Free Clip Art Sourcebook

Announcing the Free Clip Art Sourcebook: links to thousands of categorized free images, all in one place!

When I was a magazine art director about 100 years ago, we didn’t have electronic free clip art. That might seem incomprehensible to younger people, but we had to jump through all kinds of hoops just to get images onto the pages of a magazine. It involved X-Acto knives and sticky wax, which always seemed to be stuck to parts of me, instead of just to the back of the clip art.

I used to design a lot of small ads every month, many of which required some kind of artwork to make them stand out. That was when my love affair with clip art began. Many years later I created Vintage Holiday Crafts and started designing my own clip art because I couldn’t find the quality and type of clip art I wanted unless I paid for it. The same was true for scrapbook papers, which can cost a bundle if you buy them by the sheet at the craft store. I assumed other people had the same issues.

But now I’ve developed a new problem: I have a lot of free contemporary and vintage clip art and scrapbook images. My solution was to compile it into the Free Clip Art Sourcebook, which links to free clip art and scrapbooking image resources squirreled away all over my little online world. The images are categorized alphabetically by subject and located in one document, so everything is easy to find.

The Free Clip Art Sourcebook doesn’t just link to free clip art and scrapbook images; it’s free to download too. So help yourself and have fun! Just click the blue button above.

You need the free Adobe Reader to view the Free Clip Art Sourcebook. You probably already have this software on your computer but if you need to download it, click here.

Please note that the images are subject to the Vintage Holiday Crafts terms of use. Some vary in their restrictions, so please honor the terms on the page where you find art you want to use.

Please read our rules:

114 Comments

Artist Anika on November 20, 2008 at 4:42 pm

Great source! Thanks so much for sharing.
HolidayCrafts on November 20, 2008 at 4:57 pm

Thanks, Anika. I hope you find it useful. 🙂
Christy Lindstrom on December 29, 2008 at 8:43 pm

This is awesome – it has really fancied up my wedding invitations. Thanks for a great site.
Holiday Crafts on December 29, 2008 at 8:47 pm

Hi, Christy. Thanks for your kind words. I’m glad you were able to find some useful images.

I wish you the best on your wedding day!
Char- D on January 12, 2009 at 2:27 pm

Thank you!
Rebecca on January 12, 2009 at 7:30 pm

Thanks so much for making these images available. They will be very useful for china painting designs and ideas
Caroline on January 14, 2009 at 3:02 pm

These are fantastic. Thanks so much for sharing them. I now have new ideas and inspiration for my cardmaking.
pixabella on January 27, 2009 at 8:29 am

What a great idea a free Clipart Bible.Yipee! Designers like yourself make it possible to create craft projects without it costing a small fortune. Thanks
Holiday Crafts on January 27, 2009 at 8:38 am

You’re welcome, pixabella! I’m so glad you like the idea of the Sourcebook.
Annemiek on February 2, 2009 at 10:18 am

I’m so glad to have this! I love your pictures and want to thank you for all your hard work! I’m going to use your pictures for my scrap and craft projects.

Thanks so much from me to you!
Holiday Crafts on February 2, 2009 at 10:31 am

You’re welcome, Annemiek. I hope you create lots of beautiful things with the artwork. 🙂
bluerosephoto on February 13, 2009 at 9:50 am

I’ve linked your wonderful site to my blog.
Thanks for sharing these beautiful cards !!
They are delightful !
I printed some of the vintage childrens Valentines for my 4 grandchildren: ages 5 months to 10 years, and the loved them !
Thank you for preserving these wonderful treasures.
Holiday Crafts on February 13, 2009 at 10:07 am

Thanks so much for your kind words, Kathy. Your blog is lovely and I’m honored that you linked to us.

Happy Valentine’s Day! 🙂
Anne Stesia on March 24, 2009 at 3:05 am

This site is remarkable…thank you so much! Just can’t believe how wonderful it is…just hope it never goes away…

I loved this art as a child…too bad we do not have the likes of it now…but you have gone to a lot of trouble, so that people like me, who found this accidentely, can enjoy it.

