There’s been a tremendous increase in the number of crafters looking for vintage Halloween images, because in spite of their age, they’re actually quite versatile. Of course, they’re no-brainers for Halloween greeting cards, postcards and e-cards. But they also make the basis for a wide selection of Halloween crafts, such as shadow boxes, scrapbooks, altered art projects, artist trading cards (ATC) and steampunk.
One project I saw online that I particularly liked was a stand-up diorama featuring shellaqued cut-outs from various vintage Halloween greeting cards and postcards. There were witches, bats, owls, black cats, cauldrons, a haunted house and some really large Jack-o-lanterns, all arranged in a black, creepy forest setting. The entire structure was contained within a shadow box that actually had a little light at the top of it that cast shadows of the tree branches on the cut-out art pieces. It must have taken weeks to make, because each piece had to be cut out, glued to stiff cardboard, and then shellaqued numerous times. They were then attached to bases that allowed each piece to stand independently, and I imagine, be moved around easily until they were put in their final positions and glued in place.
The shadow box was about eight inches deep, and the pieces filled the area from side to side and front to back. The result was a stunning piece of art that can be brought out for every Halloween for years to come, much like people do with a nativity scene at Christmas.
