nextluxury logo
nextluxury logo
upload upload
Upload
  • Men’s Style
    • Fashion
    • Footwear
    • Accessories
    • Grooming
    • Hair Care and Styling
  • Tattoos
  • Home Design
  • Lifestyle
    • Relationships
    • Food and Travel
    • Vehicles
  • Entertainment
  • Interesting
  • Funny
  • Gear
Top 65 Best Embroidery Tattoo Ideas – [2022 Inspiration Guide]

Top 65 Best Embroidery Tattoo Ideas – [2022 Inspiration Guide]

  • Next Luxury / Tattoo Ideas
  • by — Jono Elderton

The embroidery tattoo trend has stepped straight out of Nana’s embroidery design magazine and onto the tattoo scene.  

This increasingly developed genre does a superb job balancing realistic needlework looks with outlandish style choices ranging from classical art to traditional flower ink and video game characters.  

The almost 3D appearance of an embroidery tattoo makes it look like an iron-on craft patch applied to the skin directly. The embroidery style tattoo art form replicates the deliberate linear needle marks that are hallmarks of embroidery, as opposed to the noticeable tiny “X” marks in the equally growing cross stitch tattoo design trend.  

There’s no actual embroidery, stitching, or yarn used. Embroidery tattoos are created the usual way – with a tattoo gun, needle, and a variety of inks required to get the job done by coloring in your skin.  

An embroidery tattoo design mimics the stitch texture of embroidered fabric and features some of the classical styles, such as cartoon characters, sports motifs, 3D tattoos, and superhero badges.  

A successful embroidery tattoo looks like an embroidered patch tattoo that you can iron or stitch onto your clothing. Read on and explore our gallery of embroidery tattoo ideas that will have you thinking in stitches.  

1. Unique Embroidery Tattoo Art 

These badass tattoo art examples bring out interesting interpretations of what you can achieve with a cool embroidery design. There are realistic tattoos that look like they may be an actual craft patch ready to cover a ragged hole or make a cool jacket fly even more, while others mix the stitch tattoo style and regular tattooing concepts — I love the blue sailboat and white ink flourishes — for killer contrast in pattern.

The classical art piece takes the traditional flower in a fantastic new direction, melding an art form with another to create one great idea. I also love the embroidery tattoo design of the pizza sweater-wearing astronaut, backed by traditional tattooing execution of the purple solar system that furthers the fabric look of the main feature.

puebla-inked-embroidery-tattoo-yomera1

Source: @yomera1 via Instagram

comic-lego-embroidery-tattoo-palmerdemaria

Source: @palmerdemaria via Instagram

motorcycle-patchwork-honda-tattoo-min_zumi

Source: @min_zumi via Instagram

hand-austronaut-embroidery-tattoo-yomera1

Source: @yomera1 via Instagram

female-patch-embroidery-tattoo-krisnotch_tattoo

Source: @krisnotch_tattoo via Instagram

equilattera-ink-world-famous-mousin-embroidery-tattoo-ksuarrow_tattoo

Source: @ksuarrow_tattoo via Instagram

ink-embroidery-tattoo-ksuarrow_tattoo

Source: @ksuarrow_tattoo via Instagram

colorful-embroidery-tattoo-alicia_casale

Source: @alicia_casale via Instagram

   

 2. Movie Stitching Tattoo Ideas 

These movie ideas put your favorite (or not, looking at you, creepy clown from Saw) characters into a different kind of tattoo trend from deep-cut tiny tattoos or large scenes from the films.

Each tattoo artist offers small tattoos that imbue the idea with some fun and color while paying homage to pop culture greats such as Princess Leia, Gizmo, or Thanos.

