Free Gnome Printables + 25 Woodland Journal Prompts
Inside This Post:
Download your free set of vintage woodland gnome printables (perfect for junk journals, art journaling, and scrapbooking).
Learn how to create woodland-themed journal spreads inspired by forests, mushrooms, insects, and fairy-tale folklore.
Use 25 creative prompts to spark ideas for writing, sketching, or collaging in your woodland journal.
A Whimsical Journey Into Woodland Journaling
If you’ve ever walked through a forest and imagined yourself in a storybook, woodland journaling is a way to capture that magic on paper. You can blend nature observations with folklore, bringing together mushrooms, moss, insects, wildflowers, and—of course—gnomes.
To help you dive into this enchanting theme, I’m sharing a free set of printable vintage gnome postcards. These whimsical images feature gnomes interacting with salamanders, grasshoppers, beetles, and butterflies, perfect for decorating your journal pages. Whether you’re a junk journaler, art journaler, or just someone who loves fairytale characters, these printables will give your spreads an instant woodland charm.
And because every journal needs ideas, I’ve also created a list of 25 woodland journaling prompts to inspire your writing, drawing, and collage pages. Pair them with the free printables, and you’ll have plenty of creative inspiration for your next project.
About the Free Gnome Printables
To go along with these woodland journaling ideas, I’ve created three printable collage sheets featuring whimsical gnome illustrations:
Medium Cards (3.5 x 2 inches) – A versatile size for layering, making tags, or slipping into journal pockets.
Small cards (2.75 x 1.75 inches) – Small cutouts that work beautifully for clusters, borders, or embellishing the corners of your spreads.
Full-Size Postcards (5 x 3.5 inches) – Larger images that make great journal focal points or tip-ins. Perfect for when you want one strong illustration to anchor a page.
All three sets include the same delightful vintage gnome artwork like riding snails, chatting with insects, or perched on toadstools, so you can choose the scale that best suits your project.
How to Use the Free Gnome Printables
You can download and print these vintage gnome illustrations in different sizes to suit your project. Here are some ways to use them:
Journal Collage Pages: Cut out the images and arrange them with washi tape, pressed leaves, or scrapbook paper.
Tip-Ins & Pockets: Print smaller versions to tuck into envelopes or pockets within your journal.
Tags & Labels: Back them with cardstock and punch a hole for woodland-themed gift or journal tags.
Writing Inspiration: Use a gnome illustration as the centerpiece of a journal page and write a story around it.
Because the artwork is richly detailed, they pair beautifully with earthy tones, mushroom motifs, and other nature-inspired ephemera.
3.5 x 2 Inch Journal Cards
Why Woodland Journaling?
A woodland-themed journal can serve many purposes:
Mindfulness: Spending time reflecting on nature can reduce stress and bring a sense of calm.
Creativity: Drawing inspiration from forests encourages doodling, collage, and storytelling.
Connection to Nature: Even if you can’t walk through the woods every day, journaling helps you notice and appreciate details you might otherwise overlook.
Storytelling & Folklore: Gnomes, fairies, and other woodland creatures add a playful, imaginative element to your pages.
25 Woodland Journal Prompts
Here’s a mix of writing, sketching, and collage prompts to help you fill your pages. You can use them in order, pick one at random, or let the printables spark your choice.
Nature Observation Prompts
Describe the last time you walked in the woods. What sounds did you hear?
Sketch or collage different types of mushrooms you’ve seen (or imagine fantastical ones).
Collect a fallen leaf and glue or tape it in your journal. What story might that leaf tell if it could talk?
Write about how the forest changes with each season.
Record the small creatures you’ve noticed on a forest walk like ants, beetles, or butterflies.
Imaginative & Folklore Prompts
Choose one of the gnome illustrations and write a short story inspired by it.
Imagine you are the size of a mushroom. How would the forest look from that perspective?
Create a dialogue between two woodland creatures (a frog and a grasshopper, for example).
Write about a secret door you discover in a tree trunk.
Design a “gnome’s diary entry” about their adventures that day.
Sensory Prompts
List 10 different textures you might find in the forest (moss, bark, pine needles, etc.).
Describe the scent of the woods after rain.
Write about the way light filters through trees. Compare morning vs evening.
Think about silence in the forest. How does it feel?
Close your eyes and imagine a woodland soundscape. What’s there?
Creative Art Prompts
Doodle different types of toadstools or wildflowers around one of the gnome images.
Create a map of an imaginary woodland village (include mushroom houses, gnome homes, secret paths).
Make a collage of earthy textures (brown paper, bark rubbings, fabric scraps).
Paint or sketch a butterfly inspired by the printables.
Use pressed leaves or flowers to frame a gnome illustration.
Reflective Prompts
Write about a childhood memory connected to woods or forests.
Journal about the feeling of belonging in nature. What makes the woods comforting?
Compare a woodland scene to your inner life. What’s growing, what’s hidden, what’s thriving?
Record three lessons you think a gnome might teach humans.
End a journaling session by writing a letter “from the forest to you.”
2.75 x 1.75 Inch Journal Tags
Tips for Creating Woodland Journal Spreads
Color Palette: Stick to earthy browns, greens, and deep reds (like mushroom caps).
Textures: Add layers with kraft paper, burlap, or fabric scraps to mimic the forest floor.
Botanical Elements: Pressed leaves, fern fronds, or small dried flowers make perfect accents.
Mixed Media: Try watercolors for forest washes behind your printables.
Layering: Overlap the gnome cut-outs with washi tape and handwritten notes for depth.
Other Free Printables You Might Like
If you love these gnome illustrations, you might also enjoy these other free downloads from my collection:
Vintage Mushroom Ephemera – Perfect companions to your gnome spreads, these botanical illustrations bring a touch of realism to your forest-themed pages.
Vintage Insect Illustrations – Add butterflies, beetles, and dragonflies to your nature journaling layouts.
Poisonous Plants Botanicals – A little darker in tone, but great for gothic or mysterious woodland journals.
Floral Labels with Vintage Borders – Ideal for adding titles or captions to your woodland collage pages.
Final Thoughts
Woodland journaling is more than just filling a notebook. It’s a way of connecting to nature, creativity, and a sense of wonder. With these free gnome printables and 25 woodland prompts, you have everything you need to start building your own enchanted forest inside your journal.
Whether you’re writing reflections, doodling mushrooms, or collaging butterflies, let the forest guide you. Who knows? You might even start to feel like one of the gnomes from these illustrations, exploring a magical world just beyond the trees.
5 x 3.5 Inch Postcards
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.
