Free Vintage Butterfly and Moth Printables for Junk Journals and Mixed Media
Inside This Post
Includes two printable collage sheets of vintage butterfly and moth illustrations from 1789
Features 2x3 inch images and larger specimens suitable for cutting, framing, or collage
Restored from 18th-century natural history sources with softly aged tones
Perfect for junk journals, scrapbooking, or mixed media inspired by nature
Coordinates beautifully with other natural history and botanical printables
Butterflies and moths have long captured the imagination of artists and collectors. In the late 18th century, natural history illustration was flourishing. It was an era when explorers and scientists were documenting the world’s wonders for the first time in vivid color. Each plate was not just a record of biology, but a work of art in its own right.
The free vintage butterfly and moth printables featured here were originally published in 1789, a time when detailed entomological illustrations were prized for both their precision and their beauty. These restored images invite you to bring a touch of 18th-century artistry into your creative projects, perfect for junk journals, mixed media, or any collage inspired by the natural world. Their gentle, timeworn hues and intricate line work make them ideal companions to botanical pages, pressed flower art, or other vintage naturalist themes.
About the Free Printables
This set includes two printable collage sheets showcasing genuine 18th-century butterfly and moth illustrations, digitally restored from an original 1789 natural history volume. The artwork has been carefully cleaned and balanced for clear printing while preserving its antique texture and warmth.
Sheet 1: Nine 2 x 3 inch illustrations—perfect for journal cards, pocket inserts, tags, or artist trading cards.
Sheet 2: Four larger specimens—ideal as focal images, small wall art, or layered collage backgrounds.
The color palette reflects the natural pigments of the late 1700s: muted browns, tans, and creams with touches of pale blue and soft black. These subtle tones work beautifully in vintage or botanical-themed spreads.
The larger images on the second sheet also allow for creative cutting. You can trim individual butterflies to use as embellishments, perfect for perching on journaling cards or fluttering across a scrapbook page.
Each collage sheet prints on standard 8.5" x 11" paper.
Download the Free Printable Butterfly and Moth Collage Sheets
Scroll down and select either “Download JPG” or “Download PDF” under each preview image.
Once downloaded, you can print them as often as you like for use in your handmade projects, perfect for journal spreads, mixed media collages, altered books, and vintage stationery.
How to Use These Printables
These butterfly and moth printables are versatile and can easily adapt to your favorite creative format. Here are a few ways to use them:
Junk Journals and Art Journals
The smaller 2x3 inch cards are perfect for journal inserts, pockets, and tuck spots. Layer them with old book pages, lace scraps, or fragments of handwritten text to create pages that feel like field notes from a naturalist’s sketchbook.
Collage and Mixed Media
Their muted tones make these butterflies easy to layer with florals, neutral papers, and nature textures. Use them in botanical collage spreads, encaustic work, or nature-themed canvases. The detailed linework holds up beautifully even when layered with gesso, paint, or fabric.
Tags and Ephemera
Print on cardstock, cut out the images, and use them as decorative tags or embellishments. Add ribbon or jute twine to complete the vintage look. Lightly distress the edges with ink for a weathered, old-book finish.
Wall Art and Stationery
The larger images are especially well-suited for framing. A simple mat and wooden frame can turn these prints into elegant wall art. They also look beautiful printed at smaller scales for notecards, stationery, or envelope inserts.
Cut-Out Embellishments
Cut individual butterflies from the large sheet and use them to decorate envelopes, postcards, or journal covers. For a 3D effect, fold the wings slightly upward and glue only the center to your page so they appear to rest gently on the surface.
2” x 3” Journal Cards
A Glimpse into 18th-Century Natural History
When these butterfly and moth illustrations were first published in 1789, natural history was entering its golden age. Artists and scientists were collaborating to document species with a level of accuracy and artistry that remains unmatched. These works were often hand-colored after printing, using delicate washes of watercolor to bring each specimen to life.
Unlike the later Victorian style, which often arranged insects ornamentally, late 18th-century prints balanced observation with elegance. The butterflies in this collection retain that sense of curiosity and wonder, each one rendered as if still alive with subtle motion.
Using these images in your art journal connects you to that same tradition of noticing, collecting, and interpreting the natural world through paper and pigment.
Other Free Printables You Might Like
Free Vintage Insect Illustration Printables — Explore 19th-century entomology with these intricate insect engravings, a striking companion to your butterfly pages.
Free Vintage Sea Shell Ephemera Printables — Elegant marine studies that add contrast and depth to your natural history-themed journals.
Free Elegant Plants Printable Collage Sheets — Refined botanical prints that bring foliage and structure to match the delicate insect imagery.
Free British Birds’ Eggs Printables — Vintage bird and egg illustrations that add subtle color variations and continuity to your nature–themed projects.
FAQs
Can I sell items made with these printables?
Yes, you can use them in your handmade journals, scrapbooks, and mixed media art for personal or small-scale commercial projects. Just don’t redistribute or resell the digital files themselves or printouts of them “as-is.”
What’s the best paper for printing?
Matte photo paper, parchment-style paper, or cardstock produces the best results. Lighter-weight papers are great for layered collages.
Do I need special software?
No—each sheet is ready to print as-is from your computer or mobile device.
Can I resize them?
Absolutely. You can reduce the images in your printer settings depending on your project’s scale.
Here is a sample art journal page using one of the moth images. The page has a wonderful, layered look, featuring a warm background with some subtle leaf patterns and paint splatters. There's a lovely image of a single flower, which the little label identifies as Calendula Officinalis (marigold). However, the real star of the show has to be that bold, striking moth image positioned toward the bottom left. Its vibrant red, white, and brown wing pattern really pops against the softer background and helps ground the composition with its darker, intricate details. There are also two delicate dragonfly images near the top, adding to the overall nature theme of the whole spread.
Other free printables used in this spread: Flower Image and Dragonflies
Final Thoughts
These 18th-century butterfly and moth illustrations offer more than just vintage beauty. They carry the quiet curiosity of an age when science and art intertwined. Every carefully inked wing and delicate gradient tells the story of early naturalists capturing nature’s fleeting wonders with patience and reverence.
Bringing these images into your journal or collage work lets you reconnect with that same sense of observation and discovery. Whether you’re crafting a botanical field notebook, layering textures in mixed media, or creating a serene art spread, these antique prints offer endless creative possibilities.
Download your free butterfly and moth collage sheets, gather your favorite papers and inks, and let these delicate wings add a touch of 18th-century grace to your next project.
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Terms of use:
Free to use for personal or commercial projects. You may print the collage sheets as many times as you wish for your personal crafts or in your projects to sell, including: art journals, scrapbooks, junk journals, collage art, etc. You may not redistribute or sell the collage sheets “as is" in either print or digital form.
If you wish to share the files on your own website, please do not make the files available for download directly from your site. Instead, include an image with a link back to this site.
To the best of my knowledge, these are all royalty free images that are in the Public Domain in the US. However, you should always do your own research if you plan to use them commercially.
