Spider lilies are these quietly dramatic flowers — delicate, a little wild, and full of meaning. I keep coming back to them because they somehow feel like a secret conversation between beauty and memory. If you’ve been thinking about getting a red spider lily tattoo, girl, you’re in the right place. I rounded up a bunch of designs so you can find the one that fits you best.
A realistic forearm piece: red spider lily with a butterfly
Credit: jeminren
This forearm tattoo pairs a red spider lily with a red butterfly, and it reads like a whole story on skin. In some traditions the lily is about remembering loved ones, and the butterfly feels like that lingering connection — like they’re still around in small, sudden ways. It’s beautiful and quietly moving.
Cute upper-arm bow with a red spider lily
Credit: myo_ryung
This one turns the lily’s stem into a little bow and pairs it with a black-and-gray butterfly. The bow reads as connection, like ties to people you love, while the darker butterfly tones nod to letting go and learning to move forward. It’s sweet but with a humble strength.
Spider lilies as a lucky charm
Credit: beetattoo.karmon
If you want a tattoo that feels like a talisman, this lucky-charm design does it. The spider lilies are worked into a charm-like composition, which doubles down on their protective symbolism — like a little shield against bad vibes and a nudge toward a warmer, safer life.
An artistic piece that nods to Creation of Adam
Credit: naptinomeseleyi
This one layers spiritual imagery with the red lily — think hands reaching toward each other, a whisper of the divine meeting the human. The contrast of red ink and black-and-gray shading gives it that liminal feeling: part earthly, part sacred. Perfect if you want something contemplative and a little reverent.
Bold half-sleeve: butterfly machete and spider lilies
Credit: vuia_ink
This is wildly creative — a half-sleeve with a butterfly machete, spider lilies, and patterned shapes. The lilies can remind you of life’s fragility, and the whole composition kind of celebrates living big because we don’t have forever. It’s fierce, a little dark, and totally unforgettable.
Gentle fine-line lilies for the thigh
Credit: goyotattooart
If delicate is more your vibe, these fine-line lilies on the thigh are heartbreakingly pretty. Done in black and gray, they hint at a tragic love story — separation, unrequited feelings — a tattoo that holds sadness and nostalgia without shouting it.
A striking mix: snake surrounded by spider lilies
Credit: tattooist_mate
Snakes are all about transformation, and spider lilies nod to mortality — together they make a bold reminder to keep growing, even with the knowledge that everything changes. It reads powerful and poetic at the same time.
A floral sword back piece
Credit: onyo_flowertattoo
Imagine a sword entwined with red spider lilies across the back. The lilies bring a protective energy, and the sword feels like self-defense in visual form — a reminder you can protect yourself and hold your ground.
A playful black cat with a red spider lily umbrella
Credit: seolheetattoo
Okay, this one is adorable — a black cat holding a spider lily umbrella. It brightens the mood instantly, reminding you that nature has its little pockets of magic and healing. Think of it as whimsy with a meaning hush.
Nine-tailed foxes dancing with spider lilies
Credit: seolheetattoo
Two nine-tailed foxes, lilies, and butterflies — all motifs of transformation. It’s inspiring, like a visual promise that new beginnings are possible, wrapped in a folklore-meets-fine-art look.
Totoro running with a red spider lily
Credit: chacha_ink
Totoro holding a spider lily makes for a gentle, hopeful combo. The lily whispers mortality, yes, but Totoro brings the sweetness of simple joys. Together they feel like a reminder to find happiness even when life is fleeting.
Yin and yang in spider lilies
Credit: aletattoo.art
One red lily, one black lily — this forearm piece is contemplative. The black flower references mortality, the red celebrates life precisely because it’s finite. It’s small but heavy with meaning.
Red spider lilies paired with cherry blossoms
Credit: ssuncolor
Red lilies and cherry blossoms together are a bittersweet reminder to honor the good and the bad. The colors and dotwork give it an uplifting feel, like the idea that even an ending can be a doorway to something new.
A discreet thigh dragon tangled in spider lilies
Credit: hamnessy
A dragon in black-and-gray with red lilies in contrast — vulnerability and power intertwined. It’s a quieter placement but the symbolism hits deep: strength doesn’t mean you don’t feel.
