118 Tiny Tattoo Ideas That Are Perfectly Minimalist

These are so cute.

Thinking about getting a new tattoo? Obviously, ink comes in all shapes and sizes — and if you're on the hunt for something small and subtle, then you've come to the right place.

Evgeniia Rusinova / Getty Images

We asked the BuzzFeed Community to show us their tiny tattoos — and they delivered. From itty-bitty dinosaurs to miniature mountain ranges, here are the must-have results.

1.

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"Just because I like cutesy skulls."

—TDA

2.

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“Remember who you are”

—zameralitessa

3.

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"This tattoo is for my grandma in Ireland. It’s a lattice flower, native to that area. She raised me and I love her."

—jamesharness

4.

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"I got this in memory of my hedgehog, Fiona, after she passed away." 

—janier422b422ec

5.

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"A shooting star, symbolizing new beginnings."

—wildhoneybee06

6.

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"My parents always sign cards and letters with 'Love, Mom Love, Dad', and they each have their signature smiley faces. (I live in CA and they are in Indiana.)"

—nataliewould

7.

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"I’m Native American and love my culture. Found out my spirit animal is a hummingbird. It was my first tattoo."

—rereyna521

8.

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"Mine is the musical symbol for 'piano,' meaning 'quietly' or 'soft.' It's to remind me to take some time to chill out when I get stressed out."

—maetelle

9.

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"I went through a lot of trauma growing up, and Disney has always been an escape from my reality. This little Mickey semicolon reminds me to continue my story."

—reelreadersink

10.

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"Birds are my personal and professional marks. When my husband died in 2019, I got this tattoo of a bird on a wire that circles my wrist and a bird flying away. I had 3 beautiful years with him, so that's the 3 dots under the wire."

—reneehuman

11.

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"It's been almost two years since I tore my Achilles tendon, and the recovery has been long and challenging. I got this tattoo to help with my mental recovery and I love it!"

—hannahn9

12.

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"I never really wanted a tattoo, but then I did...this one."

—himalayall

13.

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"Always shooting for higher! I loved the whimsical and subtle colors this artist incorporated into my tiny tattoo."

—eternallysnowy

14.

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"My mom's signature."

—woonderwooman

15.

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"I got this tattoo after my cat passed away. It’s been a year and I love it more and more each day!"

—marae2

16.

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"My mum and I both have the ASL sign for 'I love you.'”

—Thebiggestsparrow

17.

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"My little brother passed away in July. I got this tattoo on his birthday in October. It is his name in Morse Code."

—courtneybinnc2

18.

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"Harry Potter sister tattoos."

—hannahe4

19.

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"My grandmother says that birds remind her of my grandfather, and some day she hopes to fly with him. This is a subtle reminder of the true love they shared."

—laurels439aaaebf

20.

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"My sister and I got each other’s initials."

—erinm84

21.

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"Sometimes in life you've gotta roar and work hard. This little guy keeps me motivated. He’s also fun to draw on."

—leslieh4e0571c0c

22.

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"A souvenir from the desert."

—nicolel44aec3242

23.

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"I have left and right on my wrists for reference."

—philthechicken2

24.

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"I lost my best friend of 10 years to suicide a couple of months ago, after she had struggled with depression for her entire life. Her favorite place in the world was in Montana, specifically the Crazy Mountains. After driving over 14 hours to her favorite Montana town to meet her grandma, who wasn’t able to attend her funeral, I chose to get this tattoo of her favorite range to represent how peaceful and free she felt in the mountains. I miss her so much, and I will always carry this reminder of her beautiful life with me."

—emilyc456202d19

25.

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"My little paper airplane. It’s a reminder that although it’s good to have a plan for your life, you’ll sometimes be taken in directions you never planned before, and that’s OK too."

—courtneyp49373bba7

26.

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"After my sweet doggie, Einstein, passed away, I got his name tattooed in Braille. I can’t 'see' him anymore, but he is always with me."

—jackiesantillan

27.

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"My best friend and I met on Bumble BFF, so we got these to commemorate our friendship."

—tammyh449f196e7

28.

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"My brother used to draw these little dinos all the time as a kid. After he passed, my mom, dad, sister and I all got a Derrick Dino tattooed in different places for him. 🦕"

—Marissa Brown

29.

