Last Updated on January 13, 2026 by Dee
There’s something undeniably romantic about vintage Valentines. Those delicate Victorian postcards with their cherubs, roses, and handwritten sentiments carry a warmth that modern cards just can’t replicate. Whether you’re creating a junk journal, working on a scrapbook, or simply want to add some old-fashioned charm to your February crafts, antique valentines offer endless inspiration.
I’ve pulled together over 50 free vintage Valentine printables in this post, along with creative ways to use them in your projects. From Victorian valentine cards featuring cupids and lace to retro valentines from the early 1900s, you’ll find plenty of beautiful ephemera to download and print.
What Are Vintage Valentines?
Vintage valentines span roughly from the mid-1800s through the 1960s, though the most sought-after designs come from the Victorian and Edwardian eras. These old fashioned valentines featured intricate details that mass-produced modern cards simply don’t have anymore.
Victorian valentines were often die-cut into elaborate shapes with layers of embossed paper, real lace, silk ribbons, and sometimes even dried flowers. They featured romantic imagery like cupids with bows and arrows, pairs of doves, intertwined hearts, and cascading roses. The sentiments were earnest and poetic, reflecting the era’s ideals about courtship and romance.
By the early 1900s, antique valentines evolved to include penny postcards that sweethearts could send through the mail for just one cent. These featured chromolithograph printing that produced vibrant colors and charming illustrations. Retro valentines from the 1920s through 1960s brought mechanical elements, fold-out designs, and the cute cartoon aesthetic we now associate with vintage Valentine’s Day cards.
Why Crafters Love Vintage Valentine Ephemera
Vintage valentine ephemera has become incredibly popular among junk journalers, scrapbookers, and paper crafters. The appeal goes beyond simple nostalgia. These antique designs offer a visual richness and romantic aesthetic that works beautifully in modern creative projects.
The color palettes of vintage valentine art tend to be softer and more sophisticated than contemporary designs. Think dusty roses, burgundy, cream, and touches of gold rather than the bright red and pink of today’s cards. Victorian valentines especially feature beautiful typography, ornate borders, and detailed illustrations that add instant elegance to any page.
If you’re working on a love-themed junk journal, vintage valentine printables make the perfect foundation. They pair gorgeously with dried flowers, lace scraps, old book pages, and coffee-stained paper. The romantic imagery creates cohesive spreads without much effort.
Types of Vintage Valentine Printables You’ll Find
When searching for vintage valentine printables free downloads, you’ll come across several different styles and formats. Here’s what to look for:
Victorian Valentine Cards
These feature the ornate, highly decorative style of the late 1800s. Expect to see cherubs, roses, forget-me-nots, hands holding flowers, and elaborate lace-like borders. The sentiments tend to be formal and poetic. Victorian valentines work beautifully as focal points in junk journal spreads or as decorative elements on handmade cards.
Antique Valentine Postcards
Postcard-style vintage valentine images from the early 1900s have a distinct charm. They’re slightly smaller than full cards and feature everything from romantic couples to cute children delivering valentines. The postcard format makes them perfect for tucking into junk journal pockets or layering in scrapbook layouts.
Retro Valentine Graphics
Mid-century retro valentines have that adorable kitschy quality. Think anthropomorphic animals, punny sayings, and bright cheerful illustrations. These work especially well if you enjoy Valentine’s doodles or want a more playful vintage vibe in your projects.
Vintage Valentine Ephemera Elements
Beyond complete cards, you’ll find individual elements like borders, corners, cupid illustrations, heart frames, and decorative flourishes. These vintage valentine art pieces give you flexibility to create custom designs and fill in spaces around your journal pages.
50+ Free Vintage Valentine Printables
I’ve curated a collection of the most beautiful vintage valentine printables available online. These are all free to download for personal use.
Victorian Valentine Cards
The Victorian era produced some of the most exquisite valentine designs ever created. These free printables capture that romantic, ornate aesthetic:
Download Your Free Vintage Valentine Background Pages
Want gorgeous vintage Valentine backgrounds for your junk journals and scrapbooks? I’ve created a set of 50 seamless pattern and background pages featuring Victorian-inspired romantic motifs. These printable pages include hearts, roses, lace patterns, cupids, and love letter designs in soft pinks, reds, and creamy antique tones.
Simply print them out and use them as base pages for your journal spreads, backing paper for pockets, or decorative elements in your Valentine’s Day crafts.
Grab the Free Printable Valentines Junk Journal Pages HERE (below)!
Creative Ways to Use Vintage Valentine Printables
Once you’ve downloaded your vintage valentine ephemera, the creative possibilities are endless. Here are some ideas to inspire you:
Junk Journals and Art Journals
Vintage valentines are a natural fit for Valentine’s junk journal projects. Use the Victorian valentine cards as focal images on your spreads. Layer them with lace, doilies, and dried flowers for a romantic shabby chic aesthetic. The vintage valentine images work beautifully as pocket decorations, and you can cut out individual elements to create custom collages.
Try printing antique valentines on different papers for varied effects. Regular copy paper works fine, but printing on kraft paper or lightly tea-stained paper gives an even more authentic aged appearance. If you’re new to junk journaling, check out my free junk journal printables for more ephemera to pair with your vintage valentines.
