Free Printable Vintage Leaves: Perfect for Fall Journals and Collage Projects
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Inside This Post:
Download two free sheets of vintage fall leaf relief scraps to use in your junk journals, collages, and seasonal crafts.
Learn about the Victorian origins of relief scraps and how they’re used today.
Get creative ideas for journals, mixed media collages, and tags.
Discover printing and layering tips to make your leaves look beautifully realistic.
Explore other fall printables from The Art Scavenger’s Thanksgiving-Fall collection to complete your autumn projects.
Why Vintage Leaves Are So Magical
There’s something special about the way autumn leaves capture time. Each one a fleeting moment of color and texture. The vintage fall leaf relief scraps in this printable set celebrate that fleeting beauty.
During the Victorian era, “relief scraps” were collected in albums and traded much like stickers. They were prized for their intricate color lithography and delicately embossed surfaces. By the late 1800s, scraps featuring seasonal motifs, leaves, flowers, birds, and cherubs, filled decorative scrapbooks and handmade greeting cards.
Today, these timeless designs have become beloved ephemera for junk journalers and collage artists, who appreciate both their charm and historical depth.
This printable collection brings those antique designs into the digital age, and is perfect for layering, collaging, and creative reuse without the worry of damaging fragile originals.
Inside the Free Printable Set
These two collage sheets feature richly colored autumn leaves in amber, gold, olive, and crimson. These designs are ideal for cutting, layering, and combining with other vintage ephemera.
What you’ll find inside:
Two collage sheets to cut and layer. One with larger leaves, and one with smaller leaves.
A mix of oak, maple, and beech leaves in realistic vintage hues
Subtle details, ideal for printing on matte paper
Creative Ways to Use These Vintage Leaf Printables
These printable leaves work beautifully in a wide range of seasonal projects. Here are a few ideas to inspire you:
Junk Journals & Art Journals
Create autumn-themed spreads by layering leaves behind photos, tags, or vintage labels.
Use them as page accents. Tuck a leaf half-visible under a journaling card or along the edge of a pocket.
Write journaling prompts inspired by the season: “What did I let go of this year?” or “What can I change like the leaves?”
Collage & Mixed Media Projects
Pair with old book pages, fabric scraps, or botanical images for warm, layered compositions.
Add a wash of transparent gesso or matte medium to blend the leaves into your collage background.
Incorporate stenciled textures, pressed flowers, or watercolor splashes for added depth.
Cards, Tags & Fall Décor
Cut out individual leaves to use as embellishments for handmade cards.
String together multiple cutouts to make a fall garland or gratitude banner.
Create thank-you tags by writing sentiments directly on the leaves with a gold pen.
Color Palette & Mood Boards
Arrange leaves on a board or journal page to inspire your autumn color palette, from warm ochre and chestnut to soft moss green.
Combine them with natural materials like twine, lace, or dried foliage to set a cozy, vintage tone.
Larger Leaves
Printing & Crafting Tips
To help your leaves look as rich and realistic as possible, try these easy techniques:
Choose the Right Paper
Matte cardstock (110–160 lb) works best for crisp details and durable elements.
Use standard copy paper for layering.
For a soft, antique look, print on watercolor paper or vellum.
Avoid glossy paper unless you want a more modern finish.
Cutting & Distressing
Use fine-tip scissors or a craft knife for precise edges.
For a softer border, gently tear around the leaf instead of cutting.
Distress edges with brown or sepia distress ink to give the appearance of age.
Lightly curl leaf edges around a pencil for a dimensional, lifelike effect.
Layering Techniques
Use foam dots or adhesive squares under some leaves to create shadow and lift.
Layer vellum or tissue over parts of a collage to make the leaves appear embedded.
Mix the leaves with other vintage botanical or Autumn ephemera.
Finishing Touches
Outline veins or edges with a white gel pen for highlight contrast.
If sealing, use a thin layer of matte medium to protect surfaces without glare.
Other Free Printables You Might Like
These selections from the Thanksgiving-Fall section of The Art Scavenger complement the vintage leaves beautifully:
Free Woodland Gnomes Printables – Whimsical vintage illustrations of forest gnomes perfect for fairytale-themed journals.
Free Acorn and Oak Leaf Ephemera Sheets — rich botanical tones to layer with today’s leaves.
Vintage Mushroom Ephemera Printables — perfect for forest-themed journals or nature collages.
Thanksgiving Ephemera — vintage postcard artwork for seasonal spreads.
Smaller Leaves
The History Behind Relief Scraps
If you’ve never heard of “relief scraps,” they were the die-cut ancestors of stickers. In the late 19th century, German printers perfected a process that embossed images to make them appear raised, hence “relief.” These scraps often came in sheets depicting flowers, birds, and leaves, with thin connecting tabs for easy removal.
Children and adults alike collected them in Victorian scrapbooks, traded them, and used them for handmade cards or decoupage. Today, using these designs digitally revives that same tradition of celebrating craft, beauty, and the changing seasons through paper art.
Final Thoughts
There’s no better way to capture the feeling of fall than with a scattering of colorful vintage leaves across your journal pages or collage boards. Whether you print them on textured paper, mix them with fabric and lace, or frame them in a gratitude spread, these leaf printables will bring warmth and nostalgia to your creative projects.
Happy fall crafting! May your pages be filled with texture, color, and the beauty of the season!
Love These Printables? Support The Art Scavenger!
I love sharing free vintage printables, and if you enjoy them, there are easy ways to support my work so I can continue creating and offering more free designs:
You may also enjoy these free collage sheets.
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.
