1) Find a Tattoo Artist
Okay so this is obvious, but not easy. I realize that not everyone is lucky enough to have their favorite tattoo artist live down the road from them. But you will need to find someone who is willing to pack up their gear and set up shop in your home. The lure of a long line of paying clients may be enough, especially if they are new to the area and looking to build a client base. As always, thoroughly check out your artist. Get references and actually call them and go see the work they have had done by this artist. And if the artist doesn’t have an autoclave, don’t go near them.
2) Invitations
Okay, now start making your guest list. Invite tons of people, I posted it on Facebook, because at least half of them will back out. So many people love the idea of getting a tattoo, but when push comes to shove, unless they are already inked, on second thought the idea of paying someone to put a needle into them seems crazy.
3) Designs
Make sure people know exactly what they want before hand and encourage them to keep it small. This is not the time to finish off that back piece or get the entire cast of Star Trek tattooed on your butt, no bigger than a tennis ball works. Then if possible get the designs to the artist beforehand so he or she can stencil them up and be good to go before people arrive.
4) Deposit
Your artist may require a deposit before committing to a party. Time out of the shop means lost income, a deposit ensures them that you are serious and acts as a safety net if you have a lot of no shows. Whether you decided to gather deposits from the people coming to get tattooed or front the money yourself is up to you.
5) Schedule
I know party and schedule don’t belong in the same sentence, but they have to when you have tons of people at your house wanting to get a tattoo. Don’t have everyone arrive at once and if possible give people an idea of when they will go under the needle. But make sure you don’t guarantee an exact time. Tattooing is an art and doesn’t always follow a clock.
6) Setup Your Home Tattoo Parlor
Be sure you can dedicate an entire room with a door and lots of light and power outlets for tattooing. Some people will want privacy while others will be happy with an audience so be sure to have a few extra chairs. We had a TV and music available in our make shift tattoo parlor which seemed to be appreciated as well.
7) Be Prepared
It may be a good idea to have some pain reliever, ice and polysporin on hand. Some juice and a barf bag or two might not be a bad idea either. We had at least one person turn a bit green and threaten to pass out during the first few minutes of their tattoo. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared.
8) Breaks
The art of tattooing is very physically demanding. Be prepared to give your artist as many breaks as they need and have food and drinks on hand to keep their energy levels up. You want them doing their best work and keeping a decent pace.
9) Alcohol
It’s a party so people might imbibe; under no circumstances should someone who is drunk get a tattoo. Under no circumstances should you be tattooed by someone who has any alcohol in their system. This was not an issue for my gathering, if you feel like it might be for yours consider making it an alcohol free party.
10) Discount
Some artists are open to cutting you a deal for bringing so much work their way. Make this deal before hand and be blunt so there are no surprises.
11) Have fun
It can be a great bonding experience being with someone as they get tattooed. We had a family come in to all get the same tattoo, how's that for memorable? It can also also leave you with some very funny stories. So find a great artist, plan your party well and invite some good friends to share the inky good times with
Okay so this is obvious, but not easy. I realize that not everyone is lucky enough to have their favorite tattoo artist live down the road from them. But you will need to find someone who is willing to pack up their gear and set up shop in your home. The lure of a long line of paying clients may be enough, especially if they are new to the area and looking to build a client base. As always, thoroughly check out your artist. Get references and actually call them and go see the work they have had done by this artist. And if the artist doesn’t have an autoclave, don’t go near them.
2) Invitations
Okay, now start making your guest list. Invite tons of people, I posted it on Facebook, because at least half of them will back out. So many people love the idea of getting a tattoo, but when push comes to shove, unless they are already inked, on second thought the idea of paying someone to put a needle into them seems crazy.
3) Designs
Make sure people know exactly what they want before hand and encourage them to keep it small. This is not the time to finish off that back piece or get the entire cast of Star Trek tattooed on your butt, no bigger than a tennis ball works. Then if possible get the designs to the artist beforehand so he or she can stencil them up and be good to go before people arrive.
4) Deposit
Your artist may require a deposit before committing to a party. Time out of the shop means lost income, a deposit ensures them that you are serious and acts as a safety net if you have a lot of no shows. Whether you decided to gather deposits from the people coming to get tattooed or front the money yourself is up to you.
5) Schedule
I know party and schedule don’t belong in the same sentence, but they have to when you have tons of people at your house wanting to get a tattoo. Don’t have everyone arrive at once and if possible give people an idea of when they will go under the needle. But make sure you don’t guarantee an exact time. Tattooing is an art and doesn’t always follow a clock.
6) Setup Your Home Tattoo Parlor
Be sure you can dedicate an entire room with a door and lots of light and power outlets for tattooing. Some people will want privacy while others will be happy with an audience so be sure to have a few extra chairs. We had a TV and music available in our make shift tattoo parlor which seemed to be appreciated as well.
7) Be Prepared
It may be a good idea to have some pain reliever, ice and polysporin on hand. Some juice and a barf bag or two might not be a bad idea either. We had at least one person turn a bit green and threaten to pass out during the first few minutes of their tattoo. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared.
8) Breaks
The art of tattooing is very physically demanding. Be prepared to give your artist as many breaks as they need and have food and drinks on hand to keep their energy levels up. You want them doing their best work and keeping a decent pace.
9) Alcohol
It’s a party so people might imbibe; under no circumstances should someone who is drunk get a tattoo. Under no circumstances should you be tattooed by someone who has any alcohol in their system. This was not an issue for my gathering, if you feel like it might be for yours consider making it an alcohol free party.
10) Discount
Some artists are open to cutting you a deal for bringing so much work their way. Make this deal before hand and be blunt so there are no surprises.
11) Have fun
It can be a great bonding experience being with someone as they get tattooed. We had a family come in to all get the same tattoo, how's that for memorable? It can also also leave you with some very funny stories. So find a great artist, plan your party well and invite some good friends to share the inky good times with