In today’s post: Find 20 gorgeous printable quotes that you can use to decorate your home and brighten your day, all for free. Scroll down to find a link to 20 more printable inspirational quotes.
I’ve rounded up some really beautiful quote printables for your viewing pleasure today, but before we get to them I’m going to share a not-so-flattering story about myself in hopes that some of you may relate. (And if you don’t want to hear about me being a dork feel free to scroll right past all the typing to the pretty printables.)
So I’ve been trying to create a new quote printable each month to share here on the blog – I really like making printables, but designing them doesn’t come as easily to me as I’d like. I figure each one I make is practice, though, so hopefully I’ll keep getting better. Not long ago a reader requested a specific quote, a poem about kindness, and I got to work trying to turn the words into something pretty. I knew what I wanted: a mix of script and sans serif fonts, some florals, and a modern color scheme – but it just wasn’t happening. I spent an hour here and there over the past few weeks working on it, getting nowhere, starting over, and getting nowhere again.
I was fairly frustrated that things weren’t working out, so I took a little break from Photoshop and opened Facebook. The first thing I saw was a post from another blogger sharing a lovely printable of the exact quote I was working on in just the style I’d been going for. It was so exactly what I wanted that you’d think I would have jumped for joy and clapped out loud.
Except I didn’t. Because honestly, my first response was to be just a little bit annoyed. I’d been wasting my time trying to make something cool when someone else had already done it, and done it much better. I could have spent all that time playing with my kids! In fact, I probably should have spent all that time playing with the kids. Suddenly I was not only completely incompetent at creating printables, I was also a slacker mom. I was fully aware that in the grand scheme of things this was SO TOTALLY not a big deal, but this little comparison in which I came up short seemed ready to ruin my day.
And then I had a thought: was I trying to make a printable so I could keep a lovely quote in my home to remind me to be kind, or was I trying to make a printable so I could be proud of myself? What was really important here?
Now, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with taking satisfaction in the things we create. I think that hobbies and creative endeavors are a blessing in our life, and that feeling good about the things we work hard on can be a great source of joy. But we (and I mean “I” here) run into problems when we start thinking that others’ success and talents and creations make our own success and talents somehow less worthwhile. It’s a trap that’s way too easy to fall into, especially in our highly social and visual world.
So I’m sharing this experience as a reminder for all of us (because I’m not the only one who sometimes struggles with this, right?): Life is not a competition. Creativity is not a competition. The key is to stop comparing and start appreciating. If we can enjoy other people’s success and let it inspire us instead of allowing comparisons to drag us down, we will have more joy and more contentment in life.
20 gorgeous printable quotes
And so, instead of sharing something I’ve made today, I’m sharing 20 beautiful quote printables from a variety of talented bloggers, starting with this one from How Joyful:
I might need to print this one out ASAP, right?
Please remember that if you want to print any of these lovely quotes, you’ll need to click through to the original post to get the hi-res versions. Please also click through to the original posts to pin images of individual printables (if you’d like to pin the top image from this post to remember where to find this roundup, that’s just fine!).
2. One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes, from Angie Sandy:
3. A nice collection of printable quotes from Lovely Designed:
4. Classic Dr Seuss from All For the Boys:
5. Isn’t this quote print pretty? From The Elli Blog:
6. A sweet sentiment from eighteen25:
7. 30 Handmade Days has LOADS of beautiful quote printables like this one:
8&9. Simple as That is another blog CHOCK FULL of beautiful inspirational printables, with new ones every month!
10. My 3 Monsters shares this cool printable + 10 more that she used in a yearly planner:
11. Great goals from The Elli Blog:
12. My favorite Winnie the Pooh quote from Kayla Aimee:
13. I love this beautiful chalkboard quote from Entirely Eventful Day!
14. Mama Miss has a bunch of great free printables – I love this nursery print so much!
15. And another one from Mama Miss:
16. And one more from Mama Miss because it makes me feel good 🙂
17. Awesome Nelson Mandela quote printable by Living Well Spending Less:
18. Super cute printable from The 36th Avenue:
19. This awesome trio of inspirational printables from On Sutton Place is one of a growing collection on her blog:
20. Love the grey and yellow, from Collected:
Want even more printable inspirational quotes? Find the second installment with 20 more quotes right here.
Nick says
Great inspirational quotes
Brittany says
I love these! I especially love the one about changing your thoughts to change your world – it’s so true! It’s easier said than done at times, but it’s still true that changing your mindset can change everything.
