Butterfly tattoos can be beautiful, alluring and meaningful designs that look elegant and exude feminine energy. Charming and cute, butterflies are fluttering ethereal creatures that symbolize transformation, beauty, hope, freedom, joy and new beginnings.
From simple and small to bold, these stunning butterfly tattoo designs are gorgeous choices that will transform your aesthetic, highlight your personality with flair and encourage a positive outlook on life.
For an understated look, talk to your artist about outlined monochromatic ink with fine lines and minimal shading for an attractive, dainty feel. Bold and colorful artwork featuring a realistic flying butterfly with flowers can be a serene image on the forearm, shoulder or back.
To spark your creativity, browse these amazing butterfly tattoo ideas for women to inspire your ink.
Gorgeous Butterfly Tattoo Ideas
Small Butterfly Tattoo
A small butterfly tattoo is a feminine, chic and cute look that can create visual drama and elevate your aesthetic while radiating modern elegance. Tiny butterflies can be an excellent way to channel the meaning behind this lovely winged wonder without drawing focus. Small designs can be easily hidden at your discretion and look incredible on delicate areas of the body like the wrist or ankle. To keep your artwork defined, stick with a classy design that makes use of simple and light line work. If your ink represents a loved one passing on, you may wish to adorn your tattoo with initials or color the wings in their favorite hue.
Cute Butterfly Tattoo
A cute butterfly tattoo is a stylish look that can balance delicate lines and soft shading for a feminine finish. Pretty butterfly designs are often colorful and artistic, featuring a flower and endearing details. A popular spot for this variation is under the collarbone and by the shoulder. You can get a single butterfly or choose a design that includes several. You may wish to use pastel colors or vivid pinks, blues and purples to give your artwork a gorgeous and feminine appearance. To keep things pretty and elegant, don’t choose a design that’s too large and avoid using bold lines.
Awesome Butterfly Tattoo
An awesome butterfly tattoo can be an edgy, fun and creative design that will look cool and stand out. These trendy butterfly designs are bold concepts that feature an artistic approach and go beyond classic realism.
Simple Butterfly Tattoo
A simple butterfly tattoo is an ideal choice for any woman who wants a minimalist approach and needs a dainty design suitable for a professional environment. With a beautiful shape, a basic butterfly outline can be a stylish tattoo that features simple linework and shading. For more impact, ask your artist for a monochromatic design. Although your ink may look simple, you can get a large tattoo across your hip, upper thigh or back area. To create cool artwork that’s special to you, consider your placement carefully.
Unique Butterfly Tattoo
A unique butterfly tattoo can be the perfect opportunity to create a beautiful design, allowing you to be creative and involved in your artwork. You can change things up by designing a butterfly with photo-realistic detail for a truly unique look. Some women may consider a meaningful quote to make the design more personal. To get a cool and inspiring piece, you can coil the words around the wings or place them below your artwork.
Traditional Butterfly Tattoo
The traditional butterfly tattoo is a classic look that offers a vibrant and eye-catching style. Most Americana artwork uses clean lines and minimal shading for an iconic look that stands out from the crowd. Take advantage of the style’s saturated tones by adding primary colors to your design. Reds, blues and yellows always look impressive and represent a vivacious personality beautifully. As this tattoo style is known for its decorative appearance, don’t be afraid to elevate your design with florals, stars and banners to create a more impressive piece.
Butterfly Outline Tattoo
A butterfly outline tattoo is a wonderful choice for first-timers, as it requires less time and shade work than alternative designs. To achieve subtle and wearable ink, ask your artist to create a solid black butterfly with simple lines. Depending on your pain tolerance and preference, you can get a sprawling tattoo on your shoulder or a minimalist design on your wrist, ankle or nape. To make the outline bolder, consider different thicknesses for the body and wings. This will lend your artwork an interesting contrast without incorporating too much color or shading.
Monarch Butterfly Tattoo
A Monarch butterfly tattoo is one of the most popular designs, symbolizing transformation, strength and resilience. Spiritual Mexican women believe that these butterflies represent their ancestors and that the North American migration of these creatures signals the passage of souls into the land of the living. For artwork that turns heads, consider featuring strong lines and bold colors in your artwork. You may choose bold shapes and colors or keep things natural with simple orange and black coloring. To dial things up, get a cluster design that goes along the length of your back. As the Monarch butterfly is known for its stunning wings, pick an artist who’s experienced with color and detail.
Rose and Butterfly Tattoo
A rose and butterfly tattoo is a popular style that always looks striking when done well. This design symbolizes passion and transformation, making it an excellent choice for women who are moving into a new phase in their lives. Although this design can represent new beginnings, it’s also used to show growth and newfound freedom after a difficult breakup. To avoid gaudy artwork, explore elegant detailing and dark red hues for the roses. If you’re looking for a bolder design, consider the strong colors and heavy linework of the American traditional style.
