Beetles Insect Temporary Tattoos

These temporary tattoos bring a whole cabinet of beetles to the skin, each one drawn in the fine, shaded style of an old natural history plate. Under a kraft-brown header reading "A Guide to Beetles", the designs run from a blue-grey longhorn with black markings and long sweeping antennae to an orange and black striped beetle, a glossy reddish stag beetle with forked jaws, a spotted ladybird, a tiny golden spider beetle and a green and cream beetle. The tattoos come in assorted sizes, so larger beetles sit alongside smaller pieces that fit neatly on a wrist or knuckle. The sheet measures 16.4cm long and 11.1cm wide and lies flat at just 0.1cm thick.

A guide sheet on squared paper names each beetle in Latin, the way a naturalist's notebook would, from Rosalia alpina and Leptinotarsa decemlineata to Metopodontus savagei and Chiasognathus granti, so there is a little learning tucked in with the fun. Wear a single stag beetle on the back of the hand, run a line of them up the forearm or set a ladybird on the wrist. They make a lively addition to a bug-hunting afternoon in the garden, a nature table or a dressing-up game, and choosing a favourite is half the pleasure.

The sheets are made of paper and PET plastic, and the plastic is recyclable, type 1. Their ingredients include tapioca and corn starch, alongside the pigments that give each beetle its rich browns, reds, golds and greens. Until you are ready to use them, keep the sheets flat and dry, away from damp and direct heat, so the designs stay crisp. Because the whole thing is so slim and light, it slips easily inside a greetings card or a letter as a small, cheerful gift, and the old-fashioned drawings are handsome enough to pin up before a single tattoo is used.

Which beetles are on these temporary tattoos?

You get a blue-grey longhorn, an orange and black striped beetle, a reddish stag beetle with forked jaws, a spotted ladybird, a tiny golden spider beetle and more. Their Latin names appear on the guide sheet.

Are all the tattoos the same size?

No, they come in assorted sizes. The larger beetles suit the forearm, and the smaller ones sit neatly on a wrist, the back of a hand or a knuckle.

How big is the tattoo sheet?

It measures 16.4cm long and 11.1cm wide and is just 0.1cm thick, so it stays flat and slips easily into a card or envelope.

What are the tattoo sheets made of?

The sheets are paper and PET plastic, and the plastic is recyclable, type 1. The tattoo ingredients include tapioca starch and corn starch among others.

How should I store the tattoos before using them?

We would keep the sheets flat and dry, away from damp and direct heat, so the printed beetles stay crisp until you are ready to wear them.

Do these beetle tattoos make a good small gift?

Yes. They are slim and light enough to tuck inside a greetings card, and the detailed, old-fashioned drawings make them a charming little present.