THANK YOU…THANK YOU…THANK YOU!
Holiday Crafts on March 24, 2009 at 7:09 am

You’re welcome, Anne. I’m so glad you enjoy the art. And don’t worry, we’re going to be around for a long while. 🙂
Eva on March 26, 2009 at 9:10 pm

Thank you for the beautiful vintage art. I used an Easter card on my church’s newsletter. I just love your site!
Thank you!
Holiday Crafts on March 27, 2009 at 7:37 am

You’re welcome, Eva. I’m so glad you’re finding the art useful. 🙂
Marcia Risner on May 11, 2009 at 11:33 am

This is the most beautiful website on the entire internet!!!
Holiday Crafts on May 11, 2009 at 11:50 am

Thank you, Marcia! That’s so kind of you to say. 🙂
Charmaine on May 23, 2009 at 11:43 pm

Wow, you’re amazing!! Thank you so much!
Holiday Crafts on May 24, 2009 at 9:48 am

You’re welcome, Charmaine. Thanks for your kind words.
Danae on June 11, 2009 at 11:00 pm

Hello! I jut wanted to add my Thanks to all these others for your awesome site and generousity. I am most definitely going to be coming back reularly for I hope many years to come! What a nice thing you are doing here by giving all of us vintage art fanatics such valuable resource…and for free is almost unheard of these days. So Thanks!

I will be posting a link from my site. (whenever I eventualy get it done(!) I will email to let you know.many Thanks and well wishes.
~Danae
Holiday Crafts on June 12, 2009 at 9:02 am

Thanks, Danae. I appreciate the kind words and the link! 🙂
E. Sheppard on June 14, 2009 at 1:12 pm

I love your images! And I totally understand how frustrating it used to be (and sometimes still is) to find quality FREE clip art online. Oh – for the days of cutting and pasting down onto a paste up board and digging through the clipart book. ::sigh:: Sometimes I would get lucky and find something, sometimes not.
Holiday Crafts on June 15, 2009 at 6:07 am

E. Sheppard @ I’m so glad you like the images. Long live good, free clip art! 🙂
annkan on July 13, 2009 at 12:55 pm

Wow, Wow, WOW!! This is an amazing site!!
I can not thank you enough for this one!

Thanks for this awesome job you have done with it. 😀
Holiday Crafts on July 13, 2009 at 1:29 pm

You’re welcome, annkan. I hope you make a lot of fun stuff with the images!
joann on July 31, 2009 at 2:27 pm

Morning,I just wanted to say how nice it is to be able to use some free printables. Thank you very much for your lovely web site and also to be able to use what you have available. It’s not too often these days you are able to find a free site where you are allowed to print. Everyone always wants money, no matter which way you move. I just happened to click onto a free art site last night and it had a virus. OOPS.This seems to be happening more often at the moment, in a way it puts you off. But your site is great; safe and friendly to use. Wish there were more people out there like you. Thanks again best wishes to you and your family. Xmas is on its way and I do wish you a lovely, peaceful and joyful Xmas.

Joann
Holiday Crafts on July 31, 2009 at 5:07 pm

Thanks so much for your comment, Joann.

I started this site because I was thoroughly disgusted by clip art sites that have little to offer and either give your computer a virus or mouse-trap you into endless pages of ads. I was determined that my site would be different and I’m so glad you enjoy it.

Christmas will be here before we know it, so happy holidays to you too!
Liz Densley on August 6, 2009 at 10:13 pm

It seems that with all of todays embellishments people have forgotten that a cute clipart is often the best embellishment, thank you
Holiday Crafts on August 7, 2009 at 1:28 am

I agree! Thanks for your comment, Liz.
carlylennox on August 8, 2009 at 3:59 pm

I’m so glad that I found your wonderful site. This is so inspiring for craft projects. Many thanks for sharing these fantastic images. Best wishes.
Holiday Crafts on August 8, 2009 at 5:07 pm

Thanks, Carly. I hope you enjoy using the images. 🙂
Bonnie on August 18, 2009 at 10:44 am

Thank you so much for all these wonderful, beautiful images are for making them available to us. I cannot wait to use them in my craft work…thank you again, keep up the good work!
Holiday Crafts on August 18, 2009 at 10:51 am

You’re welcome, Bonnie. I hope you have a lot of fun using the images. 🙂
Rachel A Hyde on September 2, 2009 at 5:38 am

