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My grandmother kept every Christmas card she ever got in a shoebox under the bed. When I was little I would sit on her braided rug and look through them one by one, the Santas in green robes, the snowy cottages, the girls in red coats with holly in their hair. I still think those old cards are the prettiest Christmas pictures there are.
So I went looking for the best vintage Christmas images I could find, the kind you can print at home and use. Here are 30 of them, from old world Santas and Victorian children in the snow to angels, holly cards, snowy cottages and a few cheerful 1950s cutouts. Each one links to the library or blog that shared the scan, where you can download the full size file, and I added an easy way to use it around the house. If you love this look, our nostalgic Christmas tree ideas, Christmas wallpaper and DIY Christmas ornaments go right along with it.
1. Father Christmas in a green fur robe
SaveCredit: Newberry Library
Before Santa wore red, he often wore green. This old card shows him in a long green robe trimmed with fur, carrying a little tree, a drum and a sack of toys.
I love this one printed small and tied onto a brown paper package with baker’s twine. It makes even a plain box of homemade fudge look like something special.
2. Old world Santa in a blue robe
SaveCredit: Newberry Library
Here Santa wears a deep blue robe with gold trim and carries a tree over his shoulder through the snow. The soft blues and golds feel calm and old fashioned.
Print it on heavy cardstock and stand it in a small easel on the kitchen windowsill. It looks right at home next to a jar of paperwhites.
3. Santa riding a donkey with toys
SaveCredit: Newberry Library
No sleigh here. This Santa rides a little brown donkey loaded with dolls and a tree, while snow falls all around them.
Anyone who keeps donkeys or goats will smile at this one. I think it would make a sweet card for the neighbors who keep an eye on the animals when we travel.
4. Santa answering letters on December 24
SaveCredit: Indiana State Library
Santa sits at a tall desk with a quill pen, a stack of letters and a calendar that says December 24, My Busy Day. A letter file sits on the wall behind him.
This is the one I would print for the kids to use as the top page of their letters to Santa. Glue it to the front of a folded card and let them write inside.
5. Santa with his sack in a snowy village
SaveCredit: Vintage Holiday Crafts
Santa carries a huge green sack past snowy cottages and a split rail fence, with holly and gold stars framing the scene. A little deer peeks out beside him.
The wide shape fits nicely on the front of a recipe card. I like to tuck one in with a jar of spiced nuts so the recipe goes along with the gift.
6. Santa with birch twigs and a doll
SaveCredit: Vintage Holiday Crafts
This Santa has a basket pack on his back with a doll riding on top, and a bundle of twigs in his hand. Snow is blowing over the village behind him.
The blues and reds are bold enough to frame. A cheap thrift store frame painted cream makes it look like it hung in Grandma’s hallway for years.
7. Girl in a red coat inside a holly wreath
SaveCredit: The Graphics Fairy
A little girl in a red coat and hat looks out through a big holly wreath, with snow falling on a deep blue sky. It is one of the prettiest Victorian cards I found.
Cut it into a circle and glue it to a wood slice for an ornament. A coat of matte Mod Podge on top keeps it from curling.
8. Girl in a red cape carrying wreaths
SaveCredit: The Graphics Fairy
A girl in a red hooded cape and white apron walks through the snow with a wreath over each arm. It looks like she is bringing greens home for the house.
This is the season of making wreaths for us too, so it is my favorite for gift tags on wreaths I give away. Print a whole sheet at once and punch a hole in the top of each.
9. Girl and a deer at sunset
SaveCredit: The Graphics Fairy
A girl in a green coat holds out her hand to a deer in the snow, with pine trees and a pink sunset behind them. The words read A happy Christmas to you.
The long shape makes a pretty banner across the top of a homemade Christmas letter. We still send a paper letter to family back east every year.
10. Girl in a blue hood with a kitten
SaveCredit: The Graphics Fairy
A curly haired girl in a pale blue hood holds a striped kitten, with holly tucked all around her. The gold background and red letters say A Merry Christmas.
Our barn cats would never sit this still, but I still love it. Print it on sticker paper and use it to seal envelopes for your Christmas cards.
11. Sled piled with presents
SaveCredit: The Graphics Fairy
A happy little boy rides down the hill on a red sled stacked with wrapped gifts and holly. The red, green and white are pure Christmas.
Kids love this one. Print a few and let them color in a matching scene on the back, then mail them to grandparents as postcards.
