75+ Charming Fairy Tattoo Designs – A Timeless And Classic Choice
Today when we think of fairies we tend to think of much-loved childhood books and stories that included these small human-like beings rumored to reside in Fairyland or even at the bottom of the garden.
Women are most likely to choose fairy tattoo designs as they are generally portrayed as being female and having girlish traits such as long hair, dresses, and mischievous behavior, which make it easy for women to feel an inclination towards them.
Fairies were first popularized by the brothers Grimm in their fictional stories but have existed in Celtic folklore since the middle ages and possibly even before that.
They are described as being human-like in appearance with delicate wings and they have come to symbolize various things to those who chose to include them in their tattoo designs.
Contents:
The Meaning Behind Fairy Tattoos
Fairies are firmly rooted in our minds as naughty but seemingly innocent characters that we identify with due to their femininity, mischievousness, and connection to nature. Although their meanings are varied they are generally considered to be symbols of:
- Freedom
- Wishes and desires
- Femininity
- Beauty
- Innocence
- Mischief and playfulness
- Nature
The meanings behind these tattoos are as varied as the people who choose them, however, there are some reoccurring themes.
– Nature
Fairies were believed to have lived in the woods and most depictions of fairies usually include other natural elements as well. They are often shown sitting on clouds, leaves, mushrooms or even stars wearing leafy dresses or pretty flowers in their hair.
People who wish to identify with nature may choose a fairy tattoo to represent their love for the freedom and the beauty of the mother earth.
– Mischief
Fairies have a naughty but nice persona as seen in animated examples such as Tinkerbell and The Green Fairy (Moulin Rouge, 2001). While they may be mischievous, they are seen as wholesome at their core and many women choose this as a representation of themselves i.e. their naughty side.
Often fairies may be depicted in pin up styles where they are shown wearing risqué underwear and boots together with sweet and sexy smiles.
– Spiritual
Fairies are mythical creatures which inhabit an almost ethereal realm together with the elves, goblins, gnomes, and trolls. To many, they represent a connection to the past and times gone by as well as knowledge, freedom, and consciousness. Fairies also have pagan connections.
– Emotions
Fairy tattoos are often designed with the creatures sitting on mushrooms or flowers or under a shower of rain. These are considered to be symbols of freedom and may denote a person who longs to feel free, perhaps after many hardships in life.
Sad fairies have come to represent women who have overcome a lot of obstacles, possibly enduring long periods of sadness. These types of fairies have also come to signify a loss of innocence.
Women may choose this type of tattoo as a reminder of their own emotional endurance and strength during times of adversity.
Fairies are sometimes shown to be evil, where the mischievousness has become maliciousness and sinful. These may be chosen as a tattoo to symbolize a person’s darker emotions.
– Youth
Because they are depicted as being immortal fairies are often associated with youth and renewal. Some women may also remember fairy character’s from their childhood days and may choose to preserve these innocent images in their tattoos.
– Wishes
Many times fairies are chosen as representations of unfulfilled wishes or secret desires. A fairy may also be considered as a form of guardian angel i.e. Fairy God-Mother.
Different Fairy Tattoo Designs
– Striking A Pose
We often see fairy tattoos where the creature is striking a naughty pose, such as looking over her shoulder and bending one knee. This is mostly seen in the animated character designs like Tinkerbell or Thumbelina or with naughty pin up designs.
– On A Cloud Or Mushroom
Magic mushrooms and the idea of drifting away on a cloud are symbols of free thought and freedom of expression and women often combine this symbolism with a mythical fairy.
– Naughty Or Evil
Naughty fairies may be depicted as sexy dressed in short dresses, high heels or fishnet stockings. To the wearer, this may represent the beauty and power of the female form and hint at their mischievous tendencies.
Evil fairies are often drawn with dark colors having tatty wings and scornful looks, very much in a Gothic style.
– Fairy Garden
Women may sometimes use fairies to create a garden fantasy tattoo over a large portion of their bodies such as their back or leg. Usually, these scenes portray fairies, mushrooms or other natural elements such as flowers, leaves, and butterflies.
– Fairies And Butterflies
Butterflies are a strong symbol of transformation and rebirth as well as innocence and freedom. Unless the tattoo has a darker feel, butterflies and fairies often appear in bright, feminine colors.
– Fairies And Birds
Birds are considered by some to be a symbol for luck and since the fairy was known for granting wishes they are a natural combination. These two together can also represent a state of balance where the fairy is feminine and gentle and the bird represents pure nature.
Birds and fairies are often drawn together using bright colors such as shades of green.
– Fairies And Flowers
Flowers are a symbol of femininity and renewal and because of this, they are often included in fairy tattoo designs.
The type of flower used may also have individual meaning; for example, lilies are a symbol of youth, roses signify love and daisies denote innocence while certain flowers represent birth months such as the daffodil for the month of March.
– Silhouette
Outlines of fairies colored completely in black are also used in tattoo designs especially for smaller artwork.
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Fairy Tattoos On Different Areas Of The Body
Although there is not any agreed symbolism regarding the placement of a fairy tattoo most women choose to have theirs on their:
- shoulders
- back
- legs
- feet
Fairies are also sometimes included in fantasy or gothic style arm or leg sleeves together with related mystical beings and elements of nature.
back to menu ↑Celebrity Tattoos
– Britney Spears
Britney has a tattoo of a child-like fairy at the bottom of her back. In her design, the fairy is wearing a yellow dress, has blonde hair and pink and green wings, and is posed looking over its shoulder.
– Alexandra Breckenridge
Has a tattoo with a crouching nude fairy with pointed ears on the back of her right calf. In this design, the fairy has a serious expression and has been tattooed in black and gray ink.
– Maria Brink
Among her many tattoos, she has a nature-inspired sleeve tattoo on her right arm that includes fairies, butterflies, and stars. The artist used a palette consisting of mainly blues, blacks, and grays with some splashes of orange ink.
– David Beckham
While fairies are more often chosen by women they can be worn by men as well, for example, soccer star David Beckham has a fairy tattoo on the top of his right arm.
– Denise Richards
Denise had a pretty, pink fairy tattoo on her ankle to cover up an earlier tattoo which included the name of her ex-husband Charlie Sheen. She didn’t just go to any tattoo artist either; she got her ink from the beautiful (and talented) Kat Von D.
back to menu ↑Other Design Elements You May Like To Consider:
– Watercolors
Having a watercolor tattoo is a rising trend. This tattoo looks like a watercolor painting with blurred edges and sometimes trails of running “paint”. The artist uses different techniques (but the same tools and inks) to create these tattoos.
This technique can work well with a fairy tattoo given the whimsical nature of the fairy. It creates a softer looking but striking tattoo.
– Including Script
You may like to include a script in your fairy tattoo, such as lines from a fairy tale, quotes about aging or magic, or maybe even the name of a loved one. Research different fonts to make sure you choose one in keeping with the fantasy theme.
In Short…
These creatures are mostly chosen by women, but sometimes also by men and can appear in tattoo’s in many different forms depending on the symbolism sought by the wearer. A number of designs often appear with other natural elements that carry feminine undertones such as flowers.
The fairy can be used in both small and large tattoo designs quite effectively.
Because the fairy is a mythical creature and because fairies are still portrayed in modern culture they make an excellent subject for tattoos due to their timeless and truly innocent nature.