Blue Butterfly Tattoo
A blue butterfly tattoo is a stylish and feminine choice that delivers a colorful design for visual drama. With beautiful artwork, a vibrant blue butterfly can represent joy, soulfulness and luck. Bright colors typically fade more quickly than simple black ink but blue pigment has been known to hold well. Whether you want a physical good luck charm on your body or are looking for artwork that will make you feel happy, this classic tattoo is sure to fit the bill.
Skull and Butterfly Tattoo
A skull and butterfly tattoo is a badass choice that combines the ideas of rebirth and mortality. Although it won’t be to everyone’s taste, this daring design offers a cool way to represent the eternal circle of life and a willingness to embrace the inevitable. This artwork looks incredible with heavy shading and works best on larger areas of the body like the leg, back or arm. You can make your ink more feminine by keeping all blooms delicate or embrace the macabre with thorns and dying leaves. Talented artists should be able to create plenty of light and shade with this style, resulting in a multi-dimensional and contrasting piece that promises to draw the eye.
Butterfly Memorial Tattoo
A butterfly memorial tattoo is a beautiful way to immortalize a loved one who has passed on. To honor someone special, you can add a name or meaningful quote, decorate the artwork with flowers or incorporate a small skull into the design to represent the fragility of life. As butterflies represent life cycles and new beginnings, a thoughtful tattoo is a touching way to memorialize the dead.
Matching Butterfly Tattoos
Matching butterfly tattoos are aesthetically pleasing and can remind couples, best friends and siblings of an unbreakable bond. You can get two whole butterfly designs or ink the halves onto each person. This option works best when your artwork is placed on the wrist or lower leg, allowing you to hold the two pieces together to create a completed work. You can also feature initials to represent that special family member, significant other or best friend.
Three Butterfly Tattoo
A three-butterfly tattoo is a classic design that’s sure to stand the test of time. Often used to represent young love, positive change and togetherness, three butterflies offer a gorgeous look for friends, couples or siblings. Depending on your age and sense of style, you can get a trio of butterflies that spans the entire back or a simple and sophisticated design that trails up the ankle or wrist.
Four Butterfly Tattoo
A four-butterfly tattoo is a fun and adventurous look that will create contrast and drama for a creative finish. A cute design with four butterflies can represent a traditional nuclear family’s eternal love for one another. To make this body art your own, consider adding initials or varied colorways to each butterfly to symbolize separate family members. Not only will they be touched by the gesture, but it may encourage them to follow suit.
Butterfly Wings Tattoo
A butterfly wings tattoo can be a popular choice for women wanting to express newfound freedom. Unlike other designs, the outstretched wings represent a desire to move forward and embrace any next steps. Your artwork can be demure and feminine if placed on the wrist and ankle, or bold and deliberate on larger areas of the body. Individuals who aren’t afraid to stand out can choose large body art that stretches across the scapulae and upper back.
Butterfly Flower Tattoo
A butterfly flower tattoo is a stunning choice for your next piece of artwork. In addition to representing change and growth, this design is extremely versatile and feminine. Depending on your personality, you can choose roses to symbolize romance and courage, or irises to represent wisdom and hope. To make your artwork pop, incorporate bold colors and old-fashioned linework.
Colorful Butterfly Tattoo
A colorful butterfly tattoo can be a great design piece if you want ink to represent a vibrant personality. This piece is perfect for young women who aren’t afraid to move away from simple outlines or monochrome artwork. You can build on your body art by adding complex shading, stars, flowers or quotes.
Butterfly Tattoo with Name
A butterfly tattoo with a name is a meaningful design that can provide a special touch to your artwork. Since the butterfly symbolizes rebirth and hope, featuring a name in your ink can be a thoughtful way to remember a loved one. Some women will tattoo the names of their children while others may want to honor a husband, wife, parent, grandparent or sibling. You can choose butterfly artwork with outstretched wings and bold colors or keep things low-key with a basic black design and hidden initials that only you can see.
Black and White Butterfly Tattoo
A black and white butterfly tattoo looks amazing on the skin, and the sharply contrasting colors create a powerful design that will turn heads. For a delicate and feminine result, choose a realistic piece with plenty of detail. If you’re looking for something that instantly draws the eye, discuss using the bold traditional American style or a precise and symmetrical geometric approach.
Butterfly Wrist Tattoo
A butterfly wrist tattoo is one of the most popular options for cute artwork you want to show off. You can choose a design that’s barely noticeable or a larger piece that covers the entire wrist like a cuff. As this area is home to several nerve endings, it can be a painful area to get inked. If you want your tattoo to hurt less, get smaller artwork with minimal color and shading.
