Ephemera can be made for your own use or to distribute to others. Let’s look at some things we might want to think about before making our own ephemera.
Steps
1. Scan.
Scanning in your collection would be a great first step in creating your own ephemera. While a lot of it is available for free online, you’ll quickly notice that it’s not always high enough resolution to work with to create new items. I prefer to do my own scans, even if it is available online. This allows me to have the best originals before starting this process.
For more about digitizing your ephemera, check out the Enrichment Project badge program “Image Digitizer.”
2. Size.
To be authentic, you might choose to do some research on different types of ephemera you might create. You could do a single full page (sheet music or book) or smaller pieces (tags or cards) that are standard for today. To be more authentic, you might want to look at the actual size of your ephemera pieces when they were originally produced and use that instead. Start making a list of sizes for your reference.
3. Covers.
Covers of old books in the public domain have a variety of colors and textures you can use to create your own ephemera. Do you have access to an old book with a cool cover? You can use the outside of the front or back cover, the inside covers or even the spine. In addition, you can use an image editing program to remove any text or embellishments you don’t want.
NOTE: Be sure to save the original image separate from the one(s) you’re editing so you always have the original.
4. Aged.
As you look through a lot of ephemera, you’ll see aged or browned paper is normal. You can purchase background images that look like aged paper. You can make your own using standard paper with tea, coffee, inks or other items that can make the page appear older than it is. Experiment with aging paper to use in the background of your own creations.
5. Type.
I love the specialty characters and titles in public domain works. You can find it in type specimens, signage books, advertising and more. Remember, some books had advertisements in them. You don’t have to use the entire piece the type is locaated on “as is.” You can scan it and clean up all the extraneous items so you have only the type itself. Explore this possibility.
6. Hand.
Hand-written letters, postcards and recipes can all be included in the pieces to create your ephemera. You can even rewrite items in your own handwriting to make your ephemera unique to you. Don’t know what to write? Try your favorite quote, a short poem, an easy recipe or even just individual words.
7. Images.
Line art, wood cuts and all sorts of image styles can be found in vintage works. Don’t forget that newer images are in the public domain as well. Magazines, catalogs and newspapers can be included. If you’re working digitally, you can use filters and effects to age your images. This includes symbols and other decorative elements. Look at your ephemera. What images do you have available?
8. Stamp.
If you look at rubber and digital stamps, many of the images used are from the public domain. You can make a copy of a book page and stamp on it. This changes your ephemera to a completely different design. Look at stamps and see what you might incorporate to make your own ephemera.
9. Backgrounds.
Other background paper craft techniques can also be incorporated. Check out the Enrichment Project badge program “Artist Trading Card Backgrounds” or the Background set for even more ideas!
10. Set.
Often when you purchase graphic collections online, the set will have a theme. This works well with your ephemera as well. While most items recommended try to remain in the “free” price range, the cost per piece when you buy collections makes the images incredibly cheap. So, the aged paper, digital stamps or other items you want to incorporate are another way to create ephemera. The best part . . . it’s digitized for you! Check out different sets or collections of graphics that you might want to incorporate. Be sure to read their usage rules as some allow only personal use. Design Cuts and Creative Market are two marketplaces you might want to check out.
11. Whole.
One way to make ephemera is to drop an entire ad, book page, etc. onto your final piece. Tags are a great illustration of this. By using the entire piece, the colors, background and elements all work together in the design. What ephemera do you have that you can use “as is” to create a new design?
12. Part.
You might choose to use a part only of the ephemera you have. Chopping off part of the design can make it more interesting. Using only certain words can add more impact. Create a template and move your pieces around until you find a look you like.
13. Combine.
Combining pieces from a variety of things can be another way to create your own ephemera. Collage and mixed media can be used to combine pieces. Be sure to find a way to tie them together such as color or theme. Create a combination piece of ephemera.
14. Sheet.
Check out the three sheets of images I created from the Library of Congress collection. Many people distribute ephemera they create as sheets. This allows your end user to print it off many times so they can use it on multiple pieces. How might you reimagine the items you’ve created into a sheet?
15. Collection.
You can also collect elements and distribute the pieces as a set if you want to allow others to create their own ephemera. Your collection can be a few pieces, a hundred pieces or any number you imagine. Explore ways you might share or sell your ephemera collection.
Badge and Supplement Files
Member Level
- EP_Badge List_EphemeraM_larajla — list of badge items
- EP_Badge Set_EphemeraM_larajla — list of badge set and related badges
- EP_Supp_List_EphemeraM_larajla — list of supplements for the badge
- SUPP_BPG_EphemeraM_2in_12up_larajla — generic badge printable
- SUPP_EphemeraM_Journal_larajla — badge journal
- SUPP_EphemeraM_Planner_larajla — badge planner
Supplement Fun
- SUPP_Printable_Ephemera_Boy Scouts_larajla — Sample ephemera sheet, Boy Scouts
- SUPP_Printable_Ephemera_Civil War_larajla — Sample ephemera sheet, Civil War
- SUPP_Printable_Ephemera_Girl Scouts_larajla — Sample ephemera sheet, Girl Scouts
Sites to Explore
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=exTIIB5LnzA
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=XScbbGu5K3w
- www.wikihow.com/Make-Paper-Look-Old
- compassandink.com/where-to-find-junk-journal-ephemera-and-printables-for-free
- gomakesomething.com/ht/age/aging-paper
- gomakesomething.com/print/printcollage/printephemera
- ephemeracorner.com/2019/02/23/5-techniques-to-make-your-ephemera-more-vintage
- mycrafts.com/diy/how-to-make-your-own-ephemera
- designcuts.com
- creativemarket.com
Get the infographic here > larajla blog post
Get the PDFs of the badge program / supplements here