Acorn and Oak Leaf Printables
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I've seen a lot of searches for fall printables. When I think of fall, I always think of acorns and was thrilled when I came upon these vintage acorn and oak leaf illustrations. These images showcase the intricate details of oak leaves and acorns, making them perfect elements for creating fall-themed junk journals, art journals, or seasonal projects. These illustrations are rich in earthy tones and highlight the natural beauty of one of fall’s most iconic trees. You’ll find two different sizes of these free acorn and oak leaf printables to suit a variety of projects.
What's Included?
I've designed two different sizes of these printables for added flexibility:
2.5 x 4.25 Inch Collage Sheet: These larger illustrations work beautifully as focal points on journal pages or greeting cards.
2 x 3 Inch Collage Sheet: The smaller size is great for layering, adding to tags, or creating decorative pockets and tuck spots in your junk journals.
Both sizes are available to download and print, ready for you to incorporate into your fall crafting projects!
If you are interested in more free collage sheets that evoke a fall aesthetic, you may want to take a look at my Halloween printables or this Thanksgiving ephemera sheet. While not strictly fall, the warm tones of the flowers in these elegant plants collage sheets would fit nicely in a fall journal, as would any of my mushroom printables. If you are looking ahead to Christmas and winter themes, you may like these pine cone printables. All of them are free to download and use in your mixed media collage artwork, crafts, card making, etc.
2.5” x 4.25” Journal Cards
Fall brings with it a sense of nostalgia, warmth, and a deep connection to nature. The cool breeze, rich hues, and falling leaves set the perfect scene for creative projects. If you're seeking an artistic and meaningful way to embrace the season, making a fall-themed junk journal or art journal with these vintage acorn and oak leaf illustrations is a wonderful project to dive into. I’ll show you how to use these free printable collage sheets, filled with vintage acorn and oak leaf images, to craft a cozy and autumn-inspired journal.
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
To get started on your junk journal, you’ll need to collect a variety of materials. Here’s a basic list to guide you:
Vintage acorn and oak leaf illustrations: The free printables from this page that you've downloaded or printed. These feature intricate botanical details that are perfect for a nature-inspired autumn aesthetic.
Junk journal base: You can use a pre-made journal, an old book, or create your own journal by binding papers together. For a more vintage look, tea-stain or coffee-dye the pages to give them an aged appearance.
Adhesives: A glue stick, PVA glue, or double-sided tape will help you attach your collage pieces to the pages.
Scissors and craft knife: To cut out your illustrations and other ephemera.
Additional ephemera: Incorporate other vintage paper items, such as tickets, postcards, or ledger paper. The more layered and varied, the richer your junk journal will look.
Stamps, ink pads, and stencils: These are optional but great for adding more texture and detail to your pages.
Pens and markers: For writing, doodling, or adding handwritten notes to your journal. A white gel pen works beautifully on darker pages.
Washi tape, ribbons, and lace: These will add texture and embellishments to your journal.
Autumn-themed paper scraps: Think of leaves, oranges, and browns, plaid patterns, or even old book pages.
Step 2: Prepping Your Pages
Before adding any embellishments, it’s a good idea to prepare the base of your journal. Here are some ways you can get started:
Distressing Pages: To achieve a vintage look, distress the pages using ink pads or by gently tearing the edges of the paper. Another option is tea or coffee staining the journal pages. To do this, dip the edges of the paper in a mixture of brewed tea or coffee, let it dry, and iron it flat to give a crinkled yet smooth texture. This will make your journal look well-worn and give it that nostalgic fall vibe.
Layering Background Papers: Use pieces of vintage sheet music, book pages, or autumn-themed scrapbook paper to layer on the pages before adding your oak leaf and acorn illustrations. Tearing them instead of cutting them gives a more natural look.
Painting or Stamping: Apply a wash of watercolor in earthy fall tones (muted oranges, warm browns, yellows, and deep reds) across your journal pages. You can also stamp some abstract patterns or leaf shapes with ink to build texture.