Embroidery tattoo art is also useful to make ink expressions look like the craft badges you see on school bags, hats, or officially licensed clothing. Marvel’s Black Panther and Iron Man ideas are particularly well executed.

black-panther-patchwork-real-embroidery-tattoo-min_zumi

Source: @min_zumi via Instagram

thanos-memes-patch-embroidery-tattoo-palmerdemaria

Source: @palmerdemaria via Instagram

patchcolor-gizmo-gremlins-embroidery-tattoo-thevonb

Source: @thevonb via Instagram

ironman-embroidery-tattoo-terioshi

Source: @terioshi via Instagram

princess-leia-starwars-patch-embroidery-tattoo-terioshi

Source: @terioshi via Instagram

jigsaw-linework-horror-embroidery-tattoo-black_barock_france

Source: @black_barock_france via Instagram

wizard-of-oz-tinman-embroidery-tattoo-yomera1

Source: @yomera1 via Instagram

  

3. Food Embroidery Tattoo Design 

These lively small tattoos show off the cool use of colorful tattoos and shapes to add realistic elements. The cross-section of the lemon stands out as art that your Nana could affix to a Christmas cable sweater to really make it pop.

ironman-embroidery-tattoo-terioshi

Source: @terioshi via Instagram

lemon-patch-embroidery-tattoo-janjaeju_tattoo

Source: @janjaeju_tattoo via Instagram

cherry-patch-embroidery-tattoo-janjaeju_tattoo

Source: @janjaeju_tattoo via Instagram

candy-art-embroidery-tattoo-cansintattooist

Source: @cansintattooist via Instagram

  

4. Animal Themed Embroidery Tattoos

Embroidered tattoos of animals feature range and variety, probably more so than any other category. Each uses colors with command, from the bat tattoo in grays with regular black ink highlights to the vivid rainbow stitching of the hummingbird.

For mine, the standout pieces are the stone-cold honey badger (Youtube Honey Badger Don’t Care for an experience) and the fox and shark tattoo. These art examples halve the embroidery tattoo with fractal geometry tattooing and animal realism characteristics to brilliant effect.

bird-embroidery-tattoo-yomera1

Source: @yomera1 via Instagram

yellow-bird-embroidery-tattoo-ginktattooshop45

Source: @ginktattooshop45 via Instagram

frog-embroidery-tattoo-ksm_tattoos

Source: @ksm_tattoos via Instagram

black-bat-embroidery-tattoo-hollow_moon_tattoo

Source: @hollow_moon_tattoo via Instagram

fox-embroidery-tattoo-yomera1

Source: @yomera1 via Instagram

honey-badger-embroidery-tattoo-andrewgummerart

Source: @andrewgummerart via Instagram

shark-embroidery-tattoo-yomera1

Source: @yomera1 via Instagram

brown-heart-patch-embroidery-tattoo-janjaeju_tattoo

Source: @janjaeju_tattoo via Instagram

 

5. Bands/Music Embroidery Stitch Tattoo 

These embroidered tattoo examples look like someone, probably with an epic mullet or perm, took a temporary tattoo from a stall at a concert, then took it home for an older relative to whip up into a badass 3D effect with a sewing needle. I personally enjoy nothing more than skull tattoos mixed with the hairstyles of Poison or Def Lepard. It might even be time to make my tattoo appointment and get my Guns n Roses hair bandanna dream combo.

coulour-korn-band-cover-up-embroidery-tattoo-simonectattoos

Source: @simonectattoos via Instagram

skull-yellow-embroidery-tattoo-palmerdemaria

Source: @palmerdemaria via Instagram

feel-good-gorillaz-embroidery-tattoo-cansintattooist

Source: @cansintattooist via Instagram

kiss-embroidery-tattoo-dreas.tattooer

Source: @dreas.tattooer via Instagram

yellow-bee-embroidery-tattoo-palmerdemaria

Source: @palmerdemaria via Instagram

 

6. Rick and Morty Embroidery Style

Rick and Morty are smart, funny, and completely off-the-chain weird. They make popular normal tattoo designs too! From an embroidery tattoo design perspective, you can use some of Rick and Morty’s weird characters to make colorful ink.

existence-pain-blue-embroidery-tattoo-terioshi

Source: @terioshi via Instagram

gettysburg-rick-morty-embroidery-tattoo-shwainn

Source: @shwainn via Instagram

 

7. Symbolic Embroidery Tattoos

There are some cool, old school embroidered patch vibes coming from these embroidery art examples. I mean, the smiley face is iconic, as is the pro-weed piece. All you need is a peace sign and you have the hippy trifecta from 1960 until today.

