Seashell Ephemera Printables

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I know it’s not officially summer yet, but school’s out and the weather here in Florida is HOT, so I’m calling it close enough. That means it’s time for some beach/ocean-themed collage sheets like these free seashell ephemera printables. I suppose nautical themes are good all year round, but summer always brings them top-of-mind for me.

Scroll down, and you’ll find three different collage sheets for you to use in your mixed media journals and other artwork and crafts. There’s a sheet of journal cards, a sheet of gift tags, and lastly, another sheet of four larger images that would be great for backgrounds or cutting out individual shell images to use as collage elements. I also give some tips for creating a beach- or nautical-themed junk journal or vintage scrapbook.

If you like the free ephemera printables on this page, you might also like these seashell collage sheets or these vintage seashell illustrations. I know they are all seashells, but each one is very unique. To see all of your seashell ephemera options, as well as fish and other sealife printables, visit the ocean/beach section of my library of free printables.

Journal Cards

Creating a beach or nautical-themed junk journal is a wonderful way to preserve memories of seaside adventures or celebrate your love of the ocean. Here’s a guide to help you craft a beautiful junk journal using these ephemera printables.

Gather Your Supplies
Before you start, gather all necessary supplies:

• Printables: Use the free seashell printables on this page, or ones in the ocean/beach section of my library of free printables. You'll find fish, whales, cephalopods, seaweed, and more shells!

• Journal base: a blank sketchpad, old book, or handmade journal

• Adhesives: PVA glue, glue sticks, double-sided tape, or adhesive dots

• Scissors and cutting tools: for cutting the printables

• Additional ephemera: tickets, postcards, photographs, old maps, and stamps

• Decorative elements: ribbons, lace, buttons, and charms

• Coloring tools: distress ink, paints, pens, and markers

• Natural elements: small shells, small driftwood pieces

Prepare Your Printables
Print your chosen ephemera sheets. Cut out the images you would like to use.

Design the Cover
Your cover is the first impression of your journal. Here are some ideas:

• Base Layer: Cover the journal with a piece of nautical-themed scrapbook paper or a vintage map.

• Feature Printable: Choose one of the larger seashell printables and place it centrally.

• Embellishments: Add a piece of burlap or canvas as a background texture. Embellish with small shells, a piece of driftwood, or nautical charms.

Create a Cohesive Theme
Maintain a cohesive beach or nautical theme throughout your journal:

• Color Palette: consider a palette of blues, turquoise, sandy beige, and whites, with accents of coral or navy.

• Consistent Elements: Use seashell, fish or other nautical printables on every other page, either as full-page features, borders, or small accents.

Create Interactive Elements
Interactive elements make your journal more engaging:

• Pockets and Envelopes: Use the seashell printables to create pockets and envelopes to hold small memorabilia like tickets and notes.

• Flip-Outs and Fold-Outs: Create flip-out sections using the printable journal cards. They can be used for hidden journaling spaces or photo mounts.

Gift Tags

Use Printables Creatively
Here are some creative ways to use the seashell or other nautical printables:

• Backgrounds: Use the printables as full-page backgrounds or cut them into strips for borders.

• Tags and Labels: Cut out the tag shapes to use as labels, journaling spots, or decorative elements.

• Collages: Create collages by layering different seashell images with other ephemera like old book pages or maps.

Add Personal Touches
Personalize your journal with these touches:

• Handwritten Notes: Include your own handwriting to add a personal element. Write about beach memories, favorite seaside activities, or ocean-themed quotes.

• Drawings and Doodles: Add sketches or doodles of beach scenes, sea creatures, or nautical symbols.

• Photographs: Include personal photos from beach trips and vacations.

Finishing Touches
Add the final touches to bring your journal together:

• Edges and Corners: Distress the edges of your pages using ink or scissors for a vintage look.

• Ribbons and Charms: Tie ribbons and attach nautical charms to the journal’s spine or use them as page markers.

• Title Page: Create a title page using one of the seashell printables and write a title like "Seaside Memories" or "Ocean Adventures."

By following these tips and techniques, you can craft a beach- or nautical-themed junk journal or vintage scrapbook that captures the essence of the sea, creating a unique keepsake. Happy journaling!

4-Up

I hope you’ll add these 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.