your way and SELL! Seriously, do not be shy. Attack those customers. We tell them some variation of the following facts: Lasts a few days, even if they shower; available in any colors they like; easy to remove if you want to; these are great anywhere you might get a real tattoo -- arms, ankles, back, stomach etc; They won't sweat them off!

C. Always, ALWAYS, finish any sales efforts by asking the kid which one they want today, which is there favorite. Always. Do the same when selling makeup. This accomplishes a lot of things, but the key here is to ensure that the kid really understands that this is not a theoretical discussion, but that they could have one of these awesome things, and second, it gets the kid on your team. Make mom and dad be the big meanie. ALways try to ask the kid BEFORE mom chimes in with her no, so make it part of your original pitch.

D. Baby powder is your best friend. In the heat always powder around the area before you get nutty with the glitter (to avoid excess glitter clinging to their skin). And if any does miss your pre-powder you can usually "erase" the excess with more powder and a soft brush.

E. Faces, necks, breasts all suck, and in the heat they can become a nightmare. Vertical surfaces are always a pain, and with those in particular there is no good way to avoid launching glitter down their shirt. If you use a stylists apron (and we do sometimes) you can do it, but it sucks. Try to talk them out of it or at least let them know what they are in for, and that there is nothing really your can do about it.

We price glitter tats from five to ten bucks depending on the stencil cost. ALmost all are five. We stock somewhere around sixty or so (Not exactly sure). You do not need sixty to start, but the more the better. I think we started with fifteen or twenty. These are a fairly regular seller for us.

Bigbest sellers off the top of my head (if you are just starting out these are good choices):

Round Peace Sign
Superman
Shark
Scorpion
S-Shaped Dragon
Rose with swirls
Heart with swirls
Hibiscus
Single winged butterflies
Double winged butterfly
Flaming Skull
Unicorn (whole body)
Unicorn (head) (Note these can also be a horse)
Hello Kitty
Star

OTHER: Glitter goes further than you think. Don't bother getting multiples of any one color. Reorder at a third.

EDIT: I don't care what other face painters do, DON'T LET ANYONE NEAR YOUR STENCILS. Or anything actually.

In any case, we have tested this. Unless you have the actual tat glittering or at least colored on that sign, you can kiss off at least half your sales. Seriously, this "experiement" cost us a lot of money to do (both in wasted stencils and in lost sales). NOrmally I might say that your results might vary, but they wont. Not in this case.

Good luck!

Thanks, so much Smacky! Great advice! I was really worried about no one know what a glitter tattoo is when all they see is the stencil. Where I live there is practically no one who does face painting and body art professionally. only those novices hoping to make a quick buck with a bit of talent and a bunch of craft paint.
Also, I've heard a lot of people say that they re-use stencils two or three times before throwing them away to save money... what do you think about this?

Thanks, so much Smacky! Great advice! I was really worried about no one know what a glitter tattoo is when all they see is the stencil. Where I live there is practically no one who does face painting and body art professionally. only those novices hoping to make a quick buck with a bit of talent and a bunch of craft paint.
Also, I've heard a lot of people say that they re-use stencils two or three times before throwing them away to save money... what do you think about this?

We don't even try to re-use them. Adhesion is enough of a pain without adding to it. The stencils, glitter, and glue are maybe .55 or less, and we sell the finished product for $5. That works for us.

EDIT: Correction to the above. Sometimes we are asked to do a whole line of kids with the same pattern in makeup. When this comes up we will, when possible, use and reuse a stencil and pounce it with a dry sponge. For example, a dance team might all want a hot pink star on their cheek -- we will just reuse one stencil for this.

As promised, here is our glitter tat sign.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a41/Chris_texas/Face%20Paint%20new/DSCN0007.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a41/Chris_texas/Face%20Paint%20new/DSCN0006.jpg

The overall sign tower is about 5 feet tall. I will eventually drill holes in the base to nail it to the ground, but here it is simply held in place with a couple half cinder blocks. If I need to I can make it taller by changing out the side poles for longer ones. If I do that I will probably add couplings in the middle to make it smaller when it is disassembled.

I don't have any good pictures of our main sign, but you can see it in the background in this image. It is a similar design, except using metal conduit instead of PVC. It is obviously taller (by about a foot I guess). The main sign tower displays our logo sign and 24 - 8x10's, each with a different design, 12 per side.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a41/Chris_texas/Face%20Paint%20new/DSCN0022.jpg

wow, thanks so much that really helps a lot!