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"My best friend and I got matching tattoos the day before we left for college — just each other’s first initial with a heart. I have a few tattoos, but this one means the most to me."

—isabellad4c12948f7

30.

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"My little tattoo doesn’t have a specific meaning, but I always get questioned about it."

—kirstyw4725b307a

31.

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"My sister and I like to travel together, and after she decided to move across the country we decided to do something that will always remind us of each other and our love of traveling together."

—jocelynj466b84747

32.

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"My older sister and I got these two years ago because we thought they were cute (and a little bit because we both love Gossip Girl)."

—briannat4b4508274

33.

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"On my ankle I have a little symbol that means 'cheer up.' I used to draw it on my hand to remind myself to take time for myself and to focus on my happiness."

—erinschlipf

34.

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"To me, these flowers represent happiness, and I find myself unhappy a lot. This is just a reminder to smile and cheer up in dark times."

—karlijaec

35.

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"A reminder that the universe is much bigger than just me."

—jamiew41d2fa950

36.

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"I got these rainbow dots on my forearms a month after the Orlando Pulse shooting. Being an Orlando native and spending countless nights at Pulse, the tragedy absolutely broke my heart. This was just my small way of remembering those we lost that night."

—zacharyjamesb

37.

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"An ampersand, taken from how the word 'and' is used in the poem 'The Loop' by Bob Hicok. The poem talks about how the word 'and' sews the minutes together, and I just thought that was beautiful."

—leahs25

38.

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"I got this tattoo in Korea about two months after I started living here. It serves as a gentle reminder for a lot of different things."

—samiam817

39.

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"The one on my wrist is to symbolize my personal battle with depression, and the one on my ankle represents my two sisters (I’m the middle sister)."

—erynj45f532db3

40.

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"My mom promised me she would get a matching tattoo with me when I was 13. It was six years later when we got matching Jesus fish tattoos."

—cristah4c0cb234e

41.

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"As a teacher at an international school and someone who has been bitten hard by the travel bug, I got this tattoo to remind me to 'always take the trip.'"

—kellyb4f57fa3b9

42.

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"I have a crescent moon around a freckle on the back of my arm."

—meghannerinm

43.

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"My taste in tattoos are definitely the smaller ones that you can’t always see. I got the words 'I am...' up on my left clavicle."

—meghannerinm

44.

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"I was living in Sydney and Hong Kong for a year, so I decided to get each of their landmarks: the Opera House in Sydney and the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong."

—leamariap

45.

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"After months of volunteering with wildlife in Africa, I decided to get this little guy done while I was still abroad. It’s my favorite animal and a nice way to commemorate the experience."

—alisonl12

46.

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"I love pups so much!!! Got a paw print to show it!"

—brim48310fe14

47.

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"I got this rose to celebrate graduating from high school."

—kniche

48.

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"My husband and I got little wheat stalk tattoos. We were inspired by something our pastor said about marriage: 'Love the harvest more than you hate the hard work.'"

—candicei

49.

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"I went deaf in my right ear when I was a freshman in high school. I've made jokes about it ever since then, and it's one of the funniest, if not one of the worst, things to ever happen to me. I got my tattoo to immortalize my twisted sense of humor, but also so my family actually knows which ear I can hear out of."

—nicks4979342e4

50.

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"A tiny goldfish to remind me to just keep swimming."

—kristinar11

51.

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"I was going through a really hard time and got this to remind me that life is to be continued..."

—emilymasonb

52.

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"Taken from a letter from my sister who passed away in 2012. A daily reminder that we’re always together."

—ardrew

53.

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"It's a cross-well. It symbolizes a cross, since it very clearly appears to be just a line."

—jennmoreno23

54.

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"These tiny quotation marks mean so much to me. When I was really struggling with anxiety and depression after being sexually assaulted in college, I would write words like 'calm' and 'peace' and 'breathe' in this spot on my wrist to keep me grounded. Once I started seeing a counselor regularly, I found I wasn't writing on my wrist anymore, but I wanted a small reminder of my resilience. Now every time I look down at my wrist and see this tattoo, I'm reminded of how far I've come. It reminds me that my story isn't over yet."

—mirandab45762341f

55.