12. Pushing a sleigh past the farmhouse
SaveCredit: The Graphics Fairy
Two boys push a girl bundled in a fur rug on a green sleigh, while a farmhouse and a split rail fence sit in the snow behind them. It reads Wishing you a happy Christmas.
This scene looks so much like our place after a snow that I framed a copy for the mudroom. It is a little reminder to get outside and play before the chores.
13. Winter fun at the log cabin
SaveCredit: Boston Public Library
Children walk and play in the snow outside a log cabin, with one bundled up on snowshoes and smoke curling from the chimney. It is simple and cozy.
The muted colors make it a good choice for a framed print in a farmhouse kitchen. It sits nicely next to wood, enamelware and a crock of wooden spoons.
14. Little girl waving in the snow
SaveCredit: Indiana State Library
A little girl in a red coat and hat waves from a snowy hill, with a sprig of holly in the corner. The soft gray background makes the red stand out.
I like this one as a place card at the Christmas table. Print it small, fold a strip of cardstock behind it and write each name across the bottom.
15. Children opening toys under a candlelit tree
SaveCredit: Vintage Holiday Crafts
Three children crowd around a table under a little tree lit with real candles, playing with a doll, a toy boat and a horse. It is a sweet look at Christmas morning long ago.
This die cut shape is lovely layered on a homemade card. Glue it on with foam dots so it stands up a little off the paper.
16. Girl carrying home a little tree
SaveCredit: Vintage Holiday Crafts
A girl in a long red dress and blue cape carries a small evergreen home, with a gold scarf blowing behind her. Snow and greenery curl around her feet.
This one is perfect for the tree farm season. Tuck a copy into a mason jar of pine cones and cinnamon sticks as a simple hostess gift.
17. Angel carrying a small evergreen
SaveCredit: The Graphics Fairy
A gentle angel in a pale pink gown walks beside a little evergreen in the snow. The colors are faded and soft, like a card kept in a drawer for a hundred years.
Print it on cream paper and tuck it into the front of a Bible or hymnal you give as a gift. My mother still has one tucked into hers.
18. Angel with a December 25 calendar page
SaveCredit: The Graphics Fairy
An angel in a white gown and orange cape carries a pine branch under a shining star, with a calendar page that reads December 25, A Merry Christmas.
This is a fun one for an advent display. Pin it at the end of a string of numbered envelopes so the kids can see where the countdown ends.
19. Nativity in holly and poinsettias
SaveCredit: Newberry Library
The wise men kneel before Mary and the baby, all framed by a gold arch of holly and red poinsettias. It is rich and reverent at the same time.
We read the Christmas story on Christmas Eve, and I like to set this card on the table where we read. Frame it in gold and it can come out every year.
20. Pink angel with holly
SaveCredit: Vintage Holiday Crafts
A dark haired angel in a pink gown holds a sprig of holly, surrounded by blue stars and fancy gold scrolls. It is a Victorian die cut with lacy edges.
Die cut angels like this were made for scrapbooks. Glue one to the top of a paper cone, add a loop of ribbon and hang it on the tree.
21. Snowy church in a holly frame
SaveCredit: Vintage Holiday Crafts
A tiny snowy church and two people under an umbrella sit inside a red and gold frame wrapped in holly and berries. The banner wishes A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Because it mentions the new year too, it makes a good label for jars you hand out through the first week of January. I use it on my cranberry jam.
22. Holly corner greeting card
SaveCredit: The Old Design Shop
A sprig of holly with a red bow sits in the corner of a plain cream card that reads Many hearty good wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy new year. It is signed Elmer and Effie.
I love that someone signed it more than a hundred years ago. Print it on kraft cardstock and it makes a simple, pretty card all by itself.
23. Snowy cottage on a holly leaf
SaveCredit: The Old Design Shop
A little snowy cottage and evergreens are painted inside a big pale holly leaf, with red letters that say Christmas Greetings. The verse reads The season’s greetings warm and true, from all of us to all of you.
That verse is just right for a family card. Print it as the front of your own cards and write a short note inside.
24. Mistletoe basket
SaveCredit: The Old Design Shop
A gold basket of mistletoe tied with a red bow sits beside gold scrolls and the words A Merry Christmas. The embossed border looks like old lace.
This one is lovely printed on a tag for a basket of homemade goodies. A bit of real greenery tucked under the twine finishes it off.
