Last Updated on November 4, 2025 by Dee
There’s something magical about the hush of an old library — that faint scent of paper and ink, the dusty sunlight falling across wooden shelves, the quiet promise that somewhere inside those pages, a new story is waiting.
This week, I wanted to bottle up that feeling and share it with you through something beautiful (and completely free):
✨ The Quiet Library – Free Vintage Library Junk Journal Printables!
These are a few pages from my full 80-page Quiet Library kit — watercolor backgrounds, vintage textures, and paper ephemera designed to bring a touch of nostalgic calm to your art journaling practice.
🪶 Supplies You’ll Love (and actually use with your Vintage Library Junk Journal Printables)
If you’re anything like me, your desk is half tea cup, half chaos. But having the right tools makes all the difference.
Here are a few tried-and-loved favorites to get the most out of these printables:
- A good-quality printer – I’ve had great results with my Epson Ecotank printer – especially for printing vibrant watercolor tones.
- Heavyweight matte paper (think 200–250gsm) – the kind that feels almost like watercolor paper. Here’s a good one on Amazon US.
- Micron Pens + Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens for sketchy journaling lines — I’ve written about them in this post on the best marker paper for artists.
- A watercolor brush set or travel brushes from Dick Blick — perfect for adding those soft washes around the edges.
- Vintage Stickers to add extra interest to your spreads!
- Vintage Washi Tape to tape things down and frame your focal points!
(Those links help support my little art studio at no extra cost to you — thank you for being part of it 🩵)
📜 About “The Quiet Library”
This free printable sample includes 3 pages from the full kit:
- A textured vintage journal background page
- A collage sheet of bookish ephemera and paper textures
- A vintage bookshelf for journaling spots and layering
Each piece is softly painted in watercolor, blending parchment tones, dusty blues, muted sage, and antique browns — like the faded palette of a forgotten reading room.
You can download the free pack here — and once you’re in, you’ll get access to more freebies and creative printables each week.
✂️ How to Use These Free Printables
There’s no “one right way” to use these — that’s what I love about junk journaling. Every page tells its own little story.
📚 10 Vintage Library Junk Journal Ideas
There are a hundred ways to use these printables — but here are ten ideas to get your imagination quietly humming…
1. Build Your Own Mini Vintage Library Journal
Print and fold the pages to create small “books” within your junk journal. Add scraps of old text, envelopes, or bits of paper ephemera — the more mismatched, the better.
👉 New to this? Read my guide on how to make a junk journal.
2. Create Art Journal Spreads
Use the watercolor pages as backgrounds and layer writing, pressed flowers, or collage bits on top. Add writing prompts like those in my art journal prompts post to get your creativity flowing.
3. Make Collage Inserts or Faux Book Covers
Print the tag page smaller and use them to make tuck-in cards, faux book covers, or flaps. Layer them with vellum, washi, or transparent wax paper for that aged, layered look.
4. Travel Journaling in a Real Library
Bring your printed pages to a local library or café, and jot down snippets from your surroundings — book titles, quotes, or even the sound of pages turning. Pair with a sketch or museum ticket from your favorite place (see best art museums in Europe).
5. Create “Library Memory Tags”
Use the printable tags to record little creative memories — a book you read this month, a quote that made you think, or a favorite smell from your childhood. Tie them with twine and keep them in a glass jar or envelope.
6. Design a Vintage Library Pocket Page
Turn one of the background sheets into a pocket by folding and gluing the edges. Fill it with miniature book covers, library cards, or old ticket stubs.
7. Build a “Book of Whispers”
Use the lined and blank pages to write down stray thoughts, dreams, or poetry. Bind them together with thread and wrap the spine with one of your printable book covers.
8. Collage a Reading Nook Spread
Use the ephemera sheets to build a cozy still life — a teacup, candle, stack of books, and notes. Add bits of fabric or lace to give it tactile depth.
9. Make Stationery for Letters or Pen Pals
Print the lined pages double-sided and use them as writing paper. Add the envelopes and wax seals from your kit to send bookish letters or mail swaps.
10. Turn Your Journal Into a “Library of Thoughts”
Use each spread to document a single theme or memory — “a story I want to write,” “a book that changed me,” or “a quote to remember.” Decorate with vintage tones, spines, and tiny watercolor details.
Each idea is a little doorway into that quiet, creative world where you get to pause, cut, glue, and imagine. ✂️🕯️
💌 If You Love These Pages…
The full Quiet Library kit includes 80 printable pages — from watercolor book spines and covers to envelopes, tags, and stickers.
It’s part of my Artsydee Creation Club, where members get new themed kits each week (and access to my entire back catalogue of designs).
👉 Check out the full kit here or peek inside the club here.
✨ Your Turn
Print a few pages, grab a pen, and let yourself sink into that quiet creative space where time slows down — where ideas smell like old paper and candlelight feels like ink.
Tag me if you share your pages on Instagram or Pinterest — I love seeing how each person makes these kits their own.
Happy creating, friend.
🕯️ Dee