Subtle dotwork for remembering someone
Credit: bamnavi_tattoo
This one uses dotwork and two red blooms to hold memory gently. If you’re honoring someone you lost, it’s understated and personal, with a softness that feels like keeping them close.
Koi fish swimming amid red spider lilies
Credit: carolinastattoo
Two koi fish and lilies — a yin-and-yang of effort and acceptance. The lilies remind you life is fleeting, the koi say, ‘still, try your best.’ It’s beautiful and motivating.
Tiny ankle spider lily
Credit: uhhhhtaco
Small, sweet, and bright — this ankle piece is subtle but eye-catching. It’s the kind of tattoo you wear like a little secret charm.
Spider lilies as a soft thread
Credit: chimney_tattoo
Here the lilies become a delicate thread, feminine and intertwined. It’s a gentle reminder that our lives touch others in ways we might never fully see.
A lone traveler discovering a red spider lily
Credit: tim.luijten.ink
This one shows a traveler finding a lily — the contrast of black-and-gray figure and red bloom tells a story about revelations that change you. It’s contemplative and very cinematic.
Spider lilies floating in the clouds
Credit: boomzodat
A dreamy sky background with lilies drifting through — this tattoo feels like a page from a storybook. It’s poetic, serene, and full of soft wonder.
A butterfly bloom near the collarbone
Credit: 1sle_tattoo
Placed by the collarbone, this design spreads like wings. The petals and butterfly imagery give it motion and a strong sense of transformation — pretty and symbolic.
Minimal ribcage spider lily that still turns heads
Credit: 1sle_tattoo
A single lily along the ribcage — minimal but detailed. It’s like a quiet secret, something just for you that pops when you want it to.
Field of lilies reaching toward the sky
Credit: foret_tattoo
Vibrant petals against a soft blue background — this upper-arm piece feels like an escape. It’s uplifting and a little nostalgic, like catching sunlight on a clear day.
A single elegant stem along the forearm
Credit: tatu_panda
A long, graceful stem that follows the forearm’s flow. Minimal, intentional, and quietly striking — sometimes that simplicity speaks the loudest.
A little ankle blossom that sways
Credit: lena_fedchenko
A curved stem and soft petals sitting above the ankle — breezy and charming. Small but full of personality.
Collarbone whispers: tiny twin lilies
Credit: 44catt
Two tiny lilies following the collarbone line like a delicate necklace. It’s understated and graceful, the kind of thing that complements rather than competes.
A graceful upper-back lily
Credit: lena_fedchenko
One red bloom across the upper back with a trailing stem — elegant and natural. It moves with you and feels like a soft, living accent.
Big, bold, and centered on the upper back
Credit: Hailin Tattoo Studio
A large lily that fans out as a centerpiece, the stem running down the spine like natural symmetry. It’s dramatic in a refined way — like wearing art that moves with you.
Subtle bloom tucked behind the ear
Credit: Studio by Sol
Tiny and playful, hiding behind the ear. It’s personal and a little mischievous — a whisper of color when you tilt your head.
A gentle rib tattoo close to the heart
Credit: Nando
Thin stem, soft pinkish-red petals — this one feels intimate. Quiet and meaningful, perfect if you want something close to the heart.
A lower-back floral centerpiece
Credit: Ida
Centered on the lower back with a couple leaves for balance, this piece feels grounded and complete — simple harmony at its best.
Intricate harmony: a creature framed with lilies
Credit: sen.tattoos
A small dragon-like creature woven between red lilies and framed like a tiny painting. The detail is so fine you almost smell the petals — a really special concept.
Classic spine bloom that feels timeless
Credit: blackcloudtattoos
A centered lily between the shoulder blades with the stem running down the spine — elegant and timeless. It’s sophistication in floral form.
A heart-centered lily right on the chest
Credit: tmr.tattoo
Placed at the center of the chest, the bloom spreads outward like it’s coming from the heart. Intimate and strong, it’s a beautiful reminder of the quiet courage inside you.
Wrap-Up
Whether you want something soft and subtle or bold and dramatic, spider lily tattoos somehow balance resilience and delicate beauty. Which one spoke to you? I’m low-key obsessed with the tiny collarbone ones, but tell me — are you leaning toward something small and secret, or big and storytelling? Hit me back and we can brainstorm placements and styles together.
