When it comes to tattoos, you have an entire body of placements to choose from. While some areas offer the benefit of easy concealment, others spotlight the new ink for all to see– such as the wrist. While it may be small, it’s an open space with fairly straight lines, making it an easy spot to get almost any design. Outer wrist tattoos are ideal for expressing yourself to the outside world, while inner wrist tattoos feel slightly more intimate, like a special message you keep just for yourself.
Whether you’re looking into getting a small wrist tattoo of an important quote or one that just makes you smile when you see it, here are 25 beautiful, small tattoos to inspire you.
Concentric Triangles
These bold, black, open triangles fade into an arrow. The simple tattoo can be turned upwards or on to its side depending on what direction you want the lines to face.
BFF Butterfly
Butterflies make great wrist tattoos, as they can be shrunk to any size. However, if you go for a smaller butterfly on the wrist, it’s a good idea to choose an artist who specializes in thin lines so you can pack a lot of detail into the design.
Open Wings
Tattoo designs that can be boiled down to a few simple elements make great wrist tattoos, as they stand out but remain minimalistic. This stunning tattoo makes the perfect small, yet mighty statement.
Single Letter
If there’s someone in your life you want to memorialize, or if you have a favorite letter of the alphabet, getting a small initial on your wrist is a simple but impactful design. Keep the font simple and crisp for a clean look.
Floral Wristband
While armbands seem to be more popular than wristbands, tattoos look great wrapped around the wrist. It’s like a beautiful, permanent bracelet!
Cursive Font
Script font makes tattoos appear more delicate, and when combined with the wrist placement makes the tattoo feel dainty—despite how much of the wrist it takes up. Add extra curl details to make it feel like a greater design rather than a single word.
Poetic Justice
An outer wrist placement is ideal for a line or stanza that resonates deeply with you. It’s the perfect eternal reminder of poetry in motion.
Abstract Design
Abstract designs look great placed on the wrist, as they tend to contrast with the rigid lines of the arm. Keep the overall design simple, like this one, for a minimal design that makes a major statement. Seattle-based tattoo artist Emma Eli gives each of their clients unique, one-off designs—if you’re interested in something similar, working with your artist on a custom abstract piece can be a memorable experience.
A Significant Signature
While some prefer to immortalize their loved ones through portrait tattoos, we love this dainty, and slightly more mysterious iteration. A tattoo of a beloved’s signature on your wrist is a beautiful way to honor them.
Constellation
A small constellation—or perhaps your star sign—on your wrist is a personal touch. Placing it on the outer wrist makes it more visible, and you’ll always be reaching for the stars.
Sanskrit Wristband
Who needs jewelry when you can have permanent bracelets of Sanskrit motifs lining your wrists? The intricate details of this tattoo, layered and stacked so elegantly atop one another like the finest bangles, rival even the most elaborate jewels.
Bouquet
Florals make great large, sweeping tattoos; sometimes, though, a small bouquet makes a bigger impact. These flowers are tiny and minimal, but the clean lines and thin detailing add visual interest.
Elegant Rose
Rose tattoos have a very feminine energy, so placing them on the wrist only serves to emphasize that. This means the tattoo feels dainty, even if the fine line work is on a larger scale.
Yin Yang
The yin yang symbol is a popular choice for a wrist tattoo, as it’s a simple design that works in any space. To give it a unique touch, try using the negative space of your wrist as the background of the symbol.
Fantasy Language
For fans of a specific book or movie that has its own script, a great way to pay homage is by getting a letter of that language on your wrist—like this Quenya letter from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Placing it on the wrist means you’ll be showing your passion to everyone who sees it.
Simple Heart
A simple small heart on your inner wrist will draw attention no matter what, so what better story to tell than that of enduring friendship? We love that one heart is filled in while the other is left open, allowing for individuality, but still remaining the same.
Crescent Moon
A crescent moon tattoo on the inside of the wrist emphasizes the delicacy of the area. Pairing it with florals, as this design does, emphasizes the feminine power of the moon as well.
Personal Planets
Forget zodiac signs, personal planets are a much fresher way to show off your birth chart—or just your general love of the cosmos. We love how the off-center placement of this inner wrist tattoo highlights its orbital nature.
Powerful Word
A small word on the wrist serves as a forever reminder of something meaningful. Place it on the bottom of your arm, rather than in the center, for a fun twist on placement.
Lotus Flower
Because a lotus flower can easily be broken down into a few elements, they make for great minimal tattoos.
Our Tip
Go for lines that overlap—as opposed to just touch—for an interesting detail that keeps your tattoo feeling minimal.
Bird in Flight
Adding a lot of detail to a small tattoo may sound like it’ll be overwhelming, but when done correctly, it can actually enhance the look of the design. This bird tattoo uses a lot of dotwork and shading. However, because it’s spaced out and done to add dimension to the design, it works with it, not against it.
Diminutive Flower
A small, simple flower on the side of the wrist makes a big enough impact by itself. Keep the design as basic as possible—within whatever style you’d prefer—to make the focus on the size and placement.
Shiny Star
For a small tattoo that shines, choose a design that uses only a few lines. These sparkles are extremely minimal, but the style suits the design without making it feel too simple.
Lightning Bolt
It’s the smallest things that are often the most impactful. This dainty, open linework lightning bolt tattoo is absolutely electric without occupying too much space.
Pinky Promise
Nothing screams best friends forever quite like a tattoo that’s permanent. While most BFF ink goes the way of puzzle-piece tattoos that create a finished image when brought together, we love the meaning behind these pinky promise tattoos.
