Rib tattoos are some of the most painful in the business. Pretty much whenever you hit bone when doing a tattoo, you’re in for a world of hurt. Although rib tattoos do hurt, they also have a unique way of conforming to the body, which looks great if done by the right artist.

If you are interested in finding some great rib tattoo ideas, then you’ve come to the right place! On this page we will take a look at some designs that work especially well as rib tattoo.
Below are some of the most popular rib tattoo ideas and why they might be perfect for you.

The snake

The snake has a lot of great meanings attached to it, so this is a great rib tattoo idea if you happen to love snakes and what they stand for. Snakes symbolize mystery, fertility, magic, renewal, and so many other great things. As a rib tattoo, you can get your snake coiling around your ribs, in a vertical line going up your ribcage, or even moving towards your stomach. If you know that you want a snake rib tattoo, be sure to pick a type of snake that you find attractive and meaningful.

The butterflies

The butterfly is the ultimate symbol of transformation, so if that’s a meaning you were looking to use in a tattoo design, then this might be the perfect rib tattoo idea for you. Most people want their single butterfly tattoos centered somewhere on their bodies, which is why it’s usually better to have two or three butterflies in the rib area. Of course, you could get the butterfly designed at an angle so it works more naturally with the lines of your body.

The birds

Bird tattoos look good pretty much anywhere on the body, but they make for good rib tattoos when people need a larger canvas to work with. You have a lot of design options here, too. You can have a bird flying up towards your head, or you can even have it flying horizontally across your ribs. If you do decide go with this rib tattoo idea, be sure to choose a bird that has a meaning you like as just about every species has two or three good ones.