Another option, if you did not want to go with a wooden base, would be to make the entire sign stand, including the base, from PVC pipe. You will not deen to glue very likely. Simple really:

At the base of the uprights use a "T" with PVC legs extending out at perhaps a foot to the front and back, then cross brace the ends of those with an elbow and another piece of PvC.

All of my glitter tatts are in a big recipe file and numbered. That way, they can look at the poster, pick out the number they want, and I can find it easily. No one goes through the tatts.......like Smacky said......they are WAAAYYY too expensive for that.

I also use the Post It note idea for when I'm out of a tatt. I just write "Sold Out" on the note and attach to the picture.

Punkin

Great ideas Punkin and Smacky! People do love them once they see them and thanks for the info about the powder Smacky cuz I have had trouble with the glitter sticking all over around it then it dont look purty at all...never thought of that. I have actually had a couple of party bookings after people seeing those. Any one know of a place that offers cheaper tattoos then glimmer body arts? And also I got some glitter that isnt in poof bottles but little round containers..what is the best way to apply that to keep it from sticking to the glue when you go to put it on? Any ideas? Thanks and have a great weekend.
Squiggles

faketoos.com has less expensive tatts they are great designs but beware of little floating pieces!!! I had some of the little pots of glitter and i used a paintbrush and picked up the glitter and then tapped it on the tatt.. but i bought poof bottles and poured it in them!!!!

Great ideas Punkin and Smacky! People do love them once they see them and thanks for the info about the powder Smacky cuz I have had trouble with the glitter sticking all over around it then it dont look purty at all...never thought of that. I have actually had a couple of party bookings after people seeing those. Any one know of a place that offers cheaper tattoos then glimmer body arts? And also I got some glitter that isnt in poof bottles but little round containers..what is the best way to apply that to keep it from sticking to the glue when you go to put it on? Any ideas? Thanks and have a great weekend.
Squiggles

Confused here...

You do NOT want the glitter to stick to the glue?

Perhaps you should describe the situation in more detail. :)

Any one know of a place that offers cheaper tattoos then glimmer body arts? And also I got some glitter that isnt in poof bottles but little round containers..

I haven't gotten into this yet but I know www.sillyfarm.com (http://www.sillyfarm.com) sells them and the glitter, they sell glitter is several different sizes and containers.

Smacky...
Yes I want it to stick but it doesnt seem to fill the brush enough to eep it from getting glue on it when you put the glitter on. and thanks for the info mr kellygnc!

My husband got me a beautiful set of glitter tattoos from ebay for Mothers day last yr. It has 26 bottles of glitter and 50 different tattoos came with it and 2 bottles of glue and an extra tube of glue to refill the bottles and a set of brushes, a little pallet thingy and 3 vials of things I dont think I will use they are foil looking stars and shapes. It is in a litle silver train case, but I am not gonna use it on a train. Of course it came from china but a nice set!

I just ordered the business set from silly farms- I think the site Glimmer body arts had teh same set listed for $10.00 less. This set came with a poster of all the tatoos and I just taped in on a foam board that tri folds- I do wish I had ordered the tray that all the containers of glitter fits in. I am excited to learn more- so far i have just practiced on friends ane family. Hey Mr. Kelly where did you order your puff bottles?

Cosmetic Brushes and Applicators (http://www.amerikanbodyart.com/Cosmetic-Brushes-Applicators.html) they have a small one and a large one they come by 6 i think!!!

Smacky...
Yes I want it to stick but it doesnt seem to fill the brush enough to eep it from getting glue on it when you put the glitter on. and thanks for the info mr kellygnc!

Gotcha.

We apply our adhesive using disposable swabs. We prefer the cheap foam eye shadow applicators from wal mart. We keep a small portion of glue in the little screw top containers wal mart also sells (in their cosmetic area -- usually near the travel toiletry accessories).

You can buy empty poof bottles from Silly Farm or Hobby Lobby. They're cheap. And actually Walmart might even sell those too, check in their craft section. If you did not know, NEVER use craft glitter on skin -- it's very dangerous, particularly around the eyes.

Generally we open the end of the poofer bottles slightly -- just enough so that the glitter will pour out when tipped.