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"My godmother always loved the ocean, and every year she'd give me an ocean-themed gift with the quote 'because I love the ocean and I love you.' So when she passed away a few years ago, I got this tattoo because I love the ocean and her."

—jessicab46f8f1da5

56.

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"My twin sister has the other half."

—tandray

57.

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"This is Demi Lovato’s signature heart when she signs her name. I love Demi with all my heart. She’s so important to me."

—chinaa3

58.

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"One of my best friends and I got matching panda finger tattoos."

—stephaniej4825ae36f

59.

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"My tiny note is a simple way to show my love of music. It was also my first tattoo."

—shannonwarn

60.

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"i got this stick-and-poke tattoo when I was younger. It was my way of taking ownership of my body and embracing my identity as a feminist in a world where a lot of women can’t do that. Every time I look at it, it brings me this wave of motivation.”

—tarabear123

61.

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"I love white ink. I got this tattoo to represent the To Write Love on Her Arms movement and help me with healing from self-harm."

—rachels4dda1ca22

62.

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"A few years ago I was going through a rough patch in college. I spontaneously decided to get a tattoo, and this was the first thing that felt right for me. It reminds me to always keep moving forward."

—katieh42601cb58

63.

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"For my love of distance running in high school, and how I grew to love the challenge of it, and now I feel like I'm flying with every marathon I do."

—hbartma2

64.

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"I got my tattoo after my dad died. I read the poem '[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]' by E.E. Cummings at his funeral."

—aliciam4fa618d95

65.

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"My sister and I got matching tattoos before I moved out of state, to symbolize our love for each other!"

—stephaniec40c5dd71d

66.

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"I got this because I’m obsessed with the moon. I also love that this particular moon is in the process of transitioning and still looks beautiful. I think it's a good metaphor for life."

—jessicag4931316b8

67.

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"My mother, godmother, three godsisters, and myself all have this tattoo on our left wrists. I absolutely love it! I feel that it bonds us all together."

—jacentaa

68.

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"I think this one is super cute."

—haleym45d32e851

69.

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"I got this tattoo in memory of my father, who passed away suddenly when I was 9 years old. I will always miss my dad, but I can look at my tattoo and remember that he is always with me. It is the word 'LOVE' in his handwriting. It serves as a constant reminder to never stop loving myself, because for a long time I didn't. It is a reminder that I am free to love who I want."

—maddisonc4c98ccb31

70.

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"My mom, sister, and I got matching tiny triangle tattoos."

—codiem2

71.

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"One night in Chicago, my friend and I randomly decided to get matching tattoos."

—meaganw4b3620ccb

72.

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"This was my first tattoo, which was designed after I saw Interstellar. The film had a huge impact on me, so I had 'stay' in Morse code tattooed."

—samanthar4a383b0f7

73.

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"I used to be super close to a guy, and we always joked about getting matching black heart tattoos, kind of like what's on a playing card. He decided that I wasn’t worth pursuing after I told him I wasn’t going to drop out of my dream college to stay with him, so I got a black diamond instead of a heart, to remind myself that I’m worth diamonds and will earn those with my degree."

—notaglassoflemonade

74.

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"My beautiful, tiny tattoo of Mary Poppins. I’m not lucky enough to be able to see it all the time, but it becomes a nice surprise for friends when I put my hair up, and it’s visible for all to see! I’ve gotten so many compliments on this tattoo."

—stardust12706

75.

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"I got my Canadian passport renewed this summer, and there was only one way to celebrate."

—alexandram4df5a5cdc

76.

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"My sister and I got matching four-leaf clover tattoos! We have an Irish background, but we're also 'lucky' to have each other, so these are perfect. We love them!"

—alexandriaq

77.

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"I got 'ok' in white ink on my ring finger, to promise myself that I’d always be OK. I chose white specifically because it heals to look a lot like scar tissue, and I was recovering from some issues with self-harm."

—reneed4e61a6e34

78.

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"My mom always called me 'bunny,' and one year on my birthday card she drew this bunny. I immediately knew I wanted it as a tattoo. It's my favorite tattoo because of how dainty it is, but also how significant it is to me."

—laurenm4360a9327

79.

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"The year my mom was born. She’s the most important person in my life."

—nanif3

80.