Jack says
This is really inspiring. I want you to know that you have a great site!
heather M says
I am trying to plan a back to school dinner for my kids and I was having a hard time thinking of a family theme until I remembered that I pinned this post the other day. So I came back to it to see if there was something inspirational or motivational that we could focus on this year and display in our home and sure enough, there definitely is! Now my only problem is picking the best one for us. Thank you for this post!
Olivia says
What a great roundup of free printables!!! So awesome! Thanks for sharing this!
Olivia @ silverspiralstudio.com
Lynette Ballard says
Thank you for this post. Thanks for sharing your story also. I can completely relate. I am taking that top quote and cutting it out in vinyl and slapping it onto something in my craft room (I don’t have a color printer, so vinyl is easier for me right now). I have had “What you create doesn’t have to be perfect,” by Dieter F. Uctdorf in there for years, and it is now an automatic thought process when I mess up, so I need something new in there. With all the pinterest stuff we are bombarded with, it’s hard to remember to quit comparing your stuff to others’. 🙂 Thanks again for sharing your story. I really appreciate it. And thanks for the awesome round up!
Brenda says
These are great, thank you very much 🙂
Hanis Amanina says
I love all the quotes, and I am so interested with this quote, Change you thought and you can change the world. 🙂 I remember another quote saying that, “Be the change you want to see in this world”. Yes, it is us who will color the life and affects people around us. 🙂
autumn says
So true! Thanks for visiting.
Jilaina says
So thrilled to have stumbled upon this post! I have felt the same frustration with some of my projects, and I know it’s not funny per se, but I giggled when you mentioned the downward spiral that so easily follows frustration like that because it is a very familiar path for me to go down. 🙂
I am excited to read more of your blog.
Kelli {A Deeper Joy} says
This is fabulous! Thank you for creating one place to find SO MANY great printables! I love them all!
Kim says
Thank you for the great compilation! I have found a few I will print and place all over my house. Thanks again! 🙂
Angela Robbins says
I love these!! Do you happen to have a compilation of framing ideas for hanging printables? I have found so many printables I would love to have displayed in my home but I have no idea what to do with them :/
autumn says
I do have a frame compilation! Check out this post for lots of DIY frame ideas: https://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/2013/09/30/20-best-diy-photo-frame-tutorials.html
Angie Sandy says
Thank you for featuring one of my printables!
Laura says
Wow! Your message really connected with me. I always think I’m the only one that has creativity challenges, and when I go looking for inspiration I get down on myself. Will have to re-frame my thinking!
autumn says
It’s so easy to think this way. I’ve actually gotten a lot better about this than I used to be – most of the time I’m really able to view other people’s work as an example and inspiration, but every once in a while I fall back into comparing and feeling bad. But just writing this post was a good lesson for me – I gave up on the printable I was trying to make and spent a few days looking for inspiration instead – and then this morning I started on a new one and it went so much better. Good luck!
Rebecca Cooper says
Such a darling collection of quotes Autumn, I’m really honoured that you included a couple of mine! 🙂
autumn says
Thanks for making so many gorgeous printables!
Kristi christensen says
Thank you so much for this reminder! I am constantly comparing myself to others and feeling down about not matching up. I very much enjoy your creativity and my daughter and I have had a great time creating by your example. Thanks for being an inspiration and so many ways!
autumn says
Thank you so much!
Camila Ortega says
Hi! Thanks for adding my quotes! Hope you can enjoy inspiration from them every day after printing them! Nice collection on your post! 🙂
Mique says
Autumn I have SO been there. Exactly what you described. I’ve made projects that have taken forever, only to find out that someone did the same thing and posted it the day before me. And cuter. So frustrating!! All that to say- you are not alone.
Thanks so much for linking to my quote. Love that one. 😉
I loved meeting you at SNAP- wish I had more time to chat. I hope you told Allison hi for me!
autumn says
Thanks, Mique! It’s good to know I’m not the only one. It was fun to meet you at SNAP – I love your blog!
Katee says
Thanks Autumn! I am excited to print up these quotes! Also, I too have been getting in the pride trap so I swore off Facebook for a while because I started thinking my life was so terrible. What was I thinking?!?! My life is wonderful.
autumn says
So true! I think this is a particular challenge for us right now – never before have people been able to compare themselves to hundreds or thousands of other people each day – it’s easy to let this mass sharing of info make us feel small and alone. It’s probably a good idea to take a break from all the social media once in a while and focus on the simple, important things: family, faith, service. And chocolate 😉