I just ordered the business set from silly farms- I think the site Glimmer body arts had teh same set listed for $10.00 less. This set came with a poster of all the tatoos and I just taped in on a foam board that tri folds- I do wish I had ordered the tray that all the containers of glitter fits in. I am excited to learn more- so far i have just practiced on friends ane family. Hey Mr. Kelly where did you order your puff bottles?

Be careful with some of those kits. They do not necessarily come with stencils that you can easily replace (as we discovered the hard way a couple years ago).

I have also made my own tats by buying the extra large scrapbook die cutters and using clear contact paper..... they work great and I always look for when the cutters are on sale....... You don't get a huge selection, but they are nice fillers for your reg. collection of tats.

I also had a request for Mickey and Minnie mouse tats and was able to find the cutters to make my own and they were a real big hit!!!!!! Something that you don't see too often!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had just been wondering about cutting my own tats on my machine, but wasn't sure what to use for the tats.
Thanks for the sugguestion.

I have another question...alot of the tattoos like a monkey and hello kitty have parts to them that arent attached and therefore stay on the tattoo and I had to hand place them which was not an easy thing to do...and then they stuck to the clear plastic on top...any ideas on how to get these off without having to hand place them? Thanks!

I have another question...alot of the tattoos like a monkey and hello kitty have parts to them that arent attached and therefore stay on the tattoo and I had to hand place them which was not an easy thing to do...and then they stuck to the clear plastic on top...any ideas on how to get these off without having to hand place them? Thanks!

Practice :)

And yes, they can suck.

Chit chat the clown also has some designs that other places dont carry. Wish faketoos had a bigger variety. HIs shipping is only a buck...I have another question tho. Some tutorials show doing the glitter with the stencil left on and some of them paint the glue on then remove the stencil before glittering...which method do you find works best???

faketoos inventory is ever expanding and the owner mark is always adding new! I prefer to glittter with the stencil on but to each their own!

faketoos inventory is ever expanding and the owner mark is always adding new! I prefer to glittter with the stencil on but to each their own!

Does anyone remove the stencil before glittering? That sounds like a mess.

I've been doing some hand painted glitter tattoos, and putting the glitter on them isnt much different than when you glitter on top of a stencil.

A little trick I learned from Jodie Carr when I first started doing glitter tatts......if SEEING the adhesive is a problem and that's why you leave the stencil on, put a little food coloring into the glue.......that way you'll be able to see where you're glittering and you won't need to leave the stencil on.

Punkin

A little trick I learned from Jodie Carr when I first started doing glitter tatts......if SEEING the adhesive is a problem and that's why you leave the stencil on, put a little food coloring into the glue.......that way you'll be able to see where you're glittering and you won't need to leave the stencil on.

Punkin
I got a little carreid away- just use a drop of food coloring

I take the stencil off, then glitter. The problem was that I was taking too long to apply the glitter, so by the time I was ready to peel the stencil off, the glue had dried onto the stencil and was peeling up the tattoo as well.

I tried removing the stencil before glittering the other day. My daughter tried it as well.

In both cases it was an unholy mess (for us).

I am curious, WHY would you want to do it that way? Are you doing this so that you can try and reuse the stencil or am I missing something?

I do it that way because as I said earlier, I have issues with the glue sticking to the stencil and peeling up. So parts of the design are lost when the some of the glue is pulled up with the stencil. I think I just need to be faster.

You get much clearer images when you take the stencil off first. It makes the points and edges sharper. I find it alot harder to do that way, but I also must be too slow at it because I was having the same problem as Daisy Ray. I find it easier to leave it on tho...will maybe have to experiment more. Doin' a relay for life this next weekend so will have lots of practice at it, if I can find my book that has all my stencils in it. Put it somewhere easy to find cuz I knew I would be needing it soon and who knows where it is. Faketoos.com has 1 dollar shipping on any order but he doesnt have a very big selection as the other places do.

I do it that way because as I said earlier, I have issues with the glue sticking to the stencil and peeling up. So parts of the design are lost when the some of the glue is pulled up with the stencil. I think I just need to be faster.

What kind of glue are you using?

It's the brush-on type that came with my Glimmer Body Art tattoo kit.

It's the brush-on type that came with my Glimmer Body Art tattoo kit.

