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.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
November 20th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Great source! Thanks so much for sharing.
November 20th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Thanks, Anika. I hope you find it useful.
December 29th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
This is awesome – it has really fancied up my wedding invitations. Thanks for a great site.
December 29th, 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!
January 12th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Thank you!
January 12th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Thanks so much for making these images available. They will be very useful for china painting designs and ideas
January 14th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
These are fantastic. Thanks so much for sharing them. I now have new ideas and inspiration for my cardmaking.
January 27th, 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
January 27th, 2009 at 8:38 am
You’re welcome, pixabella! I’m so glad you like the idea of the Sourcebook.
February 2nd, 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!
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:31 am
You’re welcome, Annemiek. I hope you create lots of beautiful things with the artwork.
February 13th, 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.
February 13th, 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!
March 24th, 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!
March 24th, 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.
March 26th, 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!
March 27th, 2009 at 7:37 am
You’re welcome, Eva. I’m so glad you’re finding the art useful.
May 11th, 2009 at 11:33 am
This is the most beautiful website on the entire internet!!!
May 11th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Thank you, Marcia! That’s so kind of you to say.
May 23rd, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Wow, you’re amazing!! Thank you so much!
May 24th, 2009 at 9:48 am
You’re welcome, Charmaine. Thanks for your kind words.
June 11th, 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
June 12th, 2009 at 9:02 am
Thanks, Danae. I appreciate the kind words and the link!
June 14th, 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.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:07 am
E. Sheppard @ I’m so glad you like the images. Long live good, free clip art!
July 13th, 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.
July 13th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
You’re welcome, annkan. I hope you make a lot of fun stuff with the images!
July 31st, 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
July 31st, 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!
August 6th, 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
August 7th, 2009 at 1:28 am
I agree! Thanks for your comment, Liz.
August 8th, 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.
August 8th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Thanks, Carly. I hope you enjoy using the images.
August 18th, 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!
August 18th, 2009 at 10:51 am
You’re welcome, Bonnie. I hope you have a lot of fun using the images.
September 2nd, 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?
September 7th, 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.
September 12th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
thanks for sharing your hard work – love your site
September 13th, 2009 at 9:10 am
You’re welcome, Jan! Thanks for the kind words.
September 26th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Fabulous images. Will definitely put them to good use.
September 27th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Thanks, Rachel. I hope you make lots of fun things with them.
December 4th, 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.
December 4th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Thanks for your kind words, Agnes. I’m glad you find the images useful.
December 9th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Thanks!
December 10th, 2009 at 8:55 am
You’re welcome, Fearn.
December 17th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Bookmarked! Great clipart source.
Vinny
December 17th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Thanks, Vinny!
December 19th, 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…
December 19th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Thanks, Alicia. I’m so glad you enjoy the site.
December 29th, 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!!
January 5th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
January 6th, 2010 at 11:48 am
You’re welcome, Christina.
January 17th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Thanks for the great pictures and I love this website!
January 17th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Thanks for your comment, Debbie. I’m glad you like the site.
January 17th, 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!
January 18th, 2010 at 12:03 am
Thanks, Fran! I appreciate your kind words. I like those dogs too.
January 23rd, 2010 at 5:41 pm
Thanks for sharing. you are on my blog now! Thanks again!
January 24th, 2010 at 8:13 am
Thanks so much, Tanja!
January 27th, 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
January 27th, 2010 at 10:47 am
You’re welcome, Jenny! Thanks for stopping by.
April 29th, 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!!!
April 29th, 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!
April 29th, 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!!!
April 29th, 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.
June 21st, 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.
June 22nd, 2010 at 9:14 am
I’m so glad you enjoy the site, Fani!
June 25th, 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
June 25th, 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.
June 25th, 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!
July 2nd, 2010 at 1:35 am
Thank you for the beautiful artwork and I love your website.
July 2nd, 2010 at 9:14 am
You’re quite welcome, Deborah. I hope you enjoy using the images.