Handmade Valentine’s Day Cards
Create beautiful handmade cards using vintage valentine printables as your starting point. Print a Victorian valentine card, cut it out, and mount it on quality cardstock. Add ribbon, a small charm, or hand-drawn embellishments around the edges. Your recipient will treasure a handmade card with this kind of old-fashioned romance. You might even add some Valentine’s drawings or doodles around the vintage image.
Scrapbooking
Vintage valentine ephemera adds romantic flair to scrapbook pages documenting weddings, anniversaries, or simply everyday love stories. Use antique valentine postcards as journaling spots, create borders from vintage valentine art elements, or make a heritage-style page featuring old family photos alongside Victorian valentine graphics.
Valentine’s Day Home Decor
Print larger vintage valentine images to create seasonal wall art. Frame a collection of Victorian valentines for a gallery wall, string antique valentine postcards on ribbon for a garland, or decoupage old fashioned valentines onto a wooden tray or box. The vintage aesthetic brings a sophisticated touch to February decorating. If you enjoy watercolor, you might also love creating some Valentine’s watercolor art to display alongside your printables.
Gift Tags and Wrapping
Print vintage valentine images at smaller sizes to create unique gift tags. Punch a hole in the corner, thread through some ribbon, and attach to wrapped presents. You can also use vintage valentine printables to create custom wrapping paper by printing sheets of repeated antique valentines, or print my free heart templates to cut out and scatter across plain paper for a custom look.
Tips for Printing Vintage Valentine Ephemera
Getting the best results from your vintage valentine printables comes down to a few simple considerations:
Choose the right paper. For most junk journal and scrapbook uses, regular copy paper (20 lb) works perfectly well. If you want sturdier pieces for cards or tags, try cardstock (65-80 lb). Matte photo paper gives the richest colors if you’re creating wall art or special focal pieces.
Consider aging techniques. Even though these are already vintage-style images, you can enhance the antique feel by lightly sponging the edges with brown ink after printing, crumpling and flattening the paper before printing, or giving printed pieces a light tea or coffee wash.
Print at the right size. Most vintage valentine printables are designed to be printed at 100% on standard letter-size paper. However, don’t be afraid to scale them up or down. Print smaller versions for gift tags or larger ones for wall art. Just check that the resolution holds up when enlarging.
Use quality ink. If you’re creating keepsake projects, use a printer with pigment-based inks rather than dye-based. Pigment inks are more lightfast and won’t fade as quickly over time.
Supplies for Working with Vintage Valentine Printables
Having the right supplies makes your vintage valentine projects even more enjoyable. Here are some of my favorites for working with printed ephemera:
A good vintage scrapbooking supplies kit (👉 find it here) gives you coordinating ephemera, stickers, and papers to complement your vintage valentine printables. These kits typically include elements like tickets, tags, and decorative papers that pair perfectly with antique valentine imagery.
For that authentic aged paper look, try coffee-stained paper supplies (👉 see them here). These handmade dyed papers actually have a subtle coffee aroma and the perfect aged patina to layer behind your Victorian valentine cards.
Double-sided tape rolls (👉 grab them here) are essential for cleanly adhering your printed vintage valentines without the mess of liquid glue. The dot tape applicator style works especially well for layering ephemera.
If you enjoy coloring or want to add your own touches, fine liner pens (👉 these are my favorites) let you add hand-drawn details, journaling, or doodles around your vintage valentine images. The archival ink won’t fade or bleed.
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A Brief History of Valentine’s Day Cards
Understanding the history behind vintage valentines makes collecting and using them even more meaningful. The tradition of exchanging written valentines goes back further than you might think.
The oldest known valentine still in existence dates from 1415, written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. By the 1700s, handwritten love notes exchanged on February 14th had become common among sweethearts in England.
The first mass-produced valentines appeared in the early 1800s. Esther Howland, often called the “Mother of the American Valentine,” began creating elaborate cards with real lace, ribbons, and colorful pictures in the 1840s. Her designs influenced the Victorian valentine style we still admire today.
By the early 1900s, improved printing technology made valentine cards affordable for everyone. The penny postcard era brought us those charming antique valentine postcards that remain so popular with collectors and crafters. Each decade brought its own style, from the Art Nouveau influences of the 1910s to the Art Deco flair of the 1920s and 30s, through to the cute retro valentines of the mid-century.
More Valentine’s Day Inspiration
If you’re feeling inspired to create more Valentine’s Day projects, here are some related resources you might enjoy:
For more romantic printables, browse my collection of love junk journal pages featuring hearts, roses, and romantic ephemera that coordinate beautifully with vintage valentines.
If you want to try your hand at creating original Valentine’s art, my Valentine’s watercolor inspiration post includes gorgeous ideas plus free templates to get you started.
Looking for simple decorations? My free heart coloring pages are perfect for mindful coloring sessions and can be used alongside your vintage valentine printables.
And for more general crafting inspiration, explore my junk journal ideas and junk journal freebies for hundreds more free printables to use in your creative projects year-round.
Enjoy Your Vintage Valentine Creations
Vintage valentines carry a special kind of magic. Those Victorian cherubs, romantic roses, and heartfelt sentiments from another era add warmth and beauty to everything they touch. Whether you’re tucking an antique valentine into a junk journal spread, creating handmade cards for loved ones, or simply enjoying the nostalgic charm of old fashioned valentines, I hope these free printables inspire your creativity.
Don’t forget to download your free vintage Valentine background pages using the form above. They’re perfect for adding that romantic, antique aesthetic to all your February crafting.
Happy creating! 💕
xo, Dee