Les Fleurs Animées: Free Printable Victorian Flower Illustrations for Junk Journaling and Mixed Media
In this article, you’ll:
Download free Les Fleurs Animées Victorian flower illustrations for junk journaling, scrapbooking, and mixed media projects.
Learn the history and symbolism behind Grandville’s 19th-century floral personifications.
Explore related botanical and Victorian ephemera printables to expand your creative options.
If you love combining art history with paper crafting, you’re in for a treat. I’m sharing free printable Victorian flower illustrations from Les Fleurs Animées (“The Animated Flowers”), a stunning 19th-century French book that personifies flowers as elegant women dressed in detailed, botanical-inspired gowns. These public domain images have been carefully cleaned, formatted, and arranged into high-resolution printable collage sheets you can download instantly and use in your junk journals, scrapbooks, or mixed-media art.
Whether you’re working on a Victorian botanical junk journal spread, creating handmade greeting cards, or designing a nature-meets-fantasy altered book page, these illustrations are a gorgeous way to bring your projects to life.
The Story Behind Les Fleurs Animées
Les Fleurs Animées was published in Paris in 1847 by Jean Ignace Isidore Gérard, better known as Grandville. Known for his satirical and fantastical illustrations, Grandville had a gift for blending the real and the imaginary. In this two-volume work, he transformed flowers into graceful female figures, dressing them in clothing inspired by the plants’ shapes, colors, and symbolic meanings.
What I find fascinating is how these images capture the Victorian love of both science and sentimentality. During this period, botany was a popular hobby, and “flower language” was a cultural phenomenon. Each bloom in Les Fleurs Animées was not just drawn for beauty; it carried a symbolic message. Roses, violets, lilies, and other flowers were personified to reflect the virtues, emotions, and personality traits associated with them.
For example:
The Cactus often symbolizes endurance and resilience, thriving even in harsh conditions.
The Arrowhead represents determination and focus, its sharp, clean lines evoking a sense of purpose.
The Verbena suggests creativity and charm, with blossoms that brighten any scene.
This blending of botanical accuracy, cultural symbolism, and fanciful portraiture is what makes these illustrations so timeless and perfect for vintage-inspired crafts.
2.5” x 4.25” Journal Cards
Why I Love Using These Illustrations in My Projects
I’ve worked with many historical botanical prints, but Les Fleurs Animées has a special place in my heart because of its whimsical narrative quality. Each figure feels like a character from a Victorian fairy tale, and that makes them endlessly versatile in crafting.
Some great uses are:
Layering them with vintage typography printables from this collection for an old-world collage effect.
Creating botanical-themed junk journal signatures by pairing them with lace scraps, tea-dyed paper, and pressed flowers.
Adding them to handmade greeting cards for weddings, birthdays, or Mother’s Day, especially when paired with floral quotes or poetry.
Using them in altered book art to tell a whimsical nature-inspired story.
Because the originals are high-quality engravings, they hold up beautifully even when resized for small tags or ATC (Artist Trading Card) formats.
Tips for Printing and Using Les Fleurs Animées Collage Sheets
For best results:
Paper Choice: Print on cream or ivory paper to give the illustrations a warm, antique feel.
Ink Distressing: Lightly ink the edges with brown or sepia tones for an authentic aged look.
Layering: Combine with other Victorian ephemera such as vintage ads from this free set to create storytelling layers.
You can also experiment with fussy cutting around each figure to layer them over textured backgrounds, or even use clear sticker paper to create translucent overlays.
2” x 3” Journal Tags
Crafting Inspiration: 3 Project Tutorials
Here are three creative ways to bring these free printable Victorian flower illustrations into your next project:
1. Victorian Garden Junk Journal Spread
Base your background on tea-stained paper or a printed ledger page.
Add lace or crochet trim along the edge.
Layer your chosen flower lady illustration over images from these Mushrooms Printables for an enchanted forest feel.
Handwrite a small “Victorian-style” caption underneath in sepia ink.
2. Floral Storytelling Tags
Cut manila tags or heavy cardstock to desired size.
Cover the front with aged book page scraps.
Add a single flower lady cutout, leaving space for a short quote about flowers or nature.
Finish with a ribbon or seam binding dyed in a complementary color.
3. Altered Book Fairy Tale Scene
Select an old book with decorative borders or aged pages.
Glue down a Les Fleurs Animées figure, then surround her with pressed flowers.
Use gold gel pen or metallic paint to highlight details for a magical touch.
Related Printables for Botanical & Victorian Art Lovers
If you enjoyed these Les Fleurs Animées illustrations, you’ll also want to explore these free downloads:
Free Vintage Typography Printables – Perfect for adding authentic period lettering to your floral spreads.
Vintage Store Ephemera – Advertisements, price tags, and receipts from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Vintage Ads – Original antique advertising pieces that pair beautifully with romantic floral imagery.
Mushroom Illustrations – For a nature-meets-fantasy vibe.
Vintage Hat Ephemera – Elegant millinery illustrations that complement Victorian portrait art.
2” Circles
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 journal, 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. Pinning is always welcome and appreciated!
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.
