Around the world shadow box SVG
A trip around the world in one box: an aeroplane crossing the sky above far mountains, an iron tower and a lighthouse on the skyline, a windmill and a palm tree below them, and a signpost and a camper van at the roadside. 5 sheets of card, cut and stacked with a gap between each, make the picture. The files are free, and every part of the scene can be moved, swapped or resized below before you download.
5 sheets at 10 × 8 in, landscape, zipped, with a note on putting them together.
Free for personal and commercial use, no sign-up. What you can do with it.
The 5 sheets
Sheet 1 is the back and sheet 5 is the front. Each one is a single piece with the same frame round its edge, so they line up when stacked. The colours shown are the “Blue dusk” set; cut them in any card you like. Cut sheet 2, “Aeroplane and mountains”, the slowest: at 1.1 mm it has the thinnest part in the scene, and sheet 5, “Signpost and camper van”, fills the most of the view, 27% of it.
| Sheet | What is on it | Narrowest part | Seen from the front |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sun and clouds | A whole sheet with holes for: Plain disc, Long flat cloud and Fluffy cloud | over 2 mm | 34% |
| 2. Aeroplane and mountains | A mountain range, with: Airplane from the side | 1.1 mm | 8% |
| 3. Tower and lighthouse | Rolling ground, with: Eiffel tower silhouette and Lighthouse silhouette | 1.4 mm | 14% |
| 4. Windmill and palm | Rolling ground, with: Dutch windmill and Palm tree with coconuts | 1.6 mm | 15% |
| 5. Signpost and camper van | A gentle slope, with: Street sign with two blank blades, Camper van with a pop top and Bunch of grass | 1.3 mm | 27% |
Measured from the files at 10 × 8 in, landscape. The narrowest part is the thinnest neck of card that holds anything on; sharp tips are not counted. “Seen from the front” is the share of the picture that sheet fills once the sheets in front of it are in place.
Will it cut at your size?
The download is 10 × 8 in, landscape. The scene maker above makes the same scene at any of these sizes; the thinnest part scales with it.
| Frame opening | Each sheet | Narrowest part | Depth needed | Fits a 12 × 12 in mat | Rule of thumb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 8 in, landscape | 254 × 203.2 mm | 1.1 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Cuts easily |
Depth needed allows 3 mm of foam between sheets and 5 mm for the card itself and the backing.
Making this one
A wide scene for a landscape frame. The aeroplane hangs on one thread from the top of the second sheet. The tower and the lighthouse are sturdy at 10 by 8 inches. The aeroplane is the finest cutting, at about 1.1 mm. The camper van and the signpost are 1.3 mm or more, and the sails of the windmill 1.6 mm. It is a paper scene to cut and frame: tickets and photographs can be glued to the border or to the back sheet.
- Cut all 5 sheets from 160 to 220 gsm card at the same size.
- Lay them out in order, sheet 1 at the back.
- Put strips of 3 mm foam tape round the border of sheet 1 and press sheet 2 onto it with the edges level. Carry on to sheet 5.
- Fit the stack into a deep frame with the front sheet against the glass. For a light box, run a strip of warm white LEDs round the inside of the frame behind the stack.
The zip includes these steps as a text file, each sheet as its own SVG and all 5 side by side in one SVG. More on paper, frames and lights is on the shadow box page.
The parts, on their own
Everything in the scene comes from the free SVG library, where each has its own page and file:
Questions
Can I change the places?
Yes. Select a landmark in the maker and choose Swap: a castle, a cathedral, a mission church, a city skyline and a covered bridge are under Buildings, and a volcano island and desert buttes are under Hills and water.
Can I write the places we have been on the signpost?
By hand, yes. The arms of the signpost are plain card: write a place on each with a fine pen, or cut the names from the lettering in the library and glue them to the bottom border.
Can I sell boxes I make with it?
Yes. Finished pieces are yours to sell. The files themselves may not be sold or shared; send people to this page. See the licence.
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