Are these vintage artworks in the public domain please? I am looking for this type of thing to make into cardmaking sheets to be uploaded and sold on a website (not my website as I don’t have one). Are any of them suitable for this if they are obviously Victorian?
Holiday Crafts on September 7, 2009 at 10:54 am

Hi, Rachel. All images on this site are subject to our Terms of Use, which are linked from the sidebar. Regardless of age or public domain status, if an image comes from here it’s subject to our terms. That’s because hundreds of hours have gone into image editing, and the development and promotion of this site. If you find a public domain image elsewhere, however, you can use it according to that site’s ToU.
jan on September 12, 2009 at 11:46 pm

thanks for sharing your hard work – love your site
Holiday Crafts on September 13, 2009 at 9:10 am

You’re welcome, Jan! Thanks for the kind words. 🙂
Rachel on September 26, 2009 at 11:37 pm

Fabulous images. Will definitely put them to good use.
Holiday Crafts on September 27, 2009 at 11:00 am

Thanks, Rachel. I hope you make lots of fun things with them.
Agnes Khoo Schwenk on December 4, 2009 at 1:39 pm

You are very talented and creative. Thank you for your generosity and sharing with us. I love scrapbooking, making angel boxes etc…and I do enjoy your cliparts. Thank you for sharing your talents with us. God bless you abundantly.
Holiday Crafts on December 4, 2009 at 3:47 pm

Thanks for your kind words, Agnes. I’m glad you find the images useful. 🙂
Fearn on December 9, 2009 at 3:01 pm

Thanks!
Holiday Crafts on December 10, 2009 at 8:55 am

You’re welcome, Fearn. 🙂
Vinny on December 17, 2009 at 12:14 pm

Bookmarked! Great clipart source.

Vinny
Holiday Crafts on December 17, 2009 at 5:35 pm

Thanks, Vinny!
Alicia Matos on December 19, 2009 at 10:08 am

Beautiful, beautiful. I was just on memory lane. Awesome memories of sending and receiving victorian-style greeting cards. I am looking forward to visiting your site as often as possible. This is the first time I’ve visited your site and it will certainly not be the last. Blessings…
Holiday Crafts on December 19, 2009 at 3:23 pm

Thanks, Alicia. I’m so glad you enjoy the site. 🙂
Annette Pepple on December 29, 2009 at 9:23 am

Just wanted to say “Thank You” for such a great site!! After hours of searching for free victorian and vintage clip art I stumbled upon yours and found exactly what I was looking for! No being sent to other sites and going in circles!! I have used the art to make tote bags for myself, my daughter and daughter-in-law. I also made myself a calender and made gift tags for Christmas..(they were a big hit)using label tags purchased at a local craft store. Thanks again for the great vintage images…this site is in my favorites and will be used often I am sure. Have a Great and Prosperous New Year!!
Christina S. on January 5, 2010 at 11:58 pm

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Holiday Crafts on January 6, 2010 at 11:48 am

You’re welcome, Christina. 🙂
Debbie DItmars on January 17, 2010 at 1:02 pm

Thanks for the great pictures and I love this website!
Holiday Crafts on January 17, 2010 at 1:17 pm

Thanks for your comment, Debbie. I’m glad you like the site.
Fran on January 17, 2010 at 9:33 pm

Your clipart is absolutely wonderful! As a teacher, who is also an avid scrapbooker and collage artist, I’m always on the lookout for wonderful vintage images. Yours are some of the best I’ve found … especially your ‘human-dogs’!! Thanks so much!
Holiday Crafts on January 18, 2010 at 12:03 am

Thanks, Fran! I appreciate your kind words. I like those dogs too. 🙂
Tanja on January 23, 2010 at 5:41 pm

Thanks for sharing. you are on my blog now! Thanks again!
Holiday Crafts on January 24, 2010 at 8:13 am

Thanks so much, Tanja! 🙂
Jenny on January 27, 2010 at 8:49 am

Thank you so much for sharing such wonderful images. I have added you to my favourite’s
Once again Thank you so much
Holiday Crafts on January 27, 2010 at 10:47 am

You’re welcome, Jenny! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Jackie on April 29, 2010 at 1:31 pm

