Moon tattoos are some of the most requested designs that tattoo artists receive. There’s plenty to love about the celestial body that governs the phases of our bodies and pulls the ocean’s waves. It’s a symbol for the passing of time as well as a constant that can always be counted on. From cool crescent moon tattoos to photorealistic ink, there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate the moon in ink.
We decided to take a look at social media to discover the trends among these tattoos and what tattoos people are loving. We found a huge diversity of designs with each offering something different and fresh. If you’re in the market for moon tattoo ideas, you’ve come to the right spot. Get inspired by the dozens of examples below.
Get Inspired by These Awesome Moon Tattoos!
Lavender Crescent
Let’s ᴋɪᴄᴋ things off with a moon tattoo that is absolutely perfect. We find a dark crescent shape that’s filled with a lavender botanical element. What a dream!
Let’s Face It
The moon with a face is a popular choice for tattooing. Here’s a glamourous example that is sᴜᴘᴇʀ tidy and neat. Sharp lines go a long way to make a tattoo look extra polished.
Tarot
Tarot card tattoos are extremely popular these days. We’re happy to see that the trend shows no sign of slowing. In this example, we find the moon on a card flanked by floral elements and crystals.
A Full One
Crescent moon tattoos are the most popular choice but they are not the only option available to you. Here’s a photorealistic tattoo of the moon tucked behind this person’s ear.
The Phases
The phases of the moon make for gorgeous tattoos. You often find them in a straight line but we love the idea of forming them into a circle that mimics the actual shape of the full moon.
Matching Moons
Here we find matching tattoos done in contrasting colors. We find one cool and one warm. It’s a great idea that looks great side-by-side but both will also look great on their own.
Big Red
Red ink proves a winning color option time and again. If you’re not married to the idea of black ink, consider red ink that will really make a statement.
Cute Crescent
Here’s a sweet crescent moon tattoo that’s got a cool, color gradient effect. A cute little heart can be found orbiting this charmer.
Framed
To give a tattoo added definition consider framing the design. We find a black moon over the sea with a botanical element here. It’s a fresh design that appears ᴅʀᴀᴍᴀtic yet balanced.
Through the Clouds
Smoky clouds can be found hovering around this moon tattoo that’s filled with a cool texture. The contrast between light and dark is magnificent here and proves a winning design feature.
Over Land & Sea
Here are opposing tattoos that imagine the moon over mountains and the sea. These natural elements add even more romance and nuance to the designs.
A Fine, Fine Line
Fine line tattoos require expert sᴋɪʟʟ and can be applied by hand with a needle. The method is called stick and poke and it results in the thinnest lines and tiniest details. Take a look at the “scales” of the snake that’s wrapped around the moon. That’s no easy feat!
With Skull
Here’s a somewhat morbid moon tattoo that finds a crescent looped through the empty eye sockets of a skull. We don’t know why but it does appear very unique and original.
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Feeling Floral
Here’s another moon tattoo that’s filled with floral elements. For added romance, consider doing the same with your design.
A Trip to the Moon
A Trip to the Moon is a 1902 French adventure short film directed by Georges Méliès . One of the most iconic shots in cinema history finds a face in the moon. We find a celebration of it in this inspired design.
Stitched
An emerging trend today is embroidery tattoos that look like they’ve been stitched into the skin rather than tattooed. Tons of tiny marks form this micro tattoo and give it tons of texture and visual interest.
With Whale
In this design, we find a whale, a realistic-looking splash of water, and a haunting moon hovering over the entire design. It’s a handsome nod to the way the moon dictates the movements of the sea.
Moon Fairy
If you ғᴀɴᴄʏ a little whimsy, consider using your imagination to come up with a unique, visual narrative. In this design we find a fairy sitting on a crescent moon tattoo. How magical did this tattoo turn out?
Moon in the Milky Way
The purple moon of this tattoo is meant to be swimming in a milky way, the person who shared the image explained. We find many cute symbols that don’t have much to do with space but look appealing in this setting.
Set the Scene
We find a most haunting moon tattoo in this design that imagines a tree with a lantern ʜᴀɴɢɪɴɢ from one of its branches. Think outside of the box and you too can walk away with something equally as ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀɪᴏᴜs and attractive.
Moody Blues
An ombré effect is the blending of one color hue to another. The moon goes from a pale blue to a rich, dark purple here. It’s much more interesting than a single color. Little stars in a variety of colors complete this charming design.
Barely There
Here’s a moon tattoo that could have been designed by an impressionist painter. It’s subtle and sophisticated with gentle colors that work extremely well together.
Neo-Traditional
Traditional tattooing values simple shapes, bold colors, and well-defined lines. In the above example, you will find those hallmarks along with a cool shading effect that makes it appear both old and new at the same time.
Fall Foliage
Here’s one of the most unique moon tattoos we encountered. Fall foliage constitutes this nature-inspired design. If you’ve got a mood you’re going for with your tattoo, work with an artist to realize it.
The Moon & the Sea
Here’s another moon tattoo that’s been inspired by the sea. We find dolphins swimming forward on a wave that mimics the shape of the crescent moon that contains it. Gorgeous shading and acute attention to detail really make this tattoo a standout.