I am baffled then... Then I would assume that it is prosaide (or medical adhesive), but if it is lifting with the stencil then it is essentially acting like a latex based adhesive. However, Glimmer states that it is non-latex. Perhaps it is silicone based?

In any case, if you are using prosaide -- and you SHOULD be for a number of reasons -- there is almost no way that the adhesive will lift unless you really allow it to set up to invisibility (and even then it certainly wouldn't be something you would notice.

Silly Farm - Graffiti Glitter (http://www.sillyfarm.com/glitter_adhesive.html)

Makeup pros use Prosaide for damn near everything and have for years. There are some new silicone based adhesives that are better (read: stronger) but they are very expensive and totally unnecessary for an application like this -- they also require special removers.

Get some Prosaide and some disposable travel jars from walmart (you can get a three pack for a buck). Then use disposable foam eyeshadow applicators (Walmart as well). Dab or brush on a thin layer of prosaide and hit it with your glitter. There is no need to wait for it to dry. It will not lift with the stencil. We do a hundred of these things a day sometimes and I have never once seen this lifting happen.

And hopefully this helps.

Wow thanks Smacky! What dept do you find those things in at Walmart? And my glue isnt prosaide..is that what silly farm sells?

Hey Smacky.......how hard is it to remove the tattoo when using Prosaide? Do you need a special remover or some such thing?

Thanks,

Punkin

I believe you can find the disposable travel jars in with the hygiene products. They usually have a little section for travel shampoos, bottles, deodorant, etc.

Wow thanks Smacky! What dept do you find those things in at Walmart? And my glue isnt prosaide..is that what silly farm sells?

At my Walmart they are in the cosmetics section, in the back, by the various travel accessories.

Silly Farm sells Prosaide as well as the glimmer glue. Use the Prosaide if you are having issues with the other. We use only two kinds of adhesive on people (ever, regardless of the application) prosaide and telesis silicone adhesive.

Hey Smacky.......how hard is it to remove the tattoo when using Prosaide? Do you need a special remover or some such thing?

Thanks,

Punkin

It will remove with:

* Prosaide remover (Pro Adhesive Remover)
* Alcohol
* Baby Oil

For most customers I recommend Baby Oil

Thanks Smacky! I appreciate your help!
Punkin

No problem.

Remember, your mileage may vary! :)

Smacky,
I have a few questions...what kind of insurance do you have and does it cover glitter tattoos? I didnt see any of them mention that. Have you ever had a complaint about someone having a reaction to the tats? Do you have a favorite place to purchase your tattoos from? Do you prefer the poofer bottles to a brush and the pots? I seem to like the pots and brush better due to being able to have better control of the glitter. I did these at a relay for life this past weekend and they were sure a hit. I have ben trying and trying to facepaint and I cannot seem to do it but people loved these as an alternative to face painting...many had that done then saw these and had to have them. After people saw what they actually were, they were excited and they go fast. I charged 3 and 5 and made 80 dollars in 1 hour and had to cut my line off. So I am now looking for a few small festivals that dont charge an arm and a leg to get into and try my luck at them where I can keep the money instead of donating it! Even older ladies had it done and the pink ribbon went over well even with the younger people.Seems like the butter fly was popular and it is hard to find nice tatts of them. Thanks I heeded alot of your advice!

Smacky,
I have a few questions...what kind of insurance do you have and does it cover glitter tattoos? I didnt see any of them mention that. Have you ever had a complaint about someone having a reaction to the tats? Do you have a favorite place to purchase your tattoos from? Do you prefer the poofer bottles to a brush and the pots? I seem to like the pots and brush better due to being able to have better control of the glitter. I did these at a relay for life this past weekend and they were sure a hit. I have ben trying and trying to facepaint and I cannot seem to do it but people loved these as an alternative to face painting...many had that done then saw these and had to have them. After people saw what they actually were, they were excited and they go fast. I charged 3 and 5 and made 80 dollars in 1 hour and had to cut my line off. So I am now looking for a few small festivals that dont charge an arm and a leg to get into and try my luck at them where I can keep the money instead of donating it! Even older ladies had it done and the pink ribbon went over well even with the younger people.Seems like the butter fly was popular and it is hard to find nice tatts of them. Thanks I heeded alot of your advice!

