Inside: Zebra gum tattoo ideas that will make you feel nostalgic about all that bubble blowing fun.
Do you remember the fruity zebra bubblegum that had little tattoos in the gum wrapper? You know…the one whose flavor was incredible but only lasted for about 15 seconds before all the flavor was gone? Yep…I just unlocked a memory for you.
That gum was basically both the best and worst thing about my childhood. Best because it was overall just so fun, and tasty, and then the worst because you could never keep the pack for long.
You just end up flying through the whole pack within a few hours or less because of how quickly they lost flavor. But hey… at least we got free tattoos.
They may have been temporary then, but now we are adults and we have the power to turn our first fake tattoo into a real, forever one.
I was always so obsessed with getting a fruit stripe gum tattoo that it shouldn’t surprise me now that I have almost a full sleeve and I’m not even 22 yet. What can I say, they started me young.
And not just me either, thousands of people that grew up with this gum now have not-so-temporary tats of their own.
Crazy how we are all growing up so fast.
So to pay homage to the gum that started it all, I figured I’d put together a little list of the coolest zebra and bubble gum-themed tattoos I could find. There was surprisingly not a lot… maybe this gum was a cult classic and I had no idea. But I did pull together a good compilation from the stuff that was there.
Before we get into that, let’s discuss a few important things.
Table of Contents
Bubble Gum Tattoo Meanings
Bubble gum tattoo meaning will vary from person to person. Everyone can have their own unique stories and connection to this classic candy.
Overall though, there are a few themes that come to my mind.
When I think of bubble gum I think of my childhood. I cannot remember the last time I blew a bubble. So getting a bubble gum tattoo, especially one as niche as the zebra striped one, is such a good way to remind you of the importance of not growing up too fast. It’s about keeping that inner child with us throughout our journey.
That way you can remain as happy as possible as you go through life.
What Does A Gum Tattoo Cost?
The price of a tattoo, regardless of what it is, will vary based on its size, placement, and color. Not to mention the fact that each shop has its own individual pricing. So My advice for you would be to go and get a consultation with your artist (most are free) and they will be able to tell you just how much it’ll cost. The smaller it is the cheaper it will be…and visa versa.
So call your tattoo artist today and get that ball rolling.
Will It Hurt?
Getting a bubble gum tattoo hurts as much as anything else. As a young person, I find that areas with more soft tissue(aka fat) are more comfortable when getting tattoos because nerves are protected. As opposed to the bonier spots that hold your nerves right on the surface.
If you are worried about the pain, there are other ways that you can avoid it. One of my favorite recent must-haves when getting a tattoo is a numbing spray. Yep, you read that right.
So if you are really just over the pain then you can opt for something like that.
Zebra Mascot Tattoo
Now for the part, we’ve all been waiting for… the tattoo inspo!
Take a look at all of these and see which one you might want to get for your next tattoo.
1. Zebra Mascot – This one is a classic, so it’s obviously number one for good reason. It’s the perfect tattoo that encapsulates the fruity stripe gum seeing as the zebra was their mascot.
2. Simple Zebra Stripe Tattoo – This one cracks me up because it looks like they literally put one of the temporary tattoos on their hand and then went and made it permanent!
3. Cute Little Permanent Mascot – Look at this little rainbow zebra riding a bike. Who can resist that?
4. Mascot Riding a Skateboard – This mascot is super active. First I see him rollerblading, then riding a bike, and now a skateboard. Is there anything this animal can’t do?
5. 90s Gum  – Since this gum was super popular in the 90s/2000, I thought this one was perfect.
6.Temporary Tattoo – This one is the temporary tattoo, but I wanted to include it anyway since you could easily go and get it made permanent.
7. Zebra on a Hang Glider – I think the hang gliding zebra is my new favorite.
8.Matching Temporary Tattoos – What a fun concept for matching tattoos! Everyone can just draw a stick of gum and whatever the tattoo is on their piece is what they will end up getting.
9. Zebra on Forearm – Zebra bro would be hanging 10 if he had that many.
10. Zebra with Red and Blue Stripes – This one is color accurate. Look at that. It’s like the colors right off of the box.
11. Light Blue Zebra This one also has a great color palette that directly reflects the gum packaging.
Bubble Gum Tattoos
Now I know this one isn’t the fruity stripe gum, but I thought bubble gum deserved its only little list as well. So I put together some of the cutest and coolest bubble gum tattoo ideas I could find… and I really found some great ones.
12. Bubble Gum Machine
14. Colorful Gum Ball Machine
16. Black and White Bubble Gum Girl
18. Double Bubble Tattoo
19. Realistic Girl Blowing a Bubble
21. Bubble Gum Baseball Player
Well… are you convinced yet? Because I am! I might get one of these hilarious tattoos this week. If there is one theme in tattoos that I love above all else it is the things that represent remaining a child inside as you grow older.
I feel like there are so many pressures that make children grow up much quicker than they actually deserve, so tattoos like this mean a lot to me.
There is nothing glummer than going about the world with grey-colored adult glasses, let me tell you.
And tattoos don’t always need to be serious or have some amazing explanation to be considered a good idea. You have the freedom to do anything you want.
So if you want a bubble gum tattoo then that is your business. If you want a cupcake… that’s your business.
Okay, I may also be a sucker for food-themed tattoos okay? It’s not my fault I am a foodie and there are almost too many awesome food tattoos out there.
Anyways, I hope you loved these examples and I hope you found one that made you feel excited and passionate. Remember that it is the small things in life that add up to the big stuff. Like one big, slowly growing ball of chewed-up gum. Bad visual? Okay, apologies that’s my bad. 😉 Enjoy your tattooing!
I'm Victoria Hudgins, a seasoned professional in the field of home decor, which seamlessly complements my artistic passion for tattoos. With nearly a decade of experience as a tattoo stylist, having designed at some of the world's top tattoo studios, my dual expertise helps to fuel my creative inspiration.