How To Craft With Free Vintage Seed Packets Art

Seed companies generally produce seeds for amateur gardeners to grow flowers, fruit and vegetables. The seeds were traditionally sold in mail order, using a catalogue and seed packets. I’ve curated some lovely artwork from these catalogues and made them into free downloadable vintage seed packets.

Many catalogues from the 1880s until the early 1900s had beautifully coloured painted covers. This period is often called the “Golden Age of Seed Catalogue Art”.  With this collection, I have focused on floral vintage seed packets.

Vintage Seed Packets Art And Ideas For Using Them

These beautiful floral images can be downloaded as just the original artwork. Or you can also download the floral art as vintage seed packets.

To download the images, click on the title above, and a higher-resolution picture will open in another tab in your browser. Then you can save the image to your hard drive or print them out immediately.

We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

How To Construct The Vintage Seed Packets

The catalogue floral images have been placed in a vintage seed packet template.

On the floral art links below, click on the title to download the image as a pdf and click on the seed packet link below to download the same image as a seed packet.

1. First, choose your flowers and print out the seed packet template.
2. Cut out the envelope shape
3. Crease and fold along the flaps
4. Glue the envelope flaps together as in the picture below.

Making Upcycled Vintage Seed Packet Planters

Some spring bunting and flower seed packet planters are fun to make with the seed packets.

I used rusty old tin cans to make the planters. These tin cans had been left in the garden to the elements for a few weeks.

1. Sand off the loose rust where you will stick the seed packet label.
2. Cut out the floral image from the centre of the printed seed packet.
3. Use a brush to wet the outside edge of the label. Then carefully tear around the edge of the image. This will give your floral label a more rustic/aged look.
4. Using a decoupage glue such as Mod Podge, stick the label to the front of the tin can.
5. Finally, to seal the cans and stop the rust flaking, cover the label and the outside of the tin cans with another layer of Mod Podge. Use a waterproof Mod Podge or sealer if the planters are for outside.

Planting the tin cans

I often use tin cans as planters. I have found the best way to use the cans as planters are to create plastic bottle inner pots. This helps with drainage and makes it easy to move plants between cans.

1. Cut a small water bottle to fit the tin can’s height.
2. Punch some small holes into the bottom of the bottle.
3. Fill the bottom of the bottle with a small layer of pebbles.
4. Then plant the bedding flowers.

Another suggestion for using the seed packets is to make a seed packet box like this one here. Or you can add a handle to hang the planters from like with these Easter tin can spring planters.

The Vintage Seed Packets Art Work

1. Carnations from Maules Seed Catelogue 1883

The carnation and floral seed packet template

2. Pink Waterlily Dahlia 1883

Pink waterlily dahlia seed packet download

3. Maule’s Seed Catalogue 1900 Dahlias

Dahlia vintage seed packet download

4. Maule’s Seed Catelogue 1900 Yellow Cannas

Yellow Cannas vintage seed packet download

5. Aquilegia Seed Packet Art

Aquilegia seed packet download

6. Vintage Tulip Seed Packet Art

Tulip Seed Packet template to download

There are some vintage tulip paintings on the site.

7. 1900 Pansy Seeds

Pansy vintage seed packets art template download.

8. Peter Henderson & Co 1894 Petunas

Petunas vintage seed packets template to download

9. Sweet Peas Flower Seed Packets

Sweet Peas Seed Packet Download

There are a couple of vintage seed packets for lilies in this collection of vintage lily prints and chrysanthemum illustrations. There is also a wonderful collection of rose illustrations from vintage gardening catalogues and other flowers in this Yokohama Nursery Catalogue.

I love crafting with vintage images, and I’m always looking for new ways to display and use the images in crafts. I’ve used some gorgeous still-life flower images to make an upcycled tray table.

If you love vintage bird images, you should check out this gorgeous songbird tin can wind chime or a wonderful parrot paper decor for a cloche.

If you liked these floral vintage seed packets, you might like these free printable vintage floral illustrations.

• Beautiful Botanical Rose Prints
• Gorgeous Free Peony Paintings
• Vintage Cactus Paintings

This tutorial can be found on the top ideas for a repurposed garden. The cans, like these Christmas tin cans, can also be decorated for other seasons. Check out these other botanical craft ideas.

For more thrifty planter ideas, visit cheapthriftyliving.