These examples are cool; they mirror common themes you could find in a Japanese city convenience store or an Outback Roadhouse 200 miles away from anything, except for the tooth, which is just weird unless you’re a dentist or bone collector!

dice-dungeons-drgaon-embroidery-tattoo-eyeconictattoos

Source: @eyeconictattoos via Instagram

dentist-embroidery-tattoo-camilocfranco

Source: @camilocfranco via Instagram

chochin-patch-embroidery-tattoo-santa_tinta

Source: @santa_tinta via Instagram

mask-embroidery-tattoo-yomera1

Source: @yomera1 via Instagram

nuestra-cultura-embroidery-tattoo-alberto_rojo_tecolotl

Source: @alberto_rojo_tecolotl via Instagram

smiley-patch-embroidery-tattoo-janjaeju_tattoo

Source: @janjaeju_tattoo via Instagram

smoke-weed-embroidery-tattoo-min_zumi

Source: @min_zumi via Instagram

warning-sign-kangaroo-embroidery-tattoo-min_zumi

Source: @min_zumi via Instagram

 

8. Cartoon Character Classic Embroidery Tattooing  

Embroidery tattoo ideas mesh well with classic cartoon heroes and villains. Given how popular the craft patch is as an easy, inexpensive fix for kids’ clothes or embellishment to make things cooler, it stands to reason they’re popular.

Whatever cartoon you’re into — I’m a She-ra Princess of Power fan — you can find an embroidery tattoo idea with a cartoon character theme that appeals to just about everyone, including the tattoo artist.

kenny-southpark-embroidery-tattoo-cansintattooist

Source: @cansintattooist via Instagram

naruto-embroider-tattoo-cxktt

Source: @cxktt via Instagram

simsons-ink-embroidery-tattoo-cansintattooist

Source: @cansintattooist via Instagram

super-mario-embroidery-tattoo-terioshi

Source: @terioshi via Instagram

cat-embroidery-embroidery-tattoo-thevonb

Source: @thevonb via Instagram

winnie-the-pooh-embroidery-tattoo-cansintattooist

Source: @cansintattooist via Instagram

jake-adventure-time-embroidery-tattoo-cansintattooist

Source: @cansintattooist via Instagram

mew-patch-embroidery-tattoo-janjaeju_tattoo

Source: @janjaeju_tattoo via Instagram

oppa-duck-style-embroidery-tattoo-cansintattooist

Source: @cansintattooist via Instagram

princess-sword-embroidery-tattoo-terioshi

Source: @terioshi via Instagram

winnie-the-pooh-patch-embroidery-tattoo-ginktattooshop45

Source: @ginktattooshop45 via Instagram

yama-megaman-embroidery-tattoo-cansintattooist

Source: @cansintattooist via Instagram

 

9. Traditional Style Embroidery Design

I love how these pieces of body art — very much from the new school in design and execution — pay tribute to traditional tattoo art of Sailor Jerry Collins, Lyle Tuttle, Don Ed Hardy, and company. The key to these embroidery designs here is the knowledge that some people will look at the tattoo and realize it’s in homage to old school traditional work, while others will believe it’s just a rad-looking patch.

celtic-embroidery-tattoo-palmerdemaria

Source: @palmerdemaria via Instagram

friday-the-13-traditional-embroidery-dagger-tattoo-13ink_wataru

Source: @13ink_wataru via Instagram

clover-leaf-embroider-tattoo-yomera1

Source: @yomera1 via Instagram

red-flower-color-embroidery-tattoo-ksuarrow_tattoo

Source: @ksuarrow_tattoo via Instagram

bird-embroidery-tattoo-terioshi

Source: @terioshi via Instagram

  

10. Disney Themed Embroidery Tattoo Art

There are those cartoons from your childhood that you loved and never watched again; then there are the timeless stories told by Disney you watch over and over again. Worse if you have small animals masquerading as humans. If you’re of a certain disposition, that naturally makes you a candidate for a Disney-themed tattoo, and these are pretty kickass examples of how cool they can look.

marvin-the-martian-embroidery-tattoo-yomera1

Source: @yomera1 via Instagram

pinocchio-patch-embroidery-tattoo-pierotattwin

Source: @pierotattwin via Instagram

simba-lion-king-patch-embroidery-tattoo-janjaeju_tattoo

Source: @janjaeju_tattoo via Instagram

mickey-mouse-embroidery-tattoo-terioshi

Source: @terioshi via Instagram

cartoon-embroidery-tattoo-terioshi

Source: @terioshi via Instagram

stitch-patch-embroidery-tattoo-tattoo_by_renata

Source: @tattoo_by_renata via Instagram

 

Embroidery Tattoo FAQ  

What is an embroidery tattoo?  

