Our 1920s vintage newspaper template will make your next party look way more realistic than before. This is a quick guide on how to use and make it look great in your space. It’s designed to look like a paper straight out of the Prohibition era, but it’s simple to edit in Canva so you can customize it for your own event.
→ Get the free 1920s Speakeasy Newspaper Template.
All templates are part of the complete free murder mystery template collection. Free templates for every type of party.
Designed for Any 1920s Party
This template works for any kind of 1920s party – murder mystery nights, speakeasy birthday parties, Great Gatsby holiday events, etc. You can edit all the text, change the headlines, and even swap out some stories to match your event. You can make your friends the headline story or write a scandalous front page article about your event. It’ll only take a few clicks to make that happen.
Another fun option is to upload a photo of one, or all, of your guests and drop it right into the paper. This can be done with older photos and used during the event, or take picture during the event and create a keepsake the next day to send off to your guests.
How to Edit the Template in Canva
The template was built in Canva, one of the easiest design tools to use, so you won’t need any design experience to be able to use it. Just open the file, click on the text you want to change, and type in your own words. Upload your own photos or choose from any of their free ones, and you’ll have a custom 1920s-style newspaper in minutes. You can print it out as a handout for guests or keep it digital and send it as part of your invitations.
Once you’ve clicked on the link:
- It’ll open Canva in your browser (free account required)
- Click on the text fields to edit text, the left-hand side will have font options, and color options are up top
- Replace the placeholder headlines with content relevant to your game. Drag and drop any images you want into the template.
- Drag and drop any images you want into the template.
- Download as PDF or PNG for printing
If you’re not familiar with Canva, all text editing is done by clicking fields and typing. There’s no need to adjust fonts, colors, or layout – the template is designed to print as-is if you prefer not to edit it.
What to Put in the Headlines
The best way to use this template is to add things from your event into it, or things about your guests. This makes it more personal, and less like a simple prop.
Here are some suggested headline types:
- Character references: “Local Jazz Singer to Perform at Half Moon Club Tonight” (use a game character’s name)
- Speakeasy news: “Police Raid on Downtown Club Yields Little – Owner Denies Knowledge of Illegal Liquor”
- Period color: “City Council Votes Against Jazz Halls in Residential Areas” or “Bootlegger Arrested for Third Time This Year – Still Silent on Suppliers”
The stories don’t need to be long or interesting. Two or three sentences per column is more than enough. You can use character names or put real guests names as characters, city names or company names.
How to Use the Template at Your Party
As a placemat or table scatter: Print one copy per guest and laminate it as a placemat, or spread different stories out for guests to disover.
As part of the character envelope: Include a folded newspaper inside the envelope with each guest’s character sheet information. The newspaper wil give them context to what the evening is about, and help to build excitement.
As a prop clue: If your game involves specific evidence being shown after a death, you can use one column of the newspaper as a “news story” that hints at the killer’s motive without giving anything away. This works particularly well for Jazz, Moonshine and Murder – our popular murder mystery game.
As a wall decoration: Print it out at A3 size and tape it to the wall. The newspaper will look like an old pinup poster from back in the day. It can be filled with fun, interesting stories about guests or something about the case.who look closely.
Printing Tips
Standard white A4 or US Letter-size printer paper works fine. The print is already browned, so it’ll look aged when printed in color. If you wanted printed larger, you may need to visit your local printing place. Make sure that you’ve made all your edits and double-checked them before heading out to the printing place.
If you’re printing in black and white, you can also use off-white or cream paper to give it a similar aged effect.
What Else to Add to the Decor
The newspaper template works really well alongside other period props. For a full list of our budget-friendly decor ideas – posters, wine labels, menus, bar area – see our 1920s speakeasy decor guide. All of the ideas there are free or very low-cost, and several of them use the same Canva approach as this template.
Our Other Free Templates
For a complete end-of-night experience:
- Free murder mystery wine labels – works for most murder mystery themes
- Free jazz music playlist – royalty-free jazz music specifically for 1920s parties
- Free murder mystery award certificates – a variety of customizable award certificates for every theme
- Free murder mystery party posters – modern and old-school posters to decorate all your parties
Also, check out our top 10 prizes for your murder mystery party that your guests are certain to love.
Free 1920s Speakeasy Newspaper Template
This is one of my favorite decoration to add my parties. Unlike a lot of other props, it’s something that really makes the 1920s theme more realistic. And because it’s printable, you can make lots of different pages and plant them all over your venue. Before guests even start playing the game, and are still getting into character, they’ll have something interesting to talk to each other about.
Sherwin has been creating amazing murder mystery case files since 2023 – and he has no plans to ever stop. His cases have earned rave reviews from players around the world, and he’s since expanded into full murder mystery dinner party games. With 10 years of experience under his belt creating digital products, he brings a sharp eye for design and detail to every crime scene he builds.