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"I came up with a meaning for this symbol at the time I got it, but the real story is that I was 18 and wanted a small tattoo. I forget I have it a lot of the time because I rarely wear my hair up, but I kind of like that it's just for me."

—sofiag47716da12

81.

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"My mom has been one of my biggest supporters and role models in my life. She was the main reason I wanted to study abroad, and when I was in college I got the opportunity to study in the Netherlands. Before I went to Utrecht, my mom gave me a card to open on the plane. Inside of it were three pages filled with her advice and love for me. The artist is Max Brukman at Artcastle Tattoo in Zeist, NL."

—clairer4a8f77648

82.

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"Perfect sister tattoos of the mathematical sign of congruence. We are the same blood, but different people…"

—addarifrancesca

83.

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"Harry Potter's scar and glasses."

—alyxbrown

84.

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"A simple pine tree."

—sashad

85.

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"My unalome tattoo."

—joannar13

86.

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"Two tiny triangles above my ears to remind me to stay balanced. In life, there are always ups and downs, hence why one is facing up and the other down. It’s all about balancing the good with the bad!"

—shannonnolan

87.

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"Representing my love for the Pacific Northwest."

—chsmbdrummajor

88.

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"Got these two little branches done in Oakland."

—abbym4

89.

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"I always find myself wearing monogrammed shirts and sweaters. It's placed in the same spot on my chest that the monogram of my shirts is."

—jamesedgark

90.

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"I got an Arctic Monkey tattoo."

—penelopew

91.

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"Coffee is my life."

—greylj

92.

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"This tiny diamond earring on my left wrist symbolizes the part in The Breakfast Club, my favorite movie, when Claire gives Bender her diamond earring."

—josefinec2

93.

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"My friend and I have a sun and moon tattoo."

—courtney819

94.

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"Sweet home."

—autumntks

95.

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"I got this lil' guy about a year ago when I lived in London, and it’s a reminder to ride the wave out of whatever is happening around me and to take deep breaths. It’ll all be OK eventually."

—samanthag60

96.

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"For my black cat who passed away on Friday the 13th."

—jcbrown

97.

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"I got this crown to remind myself that I am a queen and the ruler of my own life."

—plussizedprep

98.

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"Minimal sailboat."

—d48f591655

99.

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"My love for Harry Potter knows no bounds. This is just above and behind my right ankle."

—rohanve

100.

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"Simple symbol of my horoscope sign, Leo."

—laurak46

101.

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"This is my Peter Pan tattoo that leads me to Neverland. Second star to the right and straight on till morning."

—andyc46

102.

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"This is an image from a Modest Mouse album cover. It’s a hot hair balloon attached to an anchor. It represents stasis."

—mudstock

103.

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"Home is where your heart is, so I have a heart where my hometown is in Michigan. Now no matter how far away I may go, I never forget where I came from."

—chloem4d

104.

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"My favorite number. As simple as that."

—jamiev4

105.

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"Based on a necklace I purchased while I was going through a really rough time. Elephants are my favorite because they represent strength, serenity, and wisdom. The raised trunk also represents luck. I bring a little luck with me everywhere I go now."

—jennycash162

106.

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"Birdcage on my middle finger. Get it?"

—katestenzl

107.

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"My mom's kisses."

—megb4

108.

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"A tiny, little spark."

—alephx

109.

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"My best friend and I got matching white ink tattoos on my 18th birthday."

—alexgonzo

110.

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—stefaniec4

111.

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—haydenp2

112.

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"My husband and I got these triangles at a time when we were feeling closer than ever in our marriage. The two bottom angles represent the two of us and the top is God in our relationship."

—lg89

113.

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"Coordinates of the first tornado I ever photographed."

—latsyrhc

114.

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"Two teeny, tiny Harry Potter tattoos."

—carlij3

115.

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"My webbed toe tattoo."

—laurenm49

116.

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"A tiny camera."

—jamiec4

117.

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"It reads, 'I am my own piece,' a quote from a little known Shel Silverstein book. It’s a simple and highly metaphoric story that teaches us to live our lives for ourselves and to not be dependent on the validation of others to complete us."

—katyl414

118.

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"Tiny Triforce."

—fettycrocker

This article contains content from Spencer Althouse. It was compiled by Kelly Rissman.