Christmas elves shadow box SVG
Five elves getting ready for Christmas: a bright star and small ones, two decorated trees, three elves hand in hand between them, one elf waving and one jumping at the sides, and presents and candy canes at the front. 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 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 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 “Forest green” set; cut them in any card you like. Cut sheet 5, “Presents and candy canes”, the slowest: at 1 mm it has the thinnest part in the scene, and sheet 5, “Presents and candy canes”, fills the most of the view, 25% of it.
| Sheet | What is on it | Narrowest part | Seen from the front |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Star | A whole sheet with holes for: North star and 7 × Plain disc | over 2 mm | 33% |
| 2. Christmas trees | Rolling ground, with: Christmas tree with garlands and Christmas tree with bauble cut-outs | 1.6 mm | 13% |
| 3. Three elves | Rolling ground, with: Three elves holding hands | 1.5 mm | 15% |
| 4. Waving and jumping elves | Rolling ground, with: Standing elf waving and Jumping elf silhouette | 1.7 mm | 13% |
| 5. Presents and candy canes | A gentle slope, with: Stack of three presents, Gift box with a lid and bow and 2 × Solid candy cane | 1 mm | 25% |
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 | 0.8 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 20 × 20 cm | 200 × 200 mm | 1 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 8 × 8 in | 203.2 × 203.2 mm | 1 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Cuts easily |
| 23 × 23 cm | 230 × 230 mm | 1.1 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Cuts easily |
| 25 × 25 cm | 250 × 250 mm | 1.2 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
Five elves on two sheets. The three in the middle are one piece, joined hand to hand, about 7 cm tall at 8 inches, and the two at the sides stand on the sheet in front of them. The faces and belts of the three in the middle and of the waving elf are cut through, and the jumping elf is a plain silhouette. The sheets with the trees and the elves are between 1.5 and 1.7 mm at their finest. The presents at the front are the fine cutting, at about 1 mm. The star is a hole in the back sheet. Cut it in the Forest green colours as shown, or cut the elves in green and the front sheet in red. Nothing hangs on a thread.
- 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
Are these elves from a book or a film?
No. They are invented elves in pointed hats with a bell, zigzag collars and curly shoes, drawn for the elf designs in the library. They are not taken from any book, film or toy.
Can I have fewer elves?
Yes. In the maker, remove the sheet with the waving and jumping elves. Three elves hand in hand between the two trees make a simpler scene in four sheets.
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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