Place the tracing paper down flat in front of you, either on a table, or on a sheet of tattoo flash for tracing. Alternatively, you can place a stencil on the front of the paper.
Use a black ballpoint pen to carefully, and lightly, trace the outlines of the image, or design, you are using. Go over the outline several times to deepen the black hue.
Color in the design with an assortment of colored ballpoint pens. Depending on your style and personal taste, your design can be as bold and colorful as you want, or as dull and gray as you want.
Trace over the entire, finished, design with the colored pens two more times to further deepen the ink.
Rub a thin layer of petroleum jelly over the skin on which the tattoo is going to be applied.
Press the tracing paper, design side down, against your skin firmly. Hold it in place with one hand, and rub it gently in one direction from the bottom of the design up, with the other hand.
Remove the paper from your skin by peeling one of the top corners of the sheet away from your skin carefully. The end result is a fresh, fake tattoo.