The 3D effect of embroidery tattoos makes them look like real embroidered patchwork designs sewn into the skin. They’re still created the usual way – with a tattoo gun, needle, and the variety of inks required to get the job done.  

Are embroidery tattoos real?  

There’s no embroidery, stitching, or yarn involved, but the way they’re etched onto the subject’s skin mimics the timeless technique of embroidered fabric. Most embroidery tattoos look like those cool texture patches you can iron or stitch on to clothing.   

What’s the difference between embroidery tattoos and cross stitch tattoos?  

The two art forms are similar in execution, application technique, and effects; however, they have noticeable differences. Embroidered tattoo examples feature deliberate linear needle marks (they look vertical), while cross stitch tattoos have the noticeable tiny “X” marks in the stitch tattoo. 

Did you enjoy these embroidered tattoos? Click on the links below for more galleries featuring cartoon character, movie, and 3d inspiration. 

  • Top 57 Marvel Tattoo Ideas
  • Top 50 Kingdom Hearts Tattoo Designs
  • Bowser Tattoo Ideas
  • Horror Movie Tattoo Designs

More Must-Read Articles

  • Body Doubles in Movies: Everything You Need To Know
    /Entertainment
    Body Doubles in Movies: Everything You Need To Know March 31, 2023
  • 12 Funny Moments in Sport That Are Unforgettable
    /Funny
    12 Funny Moments in Sport That Are Unforgettable March 31, 2023
  • 10 Strange Rock Formations From Around the World
    /Interesting
    10 Strange Rock Formations From Around the World March 31, 2023
  • Who Is the Most Famous Person in the World? Here Are 17 People Who Fit the Bill
    /Entertainment
    Who Is the Most Famous Person in the World? Here Are 17 People Who Fit the Bill March 31, 2023

Jono Elderton

Writer

Jono writes about booze and tattoos for Next Luxury, having spent nearly two decades experiencing both in a variety of situations around the globe.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Creative Writing) from the University of Canberra and a Graduate Diploma of Professional Writing from Deakin University.

Jono writes about booze and tattoos for Next Luxury, having spent nearly two decades experiencing both in a variety of situations around the globe.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Creative Writing) from the University of Canberra and a Graduate Diploma of Professional Writing from Deakin University.

More Must-Read Articles

  • Johnny Depp Tattoos: A Guide to the Actors Ink
    Johnny Depp Tattoos: A Guide to the Actors Ink February 8, 2023
  • 20 Old People With Tattoos Who Still Look Great
    20 Old People With Tattoos Who Still Look Great January 27, 2023
  • 23 of the Best Celebrity Tattoos
    23 of the Best Celebrity Tattoos January 4, 2023
  • Chris Evans Tattoos: A Guide to the Actors Ink
    Chris Evans Tattoos: A Guide to the Actors Ink December 16, 2022
Discover Greatness
Subscribe for Free
Real gentlemen know quality when they see it. 100% Privacy.
  • Upload Your Image
  • Advertise
  • FTC Disclosure
  • Our Authors
  • Our Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

© COPYRIGHT 2023 Next Luxury ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

NEXTLUXURYDOTCOM LLC IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON SERVICES LLC ASSOCIATES PROGRAM, AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR SITES TO EARN ADVERTISING FEES BY ADVERTISING AND LINKING TO AMAZON.COM. SOME LINKS MAY BE AFFILIATE LINKS. WE MAY GET PAID IF YOU BUY SOMETHING OR TAKE AN ACTION AFTER CLICKING ONE OF THESE