Campsite at night shadow box SVG
A bell tent pitched in a clearing under the moon, with mountains and a pine wood behind it, a pot hanging over the campfire and tall pines closing in at the sides. 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 8 × 8 in, 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 “Blue dusk” set; cut them in any card you like. Cut sheet 6, “Grass”, the slowest: at 0.7 mm it has the thinnest part in the scene, and sheet 6, “Grass”, fills the most of the view, 26% of it.
| Sheet | What is on it | Narrowest part | Seen from the front |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Moon and stars | A whole sheet with holes for: 8 × Plain disc | over 2 mm | 31% |
| 2. Far mountains | A mountain range | over 2 mm | 7% |
| 3. Pine wood | Rolling ground, with: Pine forest on a hill, Simple pine tree, Classic pine tree and Three pine trees | 0.8 mm | 7% |
| 4. Tent | Rolling ground, with: Bell tent with a centre pole and Evergreen tree with even boughs | over 2 mm | 15% |
| 5. Campfire | A gentle slope, with: Campfire with a cooking pot and Tall pine tree | 1.3 mm | 11% |
| 6. Grass | A gentle slope, with: Fern silhouette, Bunch of grass, Three mushrooms and Grass silhouette | 0.7 mm | 26% |
Measured from the files at 8 × 8 in. 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 8 × 8 in. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 × 6 in | 152.4 × 152.4 mm | 0.5 mm | 20 mm | Yes | Too fine: choose a larger size |
| 20 × 20 cm | 200 × 200 mm | 0.7 mm | 20 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 8 × 8 in | 203.2 × 203.2 mm | 0.7 mm | 20 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 23 × 23 cm | 230 × 230 mm | 0.8 mm | 20 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 25 × 25 cm | 250 × 250 mm | 0.9 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
The guy lines of the tent and the tripod over the fire are the thinnest parts, so cut the fourth and fifth sheets slowly. In white card with a light behind, the moon and the stars glow and the fire sheet stands out against them.
- 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
Can I change the tent?
Yes. Select it in the maker and choose Swap: a dome tent, a ridge tent and a teepee are under Buildings, and caravans and a camper van are under Vehicles.
How do I make the campfire stand out?
Cut the fifth sheet, the one with the fire, in orange or red card. Against the blues of the sheets on either side it is the warmest thing in the box.
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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