“I could never love anyone as I love my sisters.” — Little Women.
When people think about getting inked, what often comes to mind is what’s meaningful to them. For many, one of the most meaningful aspects of life is family.
There is a special bond between siblings, especially sisters. A sister is like a different version of you, and someone you can turn to throughout your life. They’re a best friend, and so much more. As so many sisters feel this bond, there is a whole theme of tattoo art dedicated to sisterhood.
Babushka Doll Tattoo
A Babushka doll (also known as a Matryoshka doll) is a nesting toy that originated in Russia. The nesting part refers to the fact that inside of each doll is another doll.
Why this works as a sister tattoo (especially for more than two sisters) is because they go down in size. So, the bigger doll can represent the older sibling, while the smallest one can symbolize the youngest sibling.
The details on these dolls are often beautiful, and can translate well into detailed, colorful tattoos.
According to Nesting Dolls,
“The literal meaning of matryoshka is mother. Hence, you can put a matryoshka tattoo on your body to show your love for your mom. However, some Russian nesting doll tattoo designs do not just represent motherhood. They also embody femininity and sisterhood.”
Pinky Promise Tattoo
How many times have you and your sister clasped little fingers together and uttered, “Pinky promise,” as a pledge to one another?
This has become a popular emblem to represent strong bonds and friendships.
A pinky promise tattoo looks amazing as an outline tattoo, and there are many options when it comes to placement. This design works as a ribcage tattoo (this can be a painful spot, though), forearm tattoo (this is a good option for a first tattoo as it tends not to hurt too much), and bicep tattoo.
Flower Tattoo
Flowers are beautiful to look at, yes, but so many flower species have deep symbolism attached to them that can bring a new level of meaning to your tattoo design.
One of the most common flower tattoos are roses. Pale pink roses can represent joy, while yellow roses can mean friendship.
The Arbutus is a tiny white flower that can make for a perfect mini tattoo. The meaning behind it also makes it ideal:
“The tiny white arbutus flower makes the perfect floral tattoo, because the flower says, ‘Thee I love’ without even having to speak,”
Inked Mag
Find a flower with a meaning that both you and your sister resonate with for the perfect matching sibling tattoo.
Date Tattoo
Want to keep things simple? How about the date that your sister was born? You could each get each other’s birth year as a tiny minimalist tattoo.
This can be a very sentimental choice, as a birth date is specific to your sibling, unlike a flash tattoo design.
Star Sign Tattoo
Another tattoo idea that focuses on birth dates is a star sign design.
If you and your sister feel like your zodiac signs are a good representation of your personality, you could each get each other’s star sign tattooed to honor the other.
The beauty of going this route for your sister tattoo is that you can go as simplistic or as detailed as you want. From a glyph (the symbol of a star sign) or flower, to the constellation or an image that represents the sign, there are many ways to go.
Celtic Knot Tattoo
As this ancient symbol is made up of three interlocking parts, this can be a tattoo choice for three sisters.
To some, the Celtic knot represents birth, death, and rebirth; to Christians, this knot symbolizes the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Byrdie points out,
“Basically, the various meanings boil down to one common thing: the points represent three separate entities that are interconnected.”
This interconnectedness can easily translate to the bond between sisters.
Infinity Tattoo
Because the relationship you have with your sister is the one friendship that will last your whole life.
An infinity design is a simple figure eight on its side, and represents many things including regeneration and as well as the eternity of the universe. As Symbol Sage explains,
“There is no beginning or end, just an endless cycle of destruction and creation. Everything within the cosmos is in continual motion. There is a oneness we have with the universe and though we are individuals we also have an unbroken connection with one another.”
An infinity tattoo can therefore symbolize the connection you and your sister have, and no matter what happens, you will always come back to this link.
Heart Tattoo
This is another design that can work on a multitude of levels. If it’s just the two of you and you both want something minimalistic, you can opt for a tiny heart outline.
You can always up the number of hearts according to how many siblings want to be involved in this matching tattoo.
Or, you and your sisters can get the same amount of hearts tattooed as siblings, and fill in the heart according to your birth order. You’re the little sister? The last heart can be filled in.
Of course, you can up the detail and choose an anatomically correct heart design.
“The anatomical heart tattoo can also symbolize friendship. If two people want to show that their friendship [means] more to them than just about anything else, they can get matching anatomical heart tattoos,”
Tattoo SEO
From a simple flower design or a mini infinity symbol, to a specific date or detailed Babushka doll tattoo, there is so much out there to represent the unique bond you have with your sibling.
