Vintage Valentine Printables
The sweet vintage Valentine’s Day card images on these free printable ephemera sheets are from the early 1900s. The illustrations are of flower elves as indicated in some of the Valentine’s Day greetings accompanying them. I included a couple of preview images of the individual Valentines because the preview of the sheet as a whole doesn’t display very well.
Make sure you also visit the Valentine's Day section in my library for more free Valentine ephemera.
Valentine Preview
Red roses have been a symbol of love and romance for centuries, and they are particularly significant on Valentine's Day. The tradition of giving red roses on Valentine's Day can be traced back to ancient times, when the red color was associated with the Roman goddess of love, Venus.
Culturally, the red rose has also found its place in various art forms, from poetry to visual arts. Poets and artists alike have drawn inspiration from the elegance and passion associated with red roses, further cementing their significance in the realm of love and romance.
The tradition of giving red roses on Valentine's Day gained popularity in the Victorian era. In literature, the language of flowers became a popular means of expressing emotions. Red roses, in this symbolic language, conveyed deep love and passion. I’ve come across quite a few books from the era on the language of flowers, and have made collage sheets with the illustrations from some of them such as these flower bouquet ephemera sheets and these floral emblems collage sheets.
The red rose's timeless appeal continues to make it a popular and enduring choice for expressing love on Valentine's Day. These beautiful blooms continue to serve as a powerful symbol of love, capturing the essence of romantic emotions with their vibrant color and rich symbolism.
Valentine Preview
In your art or junk journal, use vintage valentines such as these to create captivating collage pages. Layer these charming pieces with various ephemera pieces like aged book pages, postage stamps, and decorative paper. Arrange valentines in overlapping compositions, using them as central focal points for your artistic compositions.
Enhance your journal's interactivity by fashioning pockets from these vintage valentines. Fold and glue the sides to create pockets where you can tuck in small notes, tags, or additional embellishments. This adds a playful and functional element to your journal.
Frame a vintage Valentine as the main focus of a page and complement the theme by adding doodles, quotes, or your own artwork around it. This method draws attention to the intricate details of the valentine while allowing room for personal expression.
Glue down vintage valentines as background layers to introduce texture and interest to your pages. Try distressing techniques, tearing edges, or applying ink to achieve an aged appearance.
Experiment with layering vintage Valentines at various depths on your pages, creating dimension with foam adhesive or folded sections. This technique adds a tactile and visually engaging quality to your journal. Allow your creativity to shine by incorporating stitching, sewing, or other craft elements to further enhance the aesthetic appeal of your vintage-themed art or junk journal.
3.5” x 2” Journal Cards
I hope you are able to use these Valentine’s Day ephemera sheets as inspiration for your mixed media art journaling, junk journaling, bullet journaling, collage, artist trading cards (ATCs), scrapbooking and other crafts.
If you enjoy these free printables, be sure to follow on Instagram and Pinterest, so you’ll see when I post new ones.
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.
