Ultimate Vintage Christmas Design Guide
Tips & Tricks to sprinkle some vintage magic for the holidays using free & premium design resources
Ever wonder how those timeless Christmas designs from the past can jazz up your present-day celebrations?
Our Vintage Christmas design resources at rawpixel are like the secret ingredients that add a dash of nostalgia to your festive projects.
Think of them as your holiday time capsules, ready to transport your audience to their childhood filled with Christmas trees, wreaths, candy canes, stockings and the Nutcracker playing in the background.
Whether you’re decking your social media with retro vibes, crafting unique holiday cards, or giving your business marketing a festive twist, the vintage gems in our collection are your go-to.
Let’s dive into timeless seasonal design elements.
What Makes a Christmas Design Vintage?
Vintage Christmas designs are like those classic holiday songs: Timeless, nostalgic and filled with old-school charm.
Imagine your brand wrapped up in the warm, inviting aesthetics of a vintage Christmas — it’s like a holiday hug for your audience. And for personal projects? They’re the key to making your festive greetings stand out, giving your friends and family a delightful blast from the past.
They remind us of simpler days of our childhood and capture the essence of Christmases past with their warm, inviting colors.
Illustrations of snow covered homes and rosy-cheeked santa come to mind — usually these came in the form of illustrations of Christmas cards going back as far as the 1940s and 1950s.
What are the elements that create this feeling?
1. Elegant fonts
When seeking a font for a vintage Christmas feel, look for Handwritten or Serifs and Old-Style Lettering. These types of fonts are not only elegant but they can also create a sense of nostalgia.
Some fonts you can try in your next designs:
- Great Vibes
- Sacramento
- Cinzel
- Baskerville
- Mountains of Christmas
2. Holly adorned borders
Holly has long been associated with Christmas. Think about those lush green leaves paired with those vibrant red berries — total classic Christmas vibes, right?
You can see many holly illustrations from those vintage Christmas cards, arts, and decorations. So, toss some holly into your designs for a festive dose of tradition wrapped in a cozy, timeless vibe.
3. Christmas decoration imagery
Put in some classic holiday decorations like Christmas trees, presents, nutcrackers, stockings, and, of course, Santa Claus! These elements would ensure you a vintage holiday theme.
When choosing an illustration for Christmas, you can consider illustrations depicting timeless holiday scenes such as families gathered around a Christmas tree, children playing in the snow, or festive celebrations to get that nostalgia vibe.
4. Christmas treat elements
Christmas ornament is not the only festive element during winter, think about all of the classic sweet treats as well!.
Think gingerbread houses, gingerbread men, Christmas cakes, and those iconic candy canes. Illustrating these delicious goodies adds a vintage cosiness to your design, bringing in that nostalgic charm to your table.
5. Vintage Santa Claus image
Santa Claus in a red suit and white fur is also one of the most iconic Christmas elements. There have been many drawings of the saint even before the 1900s.
In our previous blog, we explored how vintage Santa illustration transforms across history. Check it out for a trip through Santa’s style evolution. They’re a surefire way to add that timeless, old-school flair to your holiday designs.
6. Classic color palette
The easiest way to capture the traditional holiday ambience is to choose classic colors like reds, greens, deep blues, and golds.
For a cozy design, we recommend some earthy and warm tones like burgundy, forest green, mustard yellow, deep red, and rustic brown to create a cozy atmosphere.
Also, you could look up vintage Christmas cards or posters in different eras for inspiration. For example, the Art Deco influence during the 1920s would make the designs filled with rich Jewel tones like emerald green, ruby red, and sapphire blue to give the design a sleek look.
But if you want to go for a 1940s to 1950s vintage vibe, you might want to add some muted pastels in your design along with the iconic bright red color.
Using these designs isn’t just about adding a retro flair to your holiday projects; it’s about evoking the comfort and joy of the season.
And guess what? You don’t need Santa’s sleigh to find these gems. At rawpixel.com, we’ve got a treasure chest of vintage Christmas designs and elements to remix from our public domain collection — and they’re all yours to explore and use!
So ready to sprinkle some vintage Christmas magic on your projects?
Let’s dive in!
Exploring rawpixel’s Public Domain Wonderland
Our public domain collection is a festive library, overflowing with vintage Christmas treasures.
From classic Santa illustrations to intricate snowflake patterns, each piece in our collection tells a story of holidays long ago.
It’s your go-to destination for crafting a Christmas that’s both nostalgic and unique.
We offer both free and premium memberships designed to suit your specific needs, whether you’re working on personal projects, managing a small business, or handling corporate endeavors!
Remix Classics With Our Graphic Design Editor
Meet rawpixel’s Create Tool, the newest member of your holiday design team. This tool transforms the way you interact with vintage designs.
With an intuitive interface and a plethora of intuitive editing options, you can seamlessly blend the old with the new.
Whether you’re a professional designer or a Christmas enthusiast, our design editing tool is designed to bring your festive visions to life, no matter your skill level.
Create a Christmas Design Easily With rawpixel
Follow these easy steps:
- Choose your Vintage Base: Start by selecting a vintage Christmas artwork or design through our Create Tool. Maybe it’s a retro Chevy hauling a Christmas tree on its roof or a 1920s illustration of a girl in her Christmas outfit — the choice is yours.
- Personalize with the Create Tool: Now, let your creativity flow. Add modern elements and play with colors.
- Add festive flair: Insert some personalized greetings and get the layout just the way you want.
- Download and share: Once you’re satisfied, download and/or print your remix. Use it for holiday cards, flyers, posters or your socials.
written by rawpixel Team & Ketsarin J.
