Free Vintage Christmas Illustrations: Printable Holiday Ephemera for Journals & Crafts
Inside This Post:
Two free printable collage sheets featuring authentic vintage Christmas illustrations
Includes one sheet of 2.5” × 3” journal cards and one sheet of 3-inch circles
Perfect for holiday junk journals, greeting cards, and paper crafts
Features authentic Victorian and Edwardian holiday artwork
Extra holiday-themed printables linked for more inspiration
A Nostalgic Glimpse of Christmas Past
There’s a certain magic in vintage Christmas illustrations that modern designs rarely capture. Long before the rise of glossy store-bought greeting cards or digital holiday graphics, Christmas art was a labor of love. Artists drew scenes by hand, printers layered them with richly colored inks, and publishers often added fine embellishments like embossed textures or metallic details. These images weren’t viewed as disposable. They were cherished as part of the holiday tradition.
Families often kept these cards long after the season ended. Some tucked them into albums alongside family photographs, while others framed them as decorations to be brought out each December. In this way, antique Christmas cards and illustrations became keepsakes, preserving not just holiday greetings but the spirit of an entire era.
The artwork in these free printable Christmas illustration sheets comes from authentic 19th- and early 20th-century sources. Many were originally postcards exchanged during the holidays. Each design is like a small time capsule, offering a glimpse into a Victorian or Edwardian parlor, complete with glowing fireplaces, greenery draped across mantels, and children in woolen mittens full of excitement for the season.
By using these illustrations in your creative projects, you’re not only adding beautiful imagery but also carrying forward a piece of history. Whether you slip one into a junk journal, attach it to a handmade card, or display it as part of your seasonal décor, these vintage prints invite the warmth and wonder of old-fashioned Christmas traditions into your crafting.
To make them easy to use in modern crafting, I’ve created two printable collage sheets:
2.5” × 3” Journal Cards – a versatile format you can slip into journal pockets, use as tip-ins, or decorate as miniature holiday greetings.
3-inch Circles – simple shapes that can be cut or punched out to make ornaments, embellishments, and tags.
Whether you want to add a hint of nostalgia to your junk journal or craft handmade cards that feel timeless, these printables are designed to spark your creativity.
2.5 x 3-Inch Journal Cards
Why Vintage Christmas Imagery Still Captures the Imagination
One of the most charming qualities of vintage Christmas card illustrations is their ability to tell a story. Instead of being designed as quick, disposable decorations, these images often reflected the spirit of the season. A scene might show a family gathered around a glowing tree, children playing in the snow, or a horse-drawn sleigh traveling through a quiet winter landscape. Each picture feels like a snapshot of holiday traditions from long ago, offering a window into the way Christmas was celebrated in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
The colors in antique holiday ephemera also add to their appeal. Rather than the bold, glossy tones we often see in modern graphics, these vintage prints favor warm reds, faded greens, and touches of gold. This softer palette creates a sense of timeworn beauty and evokes themes of comfort, generosity, and togetherness. alues many of us still associate with the holiday season.
For crafters, these printable Christmas art sheets are a goldmine of inspiration. A single image can spark ideas for a handmade card, serve as the focal point of a journal spread, or become the highlight of a scrapbook page filled with personal memories. Many creators enjoy how easily these vintage holiday images for junk journals pair with lace, old book pages, or other textured papers, making every project feel layered and unique.
And that may be the real magic of working with these printables. Unlike mass-produced embellishments from a craft store, each piece of vintage Christmas imagery carries authenticity. The history embedded in these designs adds depth to your creative work, connecting your handmade projects to holiday traditions that stretch back more than a century. It’s a way of celebrating the season that feels both timeless and deeply personal.
Suggested Uses for These Printables
These free sheets are intentionally versatile, so you can make the most of them across a wide range of projects. Here are a few ideas to spark inspiration:
Junk Journals & Art Journals – Use the journal cards as pockets, journaling spots, or layered collage pieces. The circles work beautifully as tuck-in accents or focal points on decorated pages.
Holiday Cards – Mount the journal cards onto folded cardstock for quick handmade greetings. Add lace, ribbon, or stamping for extra texture.
Gift Tags & Wrap – Punch a hole in the top of the circles, thread ribbon through, and tie them onto wrapped presents for a vintage finishing touch.
Tree Ornaments – Glue two circles back-to-back with a bit of twine sandwiched between for easy handmade ornaments. You can even add glitter around the edges for a frosted look.
December Daily Albums – Include the journal cards as decorative inserts, or use them as backgrounds for photos and journaling.
Holiday Collage Art – Layer the illustrations with sheet music, lace scraps, or botanical prints to create a festive mixed-media piece.
Tips for Printing and Crafting
Paper Choice Matters: For journals, lightweight paper is fine. For tags and ornaments, choose heavier cardstock so your cut-outs hold up to handling.
Distressing Edges: Use ink pads or even a tea stain to give the edges of the journal cards a more authentic, timeworn look.
Resizing: Don’t be afraid to adjust the print settings. You can scale the journal cards smaller to fit tiny notebooks or enlarge the circles to make statement ornaments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need special tools to use these printables?
Not at all! A pair of scissors will do. That said, a 3-inch circle punch is handy for quickly cutting out the round designs.
Can I use these in items I sell?
Since the illustrations come from the public domain, yes—you can incorporate them into handmade crafts you sell, as long as the sheets themselves aren’t resold as-is in either print or digital form.
Will the colors print exactly as shown on screen?
Colors may vary slightly depending on your printer and paper. If you’d like richer tones, try adjusting your printer settings to “best quality.”
More Free Printables for Your Holiday Crafting
If you enjoyed these vintage Christmas illustrations, you might also like:
Vintage Christmas Ephemera Printables – a charming mix of nostalgic cards and gift tags.
Snowflake Photos – striking vintage snowflake photography, perfect for winter spreads.
Christmas Photo Ephemera – black-and-white vintage photographs full of seasonal character.
Vintage Sleigh Designs – elegant sleigh engravings that add an old-world winter touch.
3” Circles
Final Thoughts
The holidays have a way of blending the old with the new: family traditions alongside new memories, heirloom ornaments on freshly cut trees. These Vintage Christmas Illustration printables tap into that same spirit, letting you bring touches of Christmas past into your crafting today. Whether you’re decorating journals, wrapping gifts, or making ornaments, these designs invite you to slow down and savor the season’s creative side.
Best of all, they’re free to download and endlessly versatile. Print as many as you need, experiment with different projects, and let these illustrations brighten your holiday crafts.
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.
