Many argue that the best tattoo is the one that’s meaningful to you, but artists report that clients sometimes come in with a craving for a fresh tat but don’t have a specific design in mind. “When someone wants a small tattoo and doesn’t know what, I always suggest the Lucky Charms song,” Mariah says. (As a reminder, and with apologies for getting this cereal jingle stuck in your head, those lyrics go, “Hearts, stars, and horseshoes; clovers and blue moons; pots of gold and rainbows; and the red balloons.”) If none of those strike your fancy, here are a few more non-leprechaun-inspired small tattoo ideas.
Fruits
Courtesy of @sunliya.tattoo
Courtesy of @sunliya.tattoo
Courtesy of @nicetattooparlor
Latypova has seen a rise in fruits galore, which she says make for “simple and bright designs, often carrying a personal meaning.” As seen on one of her flash sheets, they can be shrunk down (think pomegranates and tomatoes) or are extra cute when done to scale, as with berries—sliced or whole.
Orchids
Courtesy of @sunliya.tattoo
Courtesy of @_missyworld_
“Orchids have been having a mega moment in tattooing this past year,” says Missy, an artist at Siren Tattoo in Brooklyn. Across the pond, Latypova also finds herself often inking orchids. Over the centuries, they’ve symbolized a garden’s worth of major themes, including love, beauty, resilience, luxury, and fertility. They’re also incredibly hard to take care of IRL, so a tattoo version will, frankly, save you some trouble.
Stemmed florals
Courtesy of @nicetattooparlor
Courtesy of @nicetattooparlor
Courtesy of @nicetattooparlor
While a tiny orchid tattoo tends to encompass the flower alone, stemmed florals—take Latypova’s striking tulip—are having a moment and are a perennial favorite: small, delicate florals and plants are her most commonly requested designs. “Flowers never go out of style and are generally timeless subject matter,” Missy says. She’s tattooed hibiscus, roses, daisies, lilies, and more, with the inclusion of the stem providing a bit more realism to the image.
Martinis
Courtesy of @girlknewyork
Courtesy of @girlknewyork
Courtesy of aurainkby_maddie
Open any magazine with a food section and you’re likely to find an ode to the martini, a drink whose deliciousness is surpassed only by its alcohol content. The Prohibition-era beverage has become even more of a juggernaut in recent years, and the IRL trend has led to a one-dimensional version. For your tiny tattoo, you can get classic olives or more customized designs, and don’t be afraid to skip the booze entirely: Latypova’s flash sheet includes a martini glass topped off with two hearts.
Oysters
Courtesy of @girlknewyork
Courtesy of @girlknewyork
Nothing goes with a martini better than an oyster. There’s symbolism there—all that tough, hard-to-crack shell hiding a shining pearl—that lends itself well to a tattoo. Mariah has concocted versions that lean more funky and cartoonish, and we also love this iteration that mixes a photorealistic pearl with a minimalist, linework shell.
Things that glitter
Courtesy of @sunliya.tattoo
Courtesy of @sunliya.tattoo
Courtesy of @nicetattooparlor
Latypova describes this trend as “bright elements, like disco balls and diamonds; tattoos that have a shiny, glitter vibe and become real accents.” Confetti, crowns, and stars all fall into this category. While the ink itself can’t be made glittery, she reminds me that a smartly placed starburst or inked fine lines indicating rays of light can make it seem that way.
Constellations
Courtesy of @_missyworld_
Courtesy of @_missyworld_
One star definitely makes for a tiny tattoo, but for something more noticeable yet still diminutive, Missy suggests an entire constellation. These can correspond to a real constellation (see an Aries tattoo above) or be an entirely fictional cluster of stars. “[These are] so cute for something dainty, pretty, decorative, and somewhat abstract,” Missy says, adding that she likes how they “create flow and draw the eye.” Add stars one at a time, over a few different appointments, until you’ve formed your own personal Orion’s Belt or Little Dipper.
Vines
Courtesy of @girlknewyork