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Moth & Moon
We leave you with a lovely moth tattoo that includes a blue flower and a golden moon. Feel free to add elements to your moon tattoo that makes it more substantial and visually interesting. This very tidy example shows how adding more can really deliver.
There you go! We hope you found some ink inspiration with these moon tattoos. As you’ve seen, there is no wrong or right way to go about your tattoo, and the more unusual the better. If you’d like more ink inspiration, take a look at these moon tattoos that are all about the phases of the celestial body.
Keep That Moon Tattoo Inspiration Coming Your Way with These Delightful Moon Phases Tattoos!
Classic
Moon phases tattoos down the forearms are extremely popular. More than any other placement, we found moons down arms in a vertical pattern.
Down the Spine
Another popular placement for moon phases is down the spine. Here’s a pretty example with moons that have a lot of texture to offer visual interest.
Minimal
Another direction to take moon phases tattoos is to go with a more minimal look. Crisp, simple lines form this understated tattoo of moons over a mountain.
Lunar Band
A less popular placement that looks fantastic is to go horizontal with the moons so that form a kind of band around the arm. These small moons look great circling the arm.
With Sunflowers
A favorite way to mix things up with moon phases tattoos is to switch out some of the moons for flowers. In the above example, we find two sunflowers in place of moons.
With Embellishment
People love adding ornamental elements to their moon phases tattoos and it’s easy to understand why. We find an arrow shape going through these moons with some botanical elements flanking either side.
More Visual Interest
We find dots and dashes among these moon tattoos that offer movement. Work with a tattoo artist who understands how to compose a balanced tattoo for something equally as appealing.
With Love
In the middle of these moons, we find a full moon in the center of heart. It’s a lovely sᴜʀᴘʀɪsᴇ that we only encountered once while researching tattoos. You might try something similar for your moon phases tattoo.
Huld-Inspired
The Icelandic manuscript called Huld , presumably from the word “Hulda” meaning sᴇᴄʀᴇcy was created by Geir Vigfússon in 1860. It is one of many dating from the late 18th to the early 20th centuries, featuring collections of runic alphabets and magic symbols and sigils that were used in earlier eras. This tattoo is based on symbols from it.
Part of Something Larger
This giant backpiece has a lot going for it. At the top of the tattoo, you will find moon phases done in bold, black ink. Incorporate your moons into a larger design for something extra special.
A Meditation on Time
Here’s another tattoo that contains the moon phases. Its subject matter seems to be the passing of time as we’re treated to an hourglass as well.
Get a Little ᴄʀᴇᴇᴘʏ
If you like your art on the dark side, lean into it. These ᴄʀᴇᴇᴘʏ skeleton hands frame the phases of the moon perfectly and offer a touch of magic and ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ.
With Butterfly
In this moon phases tattoo, we find a butterfly substituted for the full moon. It’s a stunning design that we feel many people would love to try for themselves.
Do It with Dots
Dots make for very interesting decorative elements. You can employ them to add ᴅʀᴀᴍᴀ to your moon phases tattoo as this person has done to great effect.
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Feeling the Floral
Here’s another moon phases tattoo that uses florals to help bring it to life. The subtle rainbow colors look fantastic next to the grey moons.
Make It Micro
Micro tattoos are a huge trend today. The little moons of this tattoo are smaller than a dime! This example proves that you can make a big statement by going small. We’ll share more small examples with you as this list continues.
Circular
If small is not the way you want to go, you can go big with a circular design. While most people put the phases of the moon in a line, we feel the circular placement is more naturalistic.
See It Through
Here’s another example of the circular moon phases tattoo. We find them orbiting a ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀɪᴏᴜs eye in the center. How fun!
Subtle
The phases of the moon have been subtly worked into this swan tattoo in the form of a halo shape around the bird’s head. It’s a fabulous idea that you can riff on to make your own.
Mini Moons
Here are some more micro moon phases tattoos. These tiny, sharp designs look fantastic in the preferred circular shape. The placement on the shoulder is pretty here but it could work on a variety of places.
Magic
One of the most ᴅʀᴀᴍᴀtic moon phases tattoos on this list, we find a beautiful tattoo hand pointing toward the moons that are radiating moonbeams.
Consider the Fill
So many of the moon phases tattoos that we’ve seen contain a nice texture that mimics the surface of the moon. But, that’s not the only option. Consider filling your moons with something that inspires you. These floral moons are a beautiful example of how this design scheme can pay off.
Blissfully Simple
A decorative floral element is surrounded by the phases of the moon in this pared-down design that’s all about style. Keep things simple for a sophisticated and beautiful design.
Mandala Moons
Mandala tattoos are extremely popular these days. We were sᴜʀᴘʀɪsᴇᴅ to discover that the designs could work with the phases but this example shows just how to do it.
ᴋɪʟʟ It with Color
Most of the moon phases tattoos we encountered are tattooed in black and grey. Feel free to go your own way with color. This rainbow gradient looks gorgeous and makes the texture of the moons really pop.
There you go! We hope you found a moon phases tattoo that you want to base your own original design on. As you’ve seen, there are many ways to go about getting one of these tattoos. Think outside the box and work with a tattoo artist who has a unique point of view for a unique design that only you can claim!