Step 3: Incorporating the Oak and Acorn Illustrations
Once your base is ready, it’s time to work with the acorn and oak leaf printables. Here are some suggestions for how to use them:
Fussy Cutting the Illustrations: Carefully cut around the oak leaves and acorns, taking your time to preserve the intricate details. You can also leave a small white border around them if you prefer a more polished look. Depending on the size of your journal, decide whether to use the 2.5” x 4.25” or the 2” x 3” printable sheets.
Creating Focal Points: Use the larger oak leaf and acorn images as focal points on your pages. For instance, glue one large oak leaf in the center of a page and layer smaller pieces of ephemera around it, such as vintage ticket stubs, small scraps of lace, or handwritten notes. Acorn clusters can be placed near the corners of your page to frame the layout and provide balance.
Layering the Illustrations: Consider layering smaller oak leaf illustrations over other fall-themed ephemera or onto pockets and tags that you include in your junk journal. Layering different textures, like bits of burlap, lace, or fabric scraps, beneath the acorns will create a more three-dimensional, textured look.
Creating Pockets and Tuck Spots: Glue three edges of one of the larger oak leaf illustrations onto a page to create a pocket where you can store journaling cards, tickets, or more ephemera. You can also cut smaller oak leaves in half and glue them along the edge of a page to create a "tuck spot" for additional inserts or photos.
2.5” x 3.5” ATCs
Step 4: Adding Journaling and Personal Touches
A junk journal is a great place to add personal reflections, poems, quotes, or notes about the season. The acorn and oak leaf printables can serve as more than just decoration—they can inspire your writing as well.
Journaling Prompts: Reflect on what fall means to you. Write about your favorite autumn memories, recipes, or traditions. You could also journal about nature walks, the changing colors of the leaves, or the wildlife you see in your area. Use a quote about autumn or trees and handwrite it over the illustrations to tie everything together.
Personal Photos: If you have autumn photos, such as a walk in the park or family moments, these can be glued alongside the acorn and oak leaf designs. Create photo mats with scrapbook paper or layered vintage papers, and use acorn or oak leaf stickers as embellishments.
Collage and Layering: Use scraps of fabric, lace, or textured paper along with the oak and acorn printables to create a tactile, multi-layered collage. Arrange smaller items such as buttons, dried flowers, or even pressed leaves alongside the illustrations for a true nature-inspired look.
Step 5: Embellishing and Final Touches
To give your fall-themed junk journal that extra touch of beauty, embellishments are key:
Washi Tape and Stickers: Autumnal-colored washi tape (in plaid or leaf patterns) can be used to frame images or create borders. You can also create your own stickers from the printables by printing the images onto sticker paper.
Ribbons and Lace: Tie small bits of ribbon or lace around the edges of pages, or use them to create tabs. You can also glue them along the borders of certain pages for a soft, vintage touch.
Doodling and Stamping: Add your own doodles—sketch out little acorns, leaves, or branches in the margins of the pages. Rubber stamps with seasonal images such as pumpkins or leaves can also be stamped throughout the journal to add additional detail and cohesion.
Handwriting and Lettering: Use your best cursive or calligraphy to add inspiring autumn quotes or nature-themed poetry. This adds a personal and artistic layer to the overall design.
Creating a fall-themed junk journal with vintage acorn and oak leaf illustrations is not only a fun and relaxing project but also a beautiful way to capture the essence of autumn. Whether you use your journal to record memories, collect thoughts, or as an artistic expression, each page will be a reflection of your personal connection to the season. With these free printables and creative tips, your journal will be a stunning tribute to fall’s beauty, perfect for keeping or gifting to a loved one.
Happy journaling!
I hope you’ll add these vintage printables to your supplies for art journaling, junk journaling, bullet journaling, scrapbooking, collage, artist trading cards (ATCs) and other mixed media artwork and 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.
