Autumn typically calls for pumpkin carving, apple picking, and trick or treating, but for tattoo enthusiasts and Halloween lovers alike, the season also demands spooky tattoos. Regardless of how you like to celebrate spooky season, Halloween tattoos are a surefire way to keep the creepy vibe going all year long. From smiling jack-o-lanterns to sharp-toothed bats, Halloween tattoos can be creepy, cute, or downright frightening.
Big fan of spooky Halloween tattoos, yourself? Check out these clever Halloween tattoos to inspire your next spooky tattoo design.
If your October is filled with pumpkin-carving and corn mazes, then a jack-o-lantern with the classic snaggle-toothed smile might be the perfect Halloween tattoo for you.
The Disney World parks are notorious for their elaborate Halloween decorations. Every October giant pumpkins carved in the shape of Mickey Mouse pop up around the amusement parks, and spooky events fill the fall calendar. For the goth Disney devotee, a tattoo dedicated to Cinderella’s Halloween castle could be the right ink for you.
Maybe you fancy yourself as a modern day witch, equipped with healing crystals and aromatic incense. With your affinity for spirituality, a colorful ouija board tattoo could invite some uplifting spirits into your world.
For the goth who likes to leave their Halloween decorations up all year round, a sharp toothed bat combines traditional ink with Halloween vibes.
Halloween can be dark and creepy or colorful and cute. Show off your love for all things cute and spooky with a cheerful ghost and a colorful tombstone.
Stay true to the Halloween roots with a simple jack-o-lantern inked in all black.
Want to show off your love for furry friends and the macabre? Frighten even the most dedicated cat lover with this threatening feline.
Everyone has a beloved Halloween movie. Whether it’s Casper the Friendly Ghost or Hocus Pocus, you can show off your love for your favorite spooky film with some fresh ink in the spirit of Halloween.
Beetlejuice is a fan-favorite creepy move that's perfect for spooky season. Although the outdated special effects and the nightmarish creatures made my skin crawl, its weirdness is fascinating. The Maitlands haunt their former home and try to scare away its new residents. Lydia, the new teenage inhabitant of the Maitland’s former home doesn’t believe they’re ghosts until she photographs them with a Polaroid camera and notices the sheets float… but their feet aren't visible in the picture!
A spooky haunted house makes for a tattoo representing all the quintessential elements of Halloween. This piece masterfully incorporates all the creepy aspects of the holiday, depicting a haunted house enshrined with eerie fog and a sliver of the moon. A shadowy figure peers out of the central window. Blood drips from the jack-o-lanterns mouth. Despite all these elements, the piece doesn’t feel crowded or overdone. Rather, it makes for a perfect tribute to the creepy but whimsy nature of Halloween.
Autumn, Halloween, and even some wintry vibes collide in this tattoo. With nods to divisive seasonal treats like candy corn and the almost universally loved hot chocolate, this tattoo displays a love for sweets and Halloween alike, and the peppermint feels like an ode to the upcoming winter holiday season.
No image represents Halloween better than the snaggle-toothed jack-o-lantern.
Pokémon collides with horror in this Halloween flash sheet designed by artist Isashah Pereira of Richmond’s Black Rabbit Tattoo. Combining the cute and unique forms of the Pokémon, Eevee, with various creepy accoutrements from Jason’s iconic mask to the grim reaper’s scythe, Pereira bridges the darkness of Halloween with the cuteness of Pokémon.
Even the flowers in this tattoo exude a creepy aura with their warm autumnal colors, and since they flank a bottle of poison, they have an uncanny deathly quality. The crescent moon makes yet another appearance as well. The moon is a common element of Halloween tattoos because it instantly adds to the creepiness. Darkness and nighttime scare us much more easily than daytime sunlight.
The Addams Family are perfect subjects for a Halloween tattoo. Lovers of the macabre, they reside in a gothic mansion surrounded by a cemetery and a swamp.
Kewpie dolls are a staple of traditional tattoos, and they can be found across all trends. This delightfully cute kewpie sits inside a jovial jack-o-lantern, and a couple bats add some spookiness to this cute Halloween design.
A perfectly cute ghost accented with fluorescent red makes for a sweet traditional tribute to Halloween.
A colorful cauldron bubbles in this witchy tribute to Halloween.
Get straight to the point with a Halloween tattoo that proclaims your undying love for the creepiest day of the year.
Like these Halloween tattoos? Check out our Halloween body jewelry sale to complete your spooky look.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the official position of PainfulPleasures.