Thank you SO much for both your images & the fabulous sourcebook!
Thank you also for the laugh, I too remember the days of x-acto knives, sticky wax and my big light table. And yes, sometimes I’d come home with not just wax, but a piece of clip art stuck to myself somewhere. I’m now using clipart for fun (scrapbooking, collage, events for family and friends like wedding & showers) and I am very thrilled to have found your website. Thank you again for all your hard work and for the beautiful images. I’ll be back!!!
Holiday Crafts on April 29, 2010 at 1:43 pm

Thanks for your comment, Jackie. It’s nice to hear from someone who remembers the dinosaur days. 😉

I came home with clip art stuck to me, too — usually on the bottom of my shoe. And I’m sure you’ll appreciate this story: One time I was working on an ad for our magazine and I needed clip art of a back hoe. Since I didn’t even know what that was, I had to research it. Well, apparently that fact got lost among all the other things I had to do, so the ad ran in the magazine with this note in it: “Picture of back hoe here.” I’m sure the advertiser was thrilled. Ha!
Angie on April 29, 2010 at 2:39 pm

I love your wonderful website. You generously share these beautiful images with others & for that I thank you! We are remodeling our guest bedroom with Victorian antiques & collectibles. Your clip art is just what I needed for the artwork/photographs. Beautiful!!!
Holiday Crafts on April 29, 2010 at 2:52 pm

Thanks for your comment, Angie! I’m delighted you’re going to find good uses for the art. I hope your guest room comes out beautifully.
fani on June 21, 2010 at 6:48 pm

I can not express in words what I feel in my heart when I visit your site ….. thank you for the wonderful moments.
Holiday Crafts on June 22, 2010 at 9:14 am

I’m so glad you enjoy the site, Fani!
Cheryl on June 25, 2010 at 10:58 am

Hi….
Just wanted to say that this site and its contents is absolutely fantastic! I am just about to produce and put up my own website as I make Handmade Greeting Cards. But…..can you give me a few pointers on copyright, I don’t want to mass produce any images in my work but I would like to use an image at least once or twice within my craft and sell, can I do this? I understand the Vintage terms & conditions but a bit confused about the PICNIC ones….lol.

Kind Regards

Cheryl
Holiday Crafts on June 25, 2010 at 11:11 am

Hi Cheryl. Thanks for asking. I’m not surprised you’re confused about the Picnik terms of use, because they are a little confusing!

If you want to use Picnik images, I would recommend that you get a premium Picnik account ($25 per year) and then send an e-mail to Picnik’s support team that describes how you want to use the images and asks for permission. Picnik is owned by Google now, so it’s best to be on the safe side and get written permission. I’ve found them to be pretty flexible, though, so don’t feel shy about asking them for what you want — especially since you’re making handmade cards.

If you have a premium Picnik account, you’ll have a wide range of graphics to choose from. So if they give you permission you’ll find it’s a cool weapon to have in your creative arsenal. 🙂
Cheryl on June 25, 2010 at 1:42 pm

Thank you ever so much for your speedy reply. I’ll definitely do as you advise, both the picnik premium account and send them an email. I’m a happy girly now! 🙂
Deborah Ogden on July 2, 2010 at 1:35 am

Thank you for the beautiful artwork and I love your website.
Holiday Crafts on July 2, 2010 at 9:14 am

You’re quite welcome, Deborah. I hope you enjoy using the images.
Margaret on October 1, 2010 at 12:06 pm

Oh, thank goodness for people like you! Thanks to you my daughter’s 11 th birthday party was a huge success. The girls decoupaged tea chests using your fantastic images. Although they are “hip and trendy” teens, they all left the house with very classic vintage tea chests!
Tomorrow, I am starting on an old desk I picked up along the curb. The top will be covered with your vintage travel posters. I can not wait!
A very thankful FAN!
Holiday Crafts on October 1, 2010 at 12:16 pm

How delightful! I’m so glad to know the images are bringing people joy. Thanks for your kind words and for letting me know how you use the art. 🙂
Linda S. in NE on October 16, 2010 at 5:00 am

What a wonderful surprise to find your site. I cannot imagine that you go to all of the work and expense of collecting these beautiful images, and then offer them to the public for free. What a kind and thoughtful person you are. Thank you. I am waiting for a new printer to arrive via UPS as we speak. When it finally arrives, I will be printing out the images I saved, to use them on the handcrafted tags and Christmas cards I will be making. Can’t wait to get started. Thanks again. Linda
Holiday Crafts on October 16, 2010 at 8:14 am

Thank you so much for your comment, Linda. I really appreciate the pat on the back! I hope you have a blast making your Christmas tags and cards. 🙂
kris on November 13, 2010 at 4:26 pm

Thanks so much for the awesome vintage things. I have several that you don’t have posted here, would you be interested in a scanned copy of them? I have halloween, new years and thanksgiving just to start with ( I LOVE old things….)

