There’s something about old-fashioned Christmas art that feels… safe. Warm. Like cinnamon in the air and a little static from the record player.
Maybe you’ve seen your grandma’s hand-painted ornaments or an old postcard tucked in a photo album, that soft crackle of nostalgia is what this list is about.
So, grab your cocoa (extra marshmallows, obviously), and let’s talk about 20 vintage Christmas art ideas you can actually try this year, from simple sketches to full-blown handmade decor pieces that feel pulled from a 1940s holiday window display.
Also see: 18 Calm Pine Cone and Acorn Painting Ideas
1. Victorian Christmas Card Illustrations
Those antique cards with cherubs, holly borders, and handwritten messages had a certain charm that digital greetings never will. Try watercoloring your own, using muted reds and dusty greens with sepia outlines.
A friend of mine collects original 19th-century cards, she says they “smell like the holidays before Wi-Fi.”
Here’s a pro tip, lightly stain your watercolor paper with tea before painting to give it that timeworn tint.
2. Retro Ornament Still-Life Painting
Set up a few glass baubles, maybe with chipped paint or a reflection of fairy lights, and capture them in watercolor or gouache. Artists in the 1950s often emphasized reflections and shadowed reds, that contrast made the ornaments pop.
Mini case study: I once recreated my grandmother’s silver ornaments from an old Polaroid. The way the light distorted on the scratched surface told more story than perfection ever could.
3. 1940s Store Window Scene
Imagine a small-town shop window dressed with paper snowflakes and wooden toys. Paint that scene or recreate it as a mixed-media collage. The key is imperfect charm, smudged glass, uneven garland, and all.
Ask yourself: Would this scene make a kid in 1947 stop and press their nose to the window?
4. Hand-Painted Christmas Sheet Music
Find an old carol book (or print one) and use it as a base layer for your painting. Paint holly leaves, bells, or angels lightly over the notes so the music peeks through.
This trick was big among post-war artists, when resources were scarce, they painted over whatever they had. It adds depth and story instantly.
5. Vintage Christmas Portraits
Paint a family portrait as if it were taken in the 1950s, matching sweaters, soft lighting, and a slightly faded look. Try painting it in watercolor or digitally with a muted color palette.
If you’re feeling fancy, frame it in an oval wooden frame to finish the illusion.
6. Rustic Santa Silhouette Art
Before Coca-Cola made Santa bright red, artists often painted him in earthy tones, think deep maroon, olive, and taupe. Create your own old-world Santa silhouette using layered acrylics or even coffee wash.
I once used instant coffee to “paint” shadows into the beard, the smell alone made it worth it.
7. Postcard Art Collage
Collect scraps from old magazines, wrapping paper, and postcards. Arrange them into a new composition that feels like a snapshot of Christmas through decades.
Add hand-lettered text like “Season’s Greetings” in that loopy 1950s style for an authentic touch.
8. Vintage Candle Glow Painting
Old Christmas cards loved that warm candlelight glow. Paint a single candle with surrounding pine branches in watercolor, then glaze yellow wash for the aura effect.
Artist trick: Use salt on wet watercolor to create that grainy “aged” paper look around the light source.
9. Old Toy Workshop Illustration
Wooden trains, jack-in-the-boxes, rag dolls, bring them back to life in an art piece. Think Norman Rockwell energy but simpler. A cozy mess of toys under warm lamplight can tell a whole story.
10. Muted Snow Village Painting
Forget pure white snow, vintage winter scenes had beige and gray undertones from aged paper and faded pigments. Try a limited palette: raw umber, payne’s gray, and a dab of crimson.
My old art professor used to say, “Snow isn’t white. It’s memory-colored.” He wasn’t wrong.
11. Handmade Vintage Ornament Designs
Instead of painting, design ornaments inspired by vintage art styles, hand-paint wooden baubles with holly, stars, or typewriter-style lettering.
Pro tip: A little crackle paint on the surface gives it that aged patina instantly.
12. Christmas Caroler Silhouette Art
Cut black paper silhouettes of singing figures and glue them against a cream background. Add a watercolor wash behind them for glow.
This was a popular 1930s window decoration, simple, graphic, and very effective in candlelight.
13. Retro Wrapping Paper Patterns
Create repeating patterns inspired by 1950s gift wrap, bells, bows, reindeer, and mid-century stars. Use markers or digital brushes that mimic print texture.
I once sold a wrapping paper pattern like this online, people said it reminded them of their grandparents’ attic stash. Nostalgia sells, by the way.
14. Chalkboard-Style Holiday Signs
Try hand-lettering Christmas quotes in vintage fonts, “Good Tidings,” “Yuletide Joy,” or “Merry & Bright.” Use white chalk or chalk markers on blackboard canvas.
To age it: smudge the chalk lightly and add faint fake “cracks.” Looks like it’s been hanging since 1962.
15. Old Christmas Market Illustration
Capture that cozy chaos, wooden stalls, warm lights, bundled-up shoppers. Add a dusting of snow using white gouache flicks.
When I was in Salzburg a few years ago, I sketched a market stall that sold roasted chestnuts. It was -4°C, but my paint froze mid-brushstroke, best art accident ever.
16. Nostalgic Fireplace Scene
Every old postcard had one: a roaring fire, stockings, and shadows dancing on the wall. Paint it, collage it, or recreate it as a miniature diorama in a shoebox.
Want that golden glow? Mix a little burnt sienna and cadmium yellow, works better than any filter.
17. Faded Angel Wings Painting
Angels in vintage art weren’t shiny, they were delicate, soft, and slightly imperfect. Try painting them in watercolor with a dry brush to get that ethereal transparency.
For texture, dab the paper towel gently while the paint’s still damp.
18. Old-Time Lettering Posters
Make a retro poster using vintage typography, like old Coca-Cola Christmas ads or 1920s fonts. Red background, cream text, subtle wear and tear.
If you’re designing digitally, add slight grain and misalignment. Perfect alignment looks too modern.
19. Classic Sleigh Ride Scene
Recreate a snowy countryside with a horse-drawn sleigh, maybe under a starlit sky. Paint it in gouache or pastel for that matte, velvety look.
You could even frame it with fake gold foil edges to give it that “found in grandma’s attic” vibe.
20. Sepia Christmas Memories Collage
Gather old photos or print ones in sepia, then layer lace, fabric scraps, or handwritten notes on top. This one’s less about precision, more about feeling.
When I made mine last year, I used an old grocery list from my granddad’s drawer, “candles, cranberries, string.” It grounded the whole thing in real memory.
Closing Thoughts
There’s no right way to make “vintage” art. It’s not about copying old styles perfectly, it’s about chasing that feeling of simplicity and warmth. The texture of real paper. The slight shake of handwriting. The imperfections that make it human.
So maybe this year, instead of scrolling for Christmas inspo, just pull out an old photo, a teacup of watercolors, and start. Your brush might find something beautiful that feels like home again.