25. Village under a holly arch
SaveCredit: The Old Design Shop
A quiet snowy village with a church tower sits under an arch of holly, with red and green stripes behind it. The corner reads A joyful Christmas to you.
The stripes remind me of ribbon candy. Print it and glue it to the lid of a cookie tin for an old fashioned cookie swap.
26. The birds’ Christmas tree
SaveCredit: The Old Design Shop
Two children peek out a window at a little tree set up on the sill just for the birds. Blue jays, chickadees and a woodpecker are eating from it, with a birdhouse and a wreath above.
This one is my favorite on the whole list. We put up a birds’ tree every winter with suet, seed cakes and strung cranberries, and this card is taped inside our kitchen window.
27. Cottage with a white garden gate
SaveCredit: The Old Design Shop
A cozy cottage with a red roof, blue shutters and a white picket gate sits above a verse that wishes joy now and all the year. It is soft and calm.
The tall shape fits a 5 by 7 frame. I would set it on a shelf with a little bottle brush tree and a candle.
28. Retro snowy red house
SaveCredit: The Graphics Fairy
This 1950s cutout shows a red house with green shutters, a snowy roof and a wreath on the front door. It looks like the cards my grandmother saved in a shoebox.
Print it on sticker paper and use it as a label on homemade gifts. It is also cute as a tag on a gift for someone who just moved.
29. Retro reindeer in ornaments
SaveCredit: The Graphics Fairy
A big eyed reindeer with a green harness peeks through colorful ornaments and red ribbon. The bright colors are pure mid century fun.
This is a good one for a kids’ gift. Print it, cut around the reindeer and glue it to a clothespin so it can clip onto a gift bag.
30. Retro kitten with a candle
SaveCredit: The Graphics Fairy
A fluffy white kitten with a green bow curls up beside a twisted red candle. It is sweet, a little silly and very 1950s.
Cat lovers on your list will love this one on a tag. I also like it glued to a small box of homemade catnip toys.
Easy ways to use vintage Christmas images
Gift tags. Print a sheet on cardstock, cut the images out with a little border, punch a hole and tie them on with baker’s twine or red string.
Jar labels. Print on full sheet sticker paper and trim to fit the lids of jams, spiced nuts or cocoa mix. A round image fits a regular mouth lid well.
Wood slice ornaments. Cut an image to fit a sanded wood slice, brush on a thin layer of Mod Podge, smooth the paper down and add one more coat on top. Let it dry overnight before you hang it.
Framed prints. Thrift store frames painted cream, gold or barn red make old cards look like family heirlooms. Group three or five together on a wall or a mantel.
Postcard garland. Clip a dozen printed postcards to a length of jute with tiny clothespins and hang it across a window, a hutch or the mantel.
Homemade cards. Glue an image to the front of a folded card, or print it right on the card stock. Foam dots behind a die cut make it stand up off the page.
How to print vintage images so they look old
Choose a matte paper or cardstock instead of glossy photo paper. Cream, ivory or kraft paper gives the image a warm, aged look right away.
Set your printer to its best quality and print at the size of the original postcard, about 3.5 by 5.5 inches, so the image stays crisp.
For an even older look, brush the printed card lightly with cooled strong tea and let it dry flat under a heavy book. Test on one copy first, since some printer inks run.
Trim the edges with plain scissors rather than a paper cutter, and rub them gently with a brown ink pad if you want them to look handled.
Vintage Christmas images FAQ
Are vintage Christmas images free to use? In the United States, works published before 1931 are in the public domain, which covers most Victorian and early 1900s Christmas cards and postcards. The library scans on this list are marked public domain. Blogs like The Graphics Fairy, The Old Design Shop and Vintage Holiday Crafts share their scans for free and list their own terms, so read those before you sell anything you make.
Where do vintage Christmas images come from? Most are scans of real cards and postcards printed between about 1880 and 1920, when sending Christmas postcards was hugely popular. Collectors and libraries scan them and share them online.
What is the best paper for printing vintage Christmas images? Matte cardstock in cream or ivory looks the most like an old card. Use sticker paper for labels and plain printer paper for decoupage, since thin paper lies flatter.
Why does Santa wear green in old Christmas cards? Santa was painted in many colors in the 1800s and early 1900s, including green, blue, brown and purple. Red became the usual color later, but the old cards still show all of them.
