Life

Courtesy of Colleen Elizabeth

11 Cool Tattoo Ideas That Show You Love Someone

by Ni'Kesia Pannell

When I was in middle school, I remember my older sister coming home with her first tattoo. It was a single rose bud in the middle of her back. I vividly recall my mom asking her why she chose to get that specific tattoo and she said, "eventually, I'm going to get it expanded and have Kesi and Junior's name in the other buds that will be attached to it." My siblings and I have always had a great bond, but it was then that I knew that people got cool tattoo ideas that show you love someone.

Whether it's for a family member, a friend, or a spouse, tattoos are always a great way to show your love for a person. Like my older sister, I too got a tattoo to express the love I have for her and my brother, and have never regretted it. Although mine may be much smaller than hers, the amount of love that goes along with it is the same. Tattoos are a way to express both your sense of creativity and gives you a way to have a piece of the person you got it for with you at all times.

If you're looking to get a new tattoo to show your love, check out these 17 ideas to help you express your love through body art.

1Ode To Grandma

Fashion stylist Brandi Murray is a self-proclaimed "Grandma's Girl." After her grandmother passed, she found a way to forever cherish their love and bond with a cute stick figure tattoo on her inner arm.

2Family Is Forever

Courtesy of Jessica Medina

Jessica Medina and her brother Alexis have matching tattoos on the inside of their wrists. Meaning "family" in Japanese, the tattoo also has the initials of each of her family members (mom, dad, sister, and brother) surrounding it.

3Look Up At The Sky...

Courtesy of Annemarie Kaczmarczyk

Shortly after mailing a letter to a church asking if her daughter could get married, Annemarie's lost her battle to ALS. Annemarie got this quote inscribed on her skin to honor the woman who made her wedding come true.

4Beauty, Be Happy

Courtesy of Tori Dawkins

After finding a ton of letters from her grandmother after she passed, Tori decided to get a tattoo of her signature as a reminder of her grandmothers grace and delicacy. She also added in a portrait of morning glories, which they planted together in the past.

5Sibling Love

Courtesy of Ni'Kesia Pannell

My siblings and I are extremely close. I'm not a fan of huge tattoos, so I kept it super simple by just getting our birth years imprinted on my wrist.

6Loving Reminders

Courtesy of Darby Santora

When she lost her mother in 2012, Darby thought of the one thing that reminded her of her mother the most. A lover of animals, Darby decided to always remember her mother's big heart with a tattoo of the paw print of her childhood dog.

7Life's A Beach

Courtesy of Darby Santora

Less than a year after losing her mother, Darby lost her father. Just as she did for her mother, she wanted to honor him with something he loved. Reminiscing on the beach they went to every day, she decided to remember him in that way.

8Grandma's Cuckoo Clock

Courtesy of Colleen Elizabeth

Remembering the days of when the cuckoo clock struck 12 at grandma's house, Colleen tried desperately to find a clock that replicated the one the backbone of her family had. Since she couldn't find one, she decided that a tattoo replica would be just as great.

9Faith, Strength, Hope

Courtesy of Ashley Gousse

Dedicated to her mom after becoming extremely sick, Ashley's tattoo represents the Chinese words for faith, strength, and hope.

10Family First

Courtesy of Sam Crawford

An ode to the kings and queens of his family, Sam's tattoo is a loving piece of artwork that lists each of his current family members in their order of age.

11Family Over Everything

Courtesy of Matthias Farley

"The compass is for my dad because he has always guided my family in the right way," Matthias says of his meaningful skin art. "The rose is for my beautiful mother who has bloomed our lives into much more than we could have ever imagined. The 'CJ' is for my sisters, Charis and Joy, and it's in the shape of a heart. 'My Brother's Keeper' is for my four amazing brothers. And finally, the star is for my little brother, Titus, who passed away."