Canoe on the lake shadow box SVG
A summer lake with wooded hills and a wooden cabin on the far shore, a paddler out on the water with a family of ducks, a canoe pulled up on the near bank under a willow, and reeds along the edge. 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 “Forest green” set; cut them in any card you like. Cut sheet 6, “Reeds”, the slowest: at 0.7 mm it has the thinnest part in the scene, and sheet 6, “Reeds”, fills the most of the view, 26% of it.
| Sheet | What is on it | Narrowest part | Seen from the front |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sun | A whole sheet with holes for: Plain disc | over 2 mm | 26% |
| 2. Far hills | Rolling ground, with: Round tree silhouette, Simple pine tree and Oak tree with a broad crown | 1.9 mm | 5% |
| 3. Cabin on the far shore | Rolling ground, with: A-frame cabin on a deck, Birch tree in leaf, Classic pine tree and Tall pine tree | 1 mm | 9% |
| 4. Paddler and ducks | Waves, with: Kayak silhouette on the water and Mother duck with three ducklings | 1 mm | 12% |
| 5. Canoe on the bank | Rolling ground, with: Weeping willow tree and Canoe with a paddle | 1.4 mm | 18% |
| 6. Reeds | A gentle slope, with: Pond grass with cattails, Bunch of grass and Lotus with bud and pads | 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
Cut the water sheet in a pale blue among the greens and the lake reads at once. The ducklings are the smallest parts, about 1 mm wide at their necks, so cut that sheet slowly. The willow is long but sturdy: lift it from the trunk outwards.
- 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 swap the kayak for a sailing boat?
Yes. Select the paddler in the maker and choose Swap: five sailing boats are under Vehicles, and each sits on the same water line.
Is the paddle of the canoe strong enough?
At 8 inches it is about 1.4 mm wide at its thinnest, which cuts cleanly in card of 200 gsm or more. Lift the sheet from the boat towards the blade of the paddle.
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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