At the fresh age of 18 years old, my friend and I were bored out of our minds and thought that the best way to fill the time would be to get my first tattoo. During the car ride there, I picked out a little flower from Google Images. 20 minutes and $80 later, my bicep had a flower tattooed on it forever. Within a year and a half, I had gotten four more tattoos: a bouquet, Michelangelo’s “Two Angels,” ducks with my mom and “Gold Dust Woman.” Many people, like myself, get tattoo inspiration from what they see online from websites such as Instagram and Pinterest. These days, who doesn’t have a Pinterest tattoo board? Here is my ranking of some of the most popular basic Pinterest tattoos.
Flowers/Bouquet
I may be biased here since I have one on my arm, but flower and bouquet tattoos are the most versatile and understated tattoos in my opinion. There are hundreds of flowers to choose from, as well as coloring and shading options that make sense for them. Each flower type also has its own meaning behind it, from birth flowers to prosperity and strength. Anywhere on the body, flower and bouquet tattoos are a safe bet, especially as first tattoos. If you have a flower or bouquet tattoo, can we please hang out?
Crying heart
I am also impartial to American Traditional style tattoos, and the crying heart is by far one of my favorites. It conveys heartbreak in a less cheesy way, and that the person recognized and grew from that pain. Out of all the common American Traditional designs, the crying heart is the most timeless and makes sense anywhere on the body. The crying heart does give off a bit of “pick me” energy in my opinion, but it’s edgy and unique enough to compensate.
Butterfly/moth
This is one of the tattoos that might define Millennials and Gen Z. It seems that so many young people are getting moth and butterfly tattoos around their elbows and knees/thighs. Butterflies and moths can be a symbol of flight, change, metamorphosis or just being plain cool. These have definitely caught my eye as some of the coolest common tattoos. Twitter has also deemed these designs as popular choices for women and queer people. If you have this tattoo, please send me your Pinterest board and your artist’s contact information!
Year/angel number
Since the angel numbers and zodiac signs craze exploded a few years ago, people have been getting their favorite trio of angel numbers tattooed in bold typewriter text. Many also opt for an important year, whether it’s someone’s birthdate, death date or another significant time in someone’s life. Although the idea is compelling, I have a feeling that these tattoos are just a passing trend that could end up a bit overdone.
Pinky promise and “The Creation of Adam”
In the same realm of being overdone, almost every girl I’ve met with a tattoo Pinterest board has heavily considered getting a pinky promise tattoo on the back of their elbow or a “Creation of Adam” tattoo on their thigh. We might just be a generation marked by these hands. Although the idea of them is very visually appealing, it almost seems like half of the tatted population has thought of one of these designs at least once.
Coordinates
Coordinate tattoos are entirely dependent on the style they are done in. Some of them feel a little cheesy, especially those done in a font similar to Comic Sans. However, dainty, small coordinate tattoos in an inconspicuous spot like the side of the forearm, can be executed well. Nevertheless, in my books, they walk a fine line between cute and tacky.
Moon phases
If one tattoo design screams 2014 Pinterest and Tumblr, it’s the moon phases tattoo. Like many of the others on this list, this tattoo is great in theory, but ends up being pretty regrettable. People with these tattoos probably owned a pair of galaxy leggings at one point and thought they “weren’t like other girls.”
What’s on your Pinterest board?
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