I am actually currently uninsured (need to renew in the next few weeks for an upcoming event). Our policy covers everything we do, including airbrush and glitter tattoos, and up to ten employees.

Reactions to the adhesive are definately possible, but very rare. You will see them sometimes with actors when you are doing prosthetic work over multiple days. Generally it is nothing more than redness and irritation. The worst we have encountered was on a multi-day upper torso prosthetic application. The girl did not tell us that she was allergic to medical / surgical adhesive (which is really all Prosaide is, as I understand it) and suffered as described above. According to her, her dermatologist directed that she avoid all contact with the stuff in the future. No harm done beyond recasting the part. We have never had a reaction on a kid that was reported back to us. If they don't have a reaction to the adhesive on a band-aide they probably won't have a reaction to your glue -- but if a doubt exists do a skin test.

I try to purchase as much as possible from Silly Farm.

We use poofer bottles for glitter. It's much faster, and with practice you will get very good control. On most colors we open out the tip enough to where the glitter simply pours out. Note that we also often drag the tip right through the glue, using the tip like a pen. When it gets too clogged just ream it back out.

So you know, we basically charge 10 times the cost of the stencil. Most stencils are about fifty cents, so most of our tats are $5 (any and as many colors as they like). Some few stencils run all the way up to seven and even higher. No one has balked at the prices. We offer NO glitter tats below $5.

I saw another lady charging, it I recall, six bucks plus an extra dollar per color (or something like that). That would work, but I like letting them have whatever colors they like.

Don't underprice yourself. You are offering a product that's beautiful and will last a few days, and at five bucks, one that costs about as much as a festival corn dog. And, as I tell my customers, a corn dog won't make you pretty, this will.

Pro Tips:

Get BOTH peace tats. Some towns love the peace heart, others the round peace. On your sign make one of them "zebra" striped. Other great sellers for us (off the top of my heart) are the batman stencils, the heart with the crown, Dragons (particularly the S shaped dragon), both unicorns, dolphins... and others, but I am drawing a blank right now. Make a point of telling people that they last two to five days, and they can get them in any colors that they want, then follow up by explaining what that means ("You could get this rose in pink and black zebra stripe if you like, or even rainbow!"). Seems silly, but they often don't get it.

Finally, if you want to double your sales, literally, get in the habit of asking for the sale. Ask the kid, "Which one do you want today?" Believe it or not, it matters a lot. Say those words or some variation that assumes the sale will happen. It is also a great idea to begin memorizing objections so you can have your rebutals worked out ahead of time (Parent: "You're going swimming later" you: "Then this is definately a good choice! It's waterproof! Lasts two to five days!" Parent: "You have a birthday party /church/funeral later!" You: "And won't you be the prettiest girl there... which one's your favorite?!"). Whatever you might think, they WANT you to sell them on it. Worst case they give you a definative NO, and that's okay too.

I did not find those foam applicator swabs for eye makeup that Smacky talked about at Walmart. I also looked at a few other stores and couldnt find them. I did find 3 packs at Dollar General but for 12 for a buck but they are double sided and the handle isnt long enough to break them in half to use both sides. Seems Walmart quit carryig alot of things. Buying those and having to pay more then a few cents each really will start to cut into profits. Really expensive on ebay and then have to pay shipping on top of price. How many tatts do you think is an ample amount to have on hand for a 3 day festival? 200..300? I dont think it used to do near the business it used to but still dont wanna run out. Any clue? Thanks!

Smacky..........I just want to give you a big thank you for all your help. It's not often you find someone who is willing to answer questions and give suggestions without being judgmental.....You, my friend, should be commended for helping those who are in need of a little advice and encouragement. My appreciation and thanks go out to you!

Punkin

I totally agree with you Punkin..he has been a great help! Three cheers to Smacky! No make that a 100 cheers! Altho still waiting on the name of his insurance company...dont no if other clown insurance covers glit tats...anyone know? I no hes sooooo busy he dont have time to answer Im sure or he would be willing! Hes awesome!

I have Specialty Insurance, and they cover glitter tattoos and face painting.

Daisy Ray,,,
Thanks can you give me a web address for that site cuz it is coming up with weird stuff when I type specialty insurance in..thanks!

Here's the website.

Specialty Insurance Agency - Entertainer Insurance (http://www.specialtyinsuranceagency.com/index.html)