Free Flower Children Ephemera Printables
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Free Flower Children Vintage Ephemera + How to Tell Captivating Stories Through Art Journaling with Vintage Images
There’s something magical about flipping through the pages of an art journal, where layers of color, texture, and imagery weave together a personal narrative. One of the most powerful ways to enhance storytelling in art journaling is through the use of vintage images. These timeless pieces of ephemera, whether they be old photographs, antique postcards, or delicate illustrations, add depth and nostalgia, allowing your journal to tell stories both real and imagined.
In this post, we’ll explore how to use vintage images to tell compelling stories in your art journal. As a bonus, I’m offering a free printable ephemera set featuring adorable illustrations from a vintage children’s book—perfect for adding whimsy and storytelling flair to your pages.
About the Free Flower Children Printable Collage Sheets
To help you kickstart your storytelling journey, I’ve created free printable ephemera sheets featuring whimsical Flower Children illustrations from a vintage children’s book. These cute images are perfect for adding a fairytale touch to your journal spreads, scrapbook pages, or mixed-media projects.
The sheets include Flower Children illustrations in three sizes:
Domino Size (1 x 2 inches): Great for tiny embellishments, tags, jewelry-making, or layering in journals.
Journal Tag Size (2 x 3 inches): Ideal for focal points on journal pages or larger collage projects.
Larger Journal Card Size (2.5 x 4.25 inches): Perfect for standalone artwork or detailed storytelling elements.
Keep in mind that the downloads you will receive are at a high resolution. The preview images of each collage sheet below don’t appear as crisp because they are at a web resolution so they load faster. This sample gives you an idea of what the illustrations look like:
If you like to use vintage children’s book images in your mixed-media journals and crafts, I have an entire section of free printable ephemera from all sorts of vintage children’s books. There are fairy ABC book collage sheets, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ephemera printables, these picture alphabet journal cards, and more!
2.5” x 4.25” Journal Cards
Journaling with Vintage Images: Choosing a Story to Tell
Every great journal page begins with an idea. Think about the kind of story you want to tell:
Personal Memories: Use vintage images to represent aspects of your own life, family history, or cherished experiences. Maybe it’s a butterfly or bird to remember a hike in the woods with family or seashells to represent a trip to the beach.
Imaginary Tales: Let an antique photograph or illustration inspire a fictional story.
Historical Themes: Bring moments from the past to life by using vintage newspaper clippings, book pages, or postcards as backdrops.
Take a moment to reflect on what draws you to a particular vintage image. What emotions does it evoke? What story might it tell?
Gathering the Right Vintage Ephemera
Finding the perfect vintage images for your project is an adventure in itself. Here are some sources to explore:
Free Printables: Download the free vintage Flower Children printable collage sheets on this page to get started! These whimsical illustrations from a classic children’s book are full of character and charm. I also have a massive collection of free collage sheets and ephemera. Take a look and have a blast downloading and printing to your heart’s content!
Flea Markets & Thrift Stores: Discover one-of-a-kind pieces there and in antique stores or estate sales. I also find books on free carts at the public library and outside used bookstores.
Your Own Family Photos: Incorporating old family pictures adds a deeply personal touch to your journal.
Creating a Visual Narrative
Once you have your images, it’s time to build your story visually. Here’s how:
Composition: Arrange your elements in a way that guides the viewer’s eye through the page. Placing focal points in a triangle or along a diagonal line creates movement.
Layering for Depth: Combine vintage images with textured papers, fabric, and paint washes to create a rich, multi-dimensional effect.
Adding Words: Incorporate handwritten notes, poetry, or stamped phrases to enhance the storytelling.
Try using cut-out words from old book pages to create a poetic or mysterious effect!
Adding Emotional Impact with Colors and Textures
Color and texture can make a journal page feel more immersive. Here are a few ways to enhance your storytelling:
Aging Techniques: Apply distress ink to the edges of your images or pages, rub them lightly with sandpaper, or add tea stains to create a timeworn look.
Symbolic Colors: Soft sepia tones evoke nostalgia, while deep blues and purples can create a dreamy atmosphere.
Textural Elements: Adding lace, dried flowers, or wax seals can transport the viewer into the world of your story.
1” x 2” Dominoes
Bringing Your Story to Life with Mixed Media Techniques
Experimenting with mixed media will elevate your storytelling:
Collage & Image Transfers: Blend elements together by layering and transferring images onto different surfaces.
Stamps & Stencils: Use decorative patterns to frame your vintage images and add artistic flair.
Metallic Accents & Gold Leaf: Add small touches of gold or silver leaf to give your pages a mystical, vintage-inspired glow.
Finalizing Your Art Journal Story
As you near completion, take a step back and look at your page as a whole:
Cohesion Check: Does everything work together to tell a unified story?
Binding & Displaying: If you are using loose pages, consider turning them into a bound journal. This could be as simple as putting them in sleeves in a binder. Another option is to display them in shadow boxes or picture frames.
Experimentation: There’s no right or wrong way to tell a story—let your creativity lead the way!
Art journaling is more than just crafting—it’s a way to tell stories, capture memories, and express emotions. By incorporating vintage images, you can transport your audience (and yourself) to another time and place. Whether you’re working with personal memories or imaginary tales, the possibilities are endless.
Ready to bring your stories to life? Download these free vintage Flower Children printables or any of my free collage sheets and start journaling today!
2 x 3 Inch Journal Tags
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.