Thanks Kris/granny
Holiday Crafts on November 13, 2010 at 5:15 pm

Yes, Kris, I would love it if you would contribute some images. I’ll send you an e-mail. Thanks!
Sharilee on November 22, 2010 at 12:38 pm

I just wanted to thank you so much for putting up this website. I adore these vintage images; they have so much character and authenticity. I used one of your images on one of my hubs (the website I posted) incorrectly, by mistake, when I first started (posting the link to the image, instead of your site.) but have just corrected. thanks again.

(Prairieprincess on Hubpages)
kris on December 10, 2010 at 5:21 pm

I have many vintage postcards which I am happy to share with you. How would you like this done? ( so that you can use them as you like….) please email me.
Kris/Kat
Holiday Crafts on December 11, 2010 at 3:33 pm

Hi, Kris. Thanks so much for your generous offer! I sent you an e-mail the first time you mentioned this but you obviously never received it. Sorry about that I just sent you another one; please leave a comment if it doesn’t arrive. Thanks again. 🙂
EVANGELINE on December 20, 2010 at 2:09 pm

YOU HAVE A GREATER SELECTION IN JUST THE FEW OF YOUR EXAMPLES THEN I’VE BEEN ABLE TO FIND ALL WEEK. THANK YOU FOR DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS. I’VE BEEN A DOVER FAN FOR YEARS AND THIS JUST PUT SO MUCH OF IT IN ONE PLACE FOR A SHORT TIME. IT WAS GREAT. HOPE TO SEE SOME DIFFERENT ONES NEXT YEAR. THANKS FOR THE FUN. EVANGELINE
Holiday Crafts on December 21, 2010 at 11:58 am

Thanks, Evangeline!
Belladonne on December 30, 2010 at 3:17 am

Thnak you so much for sharing this! It’s a great work.
I wish you and your family a great New Year.
Janet Van Rossen on December 31, 2010 at 11:15 am

I have just been directed to your site by a friend and I have already put a link and picture on my blog. I know I will find your images very useful in my crafting and think the Resource Book is a great idea. Thank you in advance!

Janet
Holiday Crafts on December 31, 2010 at 11:35 am

You’re quite welcome. Happy New Year to you too! 🙂
Holiday Crafts on December 31, 2010 at 11:37 am

Hi Janet. Thanks so much for posting a link to Vintage Holiday Crafts on your blog. It’s much appreciated! 🙂
Zari on April 20, 2011 at 5:02 am

thank you~ :))
I’ll use it for my blog.. 😀
Holiday Crafts on April 20, 2011 at 11:19 am

Great, Zari. Please remember to follow our terms of use when posting though! Thanks. 🙂
Marilyn on May 8, 2011 at 12:19 am

Wow Wow, so glad I found you, I love vintage images and have been collecting vintage postcards and greeting cards for some time. I did post a Mother’s Day image of cats on my new blog just for Mother’s Day, thank you and I did follow your terms of use on posting. I was unable to copy and paste your button, so help is needed there. I want to spend hours looking over your site, I am sure you make so many happy with these images! When I do my links for favorite sites I will also add your link. Thank you!
Holiday Crafts on May 8, 2011 at 6:39 am

Hi, Marilyn. Thanks so much for your comment! If you need help installing the button, please e-mail me at carla [@] b2bcontentsolutions [.com] (remove brackets and spaces) with the exact problem you’re encountering and I’ll be happy to help you.

