Vintage Halloween Ephemera
These free ephemera sheets are made up of images from vintage Halloween Postcards.
Scroll down all the way down, and you’ll find two different collage sheets. The first is a sheet of 2.5” x 4.25” journal cards followed by a sheet of 2” x 3” journal tags.
If you like these, you may also want to check out my growing selection of free Halloween collage sheets.
2.5” x 4.25” Journal Cards
Halloween postcards from the early 20th century possessed a distinct and enchanting style that captured the essence of Halloween traditions during that era. These vintage postcards were characterized by whimsical and occasionally eerie illustrations, often rendered with intricate details and muted colors, evoking a sense of nostalgia. They featured common Halloween motifs such as witches, black cats, owls, ghosts, pumpkins, and bats, often portrayed in a playful or mischievous manner. Costumes reflected the fashions of the time, with popular choices including witches, devils, clowns, and various animals.
The postcards typically bore festive and sometimes humorous greeting messages related to Halloween, ranging from simple "Happy Halloween" wishes to elaborate verses and poems such as the ones on these ephemera sheets. They frequently incorporated symbols like jack-o'-lanterns, full moons, and eerie landscapes to create a mysterious and atmospheric ambiance. Some postcards stood out with embossed or die-cut designs, adding tactile appeal and unique forms. Everyday objects were anthropomorphized on these postcards, such as the human-like faces on the pumpkins.
Drawing inspiration from folklore and superstitions associated with Halloween, these vintage postcards conveyed the belief that Halloween was a time when the boundary between the living and the dead was thin. The color palette primarily comprised muted tones such as orange, black, green, and brown, contributing to the vintage and slightly eerie aesthetic. A diverse array of designs catered to different tastes, ranging from cute and whimsical to more enigmatic and mysterious. These early 20th-century Halloween postcards offer a captivating window into the Halloween celebrations and artistic trends of the time, as the holiday evolved from its traditional roots into a more commercialized and popular observance.
2” x 3” Journal Tags
Use these in art journaling, junk journaling, bullet journaling, collage, artist trading cards (ATCs), scrapbooking and other mixed media artwork and crafts.
If you enjoy these free printables, be sure to follow me 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.