Butterfly Ankle Tattoo
A butterfly ankle tattoo is a beautiful design for women who want a feminine and cute placement. While an ankle tattoo can be painful since the skin is skin, this body part can be the perfect spot for small and elegant ideas that can be completed quickly. A single black butterfly near your Achilles heel is a gorgeous choice, but you can also symbolize an intense relationship with two fluttering butterflies on the side of the ankle. Since this placement is very subtle, your body art can remain private and only be revealed for special events.
Butterfly Back Tattoo
A butterfly back tattoo can be the perfect meaningful design for a lovely feminine look. You can create sprawling artwork that incorporates flowers, female figures or shining stars. To make a statement, get multiple colorful butterflies fluttering across the length of your back. Avoid overwhelming your skin by keeping the shading slightly lighter or stick to monochrome artwork. A subtle approach should also prevent your tattoo from clashing with clothing. For a subtle touch, ask your tattoo artist for basic art at the base of your neck that you can cover with your hair for formal events.
Butterfly Shoulder Tattoo
A butterfly shoulder tattoo always looks gorgeous and refined on the skin. The most popular placement is at the front of the shoulder near the collarbone, but you can experiment until you find the style that suits you. Whether you want a minimalist single tattoo or a sprawling cluster that spreads over the entire area, it’s wise to book in with a skilled artist for best results. This is because the shoulder area cannot be hidden easily and poor work tends to fade more quickly.
Butterfly Forearm Tattoo
The butterfly forearm tattoo is a versatile choice that demands attention. You may prefer to get girly artwork near the wrist for a delicate look or a half sleeve featuring butterflies, flowers, skulls and other awesome visuals. You can work closely with an artist to create an intricate piece that will have all eyes on you.
Butterfly Arm Tattoo
A butterfly tattoo on the arm can be a fun design that gives you plenty of space to work with. Those who want to be the center of attention should consider a full sleeve, while women wanting to fly under the radar can choose an elegant wrist or forearm tattoo. Spice up your final design by adding color, initials or floral artwork to the mix.
Butterfly Neck Tattoo
A butterfly neck tattoo offers a cute and feminine look for women who want a beautiful design. Bold women may want ink that sits on the side of the neck, while conservative ladies can easily hide their artwork by getting a nape tattoo. For body art that’s even more subtle, a delicate behind-the-ear tattoo that gently peeks out is an adorable piece you won’t regret.
Butterfly Sleeve Tattoo
The butterfly sleeve tattoo is a cool design that offers a stylish piece and will stand the test of time. A sleeve tattoo can be all about butterflies or allow you to insert this cute artwork into other designs. Versatile and bold, a full sleeve butterfly tattoo can cover your shoulder and back to your arm, while a half sleeve can look edgy and leave extra space for additional work. For best results, add color, shading and detail to your artwork, preventing the different elements from looking cluttered or blended.
Butterfly Thigh Tattoo
A butterfly thigh tattoo is a sexy and trendy idea, offering a feminine spot for many different pieces. A design on the back of the thigh looks seductive and pairs perfectly with short skirts, while artwork on the inner thigh is naturally intimate and alluring. The thigh area is larger than other body parts, making it an ideal spot for a complex and intricate piece. To increase your sex appeal, get ink on the front or side of the thigh to accentuate the shape of your curves.
Butterfly Chest Tattoo
A butterfly chest tattoo is an unusual and bold choice that keeps your ink close to the heart. Most women like to keep their chest artwork front and center across the breastbone, but you can place your design on one side of the chest if you’d prefer to hide it in corporate settings. If you spend a lot of time at the gym, a chest tattoo is also an excellent way to draw attention to a toned upper body.
Butterfly Hand Tattoo
The butterfly hand tattoo is gaining traction with women, as the many lines and curves of the hand offer a fascinating canvas for artists to work on. You can choose anything from a barely-there finger design to a large, stylized option that incorporates the palm and front of the hand. To make things more personal, let your imagination run wild with meaningful quotes and a vivid color scheme.
Popular Butterfly Tattoos
The most popular butterfly tattoos are effortlessly classy and thoughtful designs that capture the essence of this ethereal winged creature. A small and simple butterfly can be sweet, easily hidden and timeless, providing a trendy and extra feminine approach to your artwork. Bold, brightly colored and detailed tattoo ideas will exude confidence, turn heads and make a powerful statement while encouraging others to do the same.
The Meaning of A Butterfly Tattoo
With beautiful colorful wings, butterflies are often symbols of transformation, rebirth, hope, femininity and beauty. These stunning creatures can represent the best things in life and remind you to be hopeful about the future. A butterfly tattoo is a meaningful and timeless design with the power to inspire and uplift any woman.