~ Carla
Beth Parker on July 25, 2011 at 3:02 pm

This is awesome! Thanks for providing such a great resource. Like you said, it’s hard to find great clip art that you don’t have to pay for.
Holiday Crafts on July 25, 2011 at 3:44 pm

Thanks, Beth! 🙂
A.Bowen on December 9, 2011 at 2:46 am

Absolutely beautiful pictures. I wanted to give my Christmas deco at home a different look this year. I found just what I was looking for, thank you 🙂 Ang
A.Bowen on December 9, 2011 at 2:47 am

Looking forward to any updates 🙂
Victoria Ciolek on January 20, 2012 at 2:50 am

I have been looking for a free vintage clip art website. i found yours by complete accident. (i wasn’t looking for art at the time). thank you so much for this. I don’t know if I want to tell my friends or not. 😉 i will 🙂
Holiday Crafts on January 20, 2012 at 10:47 am

Thanks so much, Victoria. I’m so glad you like the site. (And thanks for telling your friends!)
Susan on March 13, 2012 at 1:55 pm

What an incredible labor of love, graciously given with no ulterior motives.
The quality of your images is outstanding. And in these hard economic times, what a relief to have free access!

Do you know of any good sources for images from the 1940s, 1950s & 1960s?

Many thanks for sharing your beautiful collection!
ally kim on March 13, 2012 at 7:49 pm

thank you very much^^
have a nice day~^a^
Holiday Crafts on March 13, 2012 at 8:11 pm

You’re welcome!
Holiday Crafts on March 13, 2012 at 8:14 pm

Thanks for the kind words, Susan! I’m so glad you enjoy the images.

As for the images from the 1940s-60s, you might check Pinterest or do a Google search for each decade, plus the word “images” (i.e., “1950s images”).
Dale Sinning on June 8, 2012 at 11:13 am

Hello, I think your site might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your blog in Firefox, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, superb blog!
Debbie on June 11, 2012 at 8:31 am

Thank you for the use of this beautiful website.I love all the vintage clip art especially the patriotic one suporrting our troops and our country.
Holiday Crafts on June 11, 2012 at 8:45 am

You’re welcome, Debbie. Thanks for leaving a comment. 🙂
Holiday Crafts on June 11, 2012 at 8:49 am

Thanks for letting me know, Dale. I don’t see it. But maybe it was a momentary glitch.
Cddragon on September 30, 2012 at 8:44 pm

As an art project, no more than five images, or no more than five of the same image.
Very small image of the cat in the pumpkin 1″by 2″ to fit a domino for a pendent.
very cute for the holidays. Found this kitty on another site and it was free to use. Not sure if
this is one of yours. The girl with the goblins on her shoulder is from you site. I’ve only used her image two times.

Just want to keep clear, I am not using it on any web sites, or blogs.
Audrey on January 2, 2014 at 2:08 pm

Thank you for your generosity
Lucie on April 22, 2014 at 2:30 pm

Hi,

I had an earlier version of this that I downloaded a couple of years ago. I love the images and your artwork is super. The prior version had clickable links, but nothing is clickable for me in the new version. As anyone asked about this before?

Thanks again for the beautiful artwork.

Lucie
Holiday Crafts on April 22, 2014 at 2:56 pm

Nobody has said anything but I have experienced this randomly over the years when new versions were updated. It’s fixed now and I just e-mailed you about it.

Thanks for pointing it out!
Linda Hager on June 15, 2014 at 5:56 am

Just found your site.. Wonderful!!!! I started out on a webtv (about 1999) making ecards for friends and relatives because I could not find many that said what I wanted.. and most did not work with webtv…then a friend asked if I would take the names off and share with them.. and have been doing it since..of course I am on a pc now…
It is sometimes Very hard to find good clipart.. I want to thank you so much for sharing.. I do not charge for the ecards I make.. so can not afford to pay for each and every piece of clip art I use.. You have just made my life much simpler.. Thank you!!
Mary on September 24, 2014 at 7:48 pm

Thanks so very much for the wonderful images! I will be using them on my greeting cards. They are wonderful.
Holiday Crafts on September 25, 2014 at 10:03 am

You’re quite welcome! I hope you enjoy them.
Sue Mazur on January 11, 2018 at 1:07 pm

These valentine cards are adorable.
Thank u
Holiday Crafts on January 11, 2018 at 1:29 pm

You’re quite welcome! Enjoy. 🙂
Linda on October 6, 2019 at 9:02 am

I love your wonderful website. You generously share these beautiful images with others and for that I thank you! We are remodeling our guest bedroom with Victorian antiques and collectibles.