Easy tattoo stencils
26 easy designs made of a few clean lines, each as a stencil, an outline and a color flash. Good for a first tattoo or a quick small piece.
3.50 in3.50 inSingle rose with stem
3.5″Single rose with stem
1.5″Rose bud, fine line
1″Tiny rose outline
3″Wildflower bouquet, fine line
1.5″Tiny daisy, fine line
1.75″Five-petal flower, easy outline
1″Tiny cross, fine line
2.5″Cross with wildflowers, fine line
1.75″Simple cross outline
1.25″Tiny butterfly, fine line
2.5″Butterfly with trail, fine line
1.75″Simple butterfly outline
1.25″Tiny skull, fine line
2″Skull and crossbones
1.25″Tiny compass, fine line
2.5″Compass with mountains, fine line
1.5″Simple compass star
1.25″Tiny halo and wings, fine line
3″Single angel wing, fine line
1.75″Simple halo and wings
1″Tiny heart, fine line
1.75″One-line heart, fine line
1.5″Simple heart outline
1″Tiny spider, fine line
3″Hanging spider, fine line
1.5″Tiny dove, fine line
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§1What makes a design easy
Every design on this page is one small image made of a few clean lines. There is no shading or lettering, and nothing has to line up across a long stretch of skin. Most print at 1 to 3.5 inches, so the stencil is easy to place and the finished tattoo is easy to read.
Fewer lines also tend to age better. Ink slowly softens in the skin, and lines placed close together are the first to merge. A one-line heart like HT-04 keeps its shape longer than a tiny design packed with detail.
§2Fine line or bold outline
Most ideas here come in two line weights, so you can pick the look first and the size second.
- Heart: HT-03 Tiny heart and HT-04 One-line heart in fine line, or HT-11 Simple heart outline with a bolder line.
- Cross: CR-03 Tiny cross or CR-09 Simple cross outline.
- Butterfly: BF-03 Tiny butterfly or BF-10 Simple butterfly outline.
- Halo and wings: AN-03 in fine line, AN-10 in a heavier line.
- Compass: CC-03 Tiny compass or CC-10 Simple compass star.
- Rose: R-09 Tiny rose outline and R-03 Rose bud are fine line; R-01 Single rose with stem is the classic bold rose.
Fine line looks delicate on a wrist or the back of the neck. A bolder outline stays crisp at 1 to 2 inches. Want the same easy feel a bit larger? FL-03 Wildflower bouquet, CR-04 Cross with wildflowers, CC-04 Compass with mountains and SP-04 Hanging spider run 2.5 to 3 inches.
§3Taking a simple design to your artist
Print the design in the Outline format at the size you want and bring the sheet. A page at real size answers the first two things an artist will ask: what, and how big. Before the appointment, hold it against the spot in a mirror. A design that looked small on screen can feel large on a wrist, and the reverse happens too.
Your artist may redraw a few lines to suit your skin and their setup, which is normal with any printed design. If you would like a touch of color instead of plain black, switch the format to Flash and see the same drawing in flat color.
§4Questions
Q1What is the easiest tattoo design to get?
A small closed shape in one line weight: a heart, a cross, a star or a five-petal flower. On this page that means HT-11, CR-09, CC-10 or FL-12, each around 1.5 to 1.75 inches.
Q2Is there a simple butterfly tattoo stencil?
Three. BF-10 Simple butterfly outline has a bolder line and defaults to 1.75 inches; BF-03 Tiny butterfly is fine line at 1.25 inches. BF-04 Butterfly with trail is the longer option at 2.5 inches.
Q3What is the difference between a simple stencil, an outline and simple flash?
One drawing, three ways to print it. The stencil is mirrored for transfer paper. The outline reads the right way round, for tracing or showing your artist. The flash fills the same lines with flat color so you can see the design finished.
Q4Is a simple design a good first tattoo?
It is an easy one to decide on and an easy one to live with. Print the outline at real size, hold it where you want it over a few days and judge the size and placement before you book.