500 Cute Small Tattoos Design Ideas For Men, Women, Girls
Tattoos are originally meant to catch the attention of others, which is the reason why people want prominent designs. But as in so many other aspects of life, size hardly matters in tattoo art too. For this reason, small tattoos are as popular as large ones, as they too, have the ability to attract attention, on the condition they have aesthetic value as well as symbolic value. There is an additional benefit of choosing small design, which is that they can be concealed easily when a need arises for the same. They are particularly preferred by girls and women as they are more delicate and feminine in nature, as compared to large and bold patterns. There are some other benefits associated with such smaller designs, such as they account low on time and money factor. Also, the pain involved in getting a smaller tattoo inked is less as compared to that in case of a larger and more intricate design. This, in no way, means that they are less popular among men as they too can go for small designs depending upon their taste and preference.
Small Tattoos With Meaning
.
Star
One of the most meaningful symbols in the world, a star tattoo can represent everything from your own personal ambitions to a connection with astrology and the constellations. They have a long history as a tattoo design; sailors often placed maritime stars on their bodies as a way to remind them to find their way home. Stars are perfect for a small arm tattoo, particularly on the forearm or wrist.
Heart
Hearts are popular little tattoos because they are symbolic of love in a way that is universal. Whether decorated with color, a loved one’s name, or just worn as a simple black outline in a hidden spot, hearts are one of the most popular and adaptable tattoo designs. Reminding yourself of love lost? A broken heart will stay with you, forever.
Flower
Flowers are also easily customizable and attractive designs for little tattoos. When colored and vibrant-looking, flowers can represent growth and life, but when designed to look dead or menacing, they can be a form of remembrance for someone in your life who has died. Flower tattoos can be tribal in nature, abstract, or even just a simple outline. Depending on the meaning you are looking for, you may want to check out particular types of flowers that are often associated with different meanings.
Angel
You don’t need to be religious to appreciate angels; they represent everything from purity and innocence to protection and strength. Angels are popular tattoos for placement on the shoulder, as a way to remind yourself that there is always someone watching over you and by your side.
Sun
The sun doesn’t need to be designed as a large and colorful image to get across its message of growth, power, and life. A small outline on the wrist or ankle can carry as much symbolism as a sun tattoo that spans your entire back.
Skull
Skulls are excellent for meaningful small tattoos because you truly can attribute whatever meaning you want to them. Some people like fearsome skulls, evocative of horror movies or Halloween, while others may prefer Mexican sugar skulls, symbols of the Day of the Dead. In both cases, the skulls are related to death, but in the first variety they are scary and menacing, while in the latter they are meant as a celebratory symbol.
Fish & Sea Creatures
The fish is another image that can symbolize a number of different things. First of all, for those who are Christian, the simple outline of a fish is a symbol for Jesus Christ. However, there are also variations such as the koi fish, hailing from Asia, which can be a sign of good luck and prosperity. While not technically fish, other sea creatures like dolphins or even breaching whales can symbolize freedom, expression, and a sense of adventure.
Birds
Birds soar through the air, and have therefore long symbolized freedom and flight for humans. Birds are great small tattoos as they can be placed everywhere from under the ear to on the foot, making for a unique meaning while still being a universally recognizable symbol. Again, the type of bird you choose will even further customize the meaning of the tattoo; an owl may be a good choice for someone who is a life-long learner, while a creative person may want to channel the peacock’s beauty.
Popular Pictures Of Cute Small Tattoos
Placement Guide
The most important aspect of tattoo art, in addition to choosing the right design, is its right placement. Basically, the place for having a tattoo inked is determines by the size of the tattoo. A larger tattoo looks good at large surface areas such as back, stomach, side, chest, thighs and shoulder, while smaller and more delicate designs are featured on small areas such as ankles, legs, wrists, neck, spine, back of the ear and even, fingers. The idea is to grab attention, whether the size of the tattoo is big or small. It should just be eye catching enough to convey the true attitude and feelings of the bearer.
Popular Small Tattoo Designs
The smaller the design, the more elegant it needs to be so that it can capture the attention of the onlookers. Therefore, creative tattoo artists around the world have devised some amazing designs to meet the criteria. Here are some of the most popular designs:
- Flower Tattoos – Floral designs make a wonderful choice, as they furnish a great variety in artwork. These tattoos may feature flowers such as rose which stands for love and beauty, lotus which is the symbol of chastity and purity and daisy which represents elegance and simplicity, sunflower, lily and others. One can choose a flower which suits one’s personality and attitude.
- Heart Tattoos – The heart has been the eternal symbol of love and it makes an important part of tattoo art since times immemorial. Such a design looks perfect at the wrist, ankle and sensuous areas such as back of the ear and neck. It can be inked as a couple tattoo by both the man and the woman. It can also be the symbol of close friendship.
- Bow Tattoos – Another popular small design element is the bow, which is used as an epitome of femininity and is a hot favorite design among girls and young women. The color of the bow makes a significant difference in the meaning of the tattoo.
- Anchor Tattoos – Anchors look amazingly cool when used in small tattoos, which is the reason of the ever increasing popularity of this design element. Originally, anchor tattoos were associated with sailors and travelers, but in contemporary times, they have become the symbols of stability.
- Cat Tattoos – Girls choose cute and catty designs for having a tattoo inked on them. These can feature silhouettes of these innocent looking creatures, which profess the cat love of the bearer. Cat paws are also used as a design option. Other variants among cat tattoos are cat faces and cat whiskers.
- Celestial Bodies – Celestial bodies such as the sun, the moon and the stars, make a feasible choice as they not only look attractive as a part of the design, but also have a meaning attached to them. Some people can get a design inked according to their zodiac sign.
- Jewelry Tattoos – It is commonly seen that instead of wearing real jewelry, quite a great number of people choose to wear small jewelry tattoos such as ring tattoo, anklet tattoos, bracelet tattoos and necklace tattoos. Such tattoos are not only beautiful to look at, but are also precious for the bearer as they can be attached with their emotions. For example, some people who are unable to wear real wedding rings due to professional constraints, have to opt for wedding ring tattoos, which are as valuable as the true ring for them.
- Butterfly Tattoos – One of the most loved designs among women is the butterfly design, which displays beauty of vibrant colors and feminine design, to perfection. The design can feature just an outline of a butterfly filled with bright colors or a more intricate one with lot of detailing in the wings.
- Text or Name – It is a common practice to have a small name or initials inked on one’s wrist or ankle, as homage to a loved one who is no more. It can also represent the love for someone special, such as lover, spouse or children. One can also have some important dates etched as a part of the small art tattoo.
In addition to the aforementioned small tattoo designs, some other elements which can be included in such tattoos are birds, dragonflies, infinity sign, cross dragon, fish, lion, celestial objects, disney, dreamcatchers, feathers, arrows, compass, musical symbols, trees, angel and wings. There is also a new trend in the field of tattoo art, whereby girls can have permanent make up such as lip liner, eye liner or brow liner, inked in the form of tattoos. These make up effects not only look amazing, but also last as long as twenty years and make things very convenient for the bearer, as she does not have to do makeup every day.
Final Words
Small tattoos have a special significance in tattoo art as they give the flexibility to the bearer, whether he wants to display the tattoo or conceal it as and when the need arises. Such tattoos need to be designed well so that they can fulfill the purpose of catching attention, which is the reason why people choose attractive design elements for such tattoos. These may include flowers, butterflies, hearts, cats, feathers, celestial bodies, anchors and jewelry pieces.
