Autumn covered bridge shadow box SVG
A covered bridge over a stream in autumn: a low sun and far wooded hills, the bridge on the water between an oak and a birch, an old truck on the lane in front, and a sheaf of wheat, pumpkins and toadstools along the near bank. 6 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.
6 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 6 sheets
Sheet 1 is the back and sheet 6 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 “Sunset” set; cut them in any card you like. Cut sheet 6, “Pumpkins”, the slowest: at 0.7 mm it has the thinnest part in the scene, and sheet 6, “Pumpkins”, fills the most of the view, 24% of it.
| Sheet | What is on it | Narrowest part | Seen from the front |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Low sun | A whole sheet with holes for: Plain disc | over 2 mm | 22% |
| 2. Far hills | Rolling ground, with: Three trees, Round tree silhouette, Oak tree with a broad crown, Flying bird with raised wings and Swallow in flight | 0.9 mm | 7% |
| 3. Covered bridge | Waves, with: Covered bridge over a creek | 2 mm | 15% |
| 4. Oak and birch | Rolling ground, with: Oak tree with a broad crown and Birch tree in leaf | 2 mm | 18% |
| 5. Truck on the lane | Rolling ground, with: Old farm truck with stake sides, Rustic fence with a loose board and Wheat sheaf | 0.8 mm | 10% |
| 6. Pumpkins | A gentle slope, with: Three pumpkins in a row, Classic round pumpkin, Bunch of grass and Three mushrooms | 0.7 mm | 24% |
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 | 0.7 mm | 20 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
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 bridge, with its lattice sides, and the two big trees are sturdy shapes. The finest cutting is in the slatted sides of the truck and the toadstools at the front, so take those two sheets slowly.
- Cut all 6 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 6.
- 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 6 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
Which colours make it look like autumn?
Cream or pale yellow at the back, then oranges and rusts, and one dark brown or plum for the front two sheets. Keep the bridge sheet lighter than the trees in front of it.
How do the birds stay up?
Each hangs from the top of its sheet on a short thread of card, which the shadow of the frame hides.
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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