Christmas tree in the snow shadow box SVG
A Christmas tree out in the snow at night with the animals of the wood gathered round it: a bright star over its tip in a sky of small ones, far firs, the tree with stars cut through it, a doe and a fawn, and a rabbit, a squirrel and a small fir in the drift 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 “Snow” set; cut them in any card you like. Cut sheet 5, “Rabbit and squirrel”, the slowest: at 1.9 mm it has the thinnest part in the scene, and sheet 5, “Rabbit and squirrel”, fills the most of the view, 25% of it.
| Sheet | What is on it | Narrowest part | Seen from the front |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Star and snow | A whole sheet with holes for: North star and 10 × Plain disc | over 2 mm | 36% |
| 2. Far firs | Rolling ground, with: 2 × Simple pine tree and 2 × Short wide pine tree | over 2 mm | 8% |
| 3. Christmas tree | Rolling ground, with: Christmas tree with star cut-outs | over 2 mm | 18% |
| 4. Doe and fawn | Rolling ground, with: Doe deer standing and Fawn deer with spots | 2 mm | 12% |
| 5. Rabbit and squirrel | A gentle slope, with: Squirrel silhouette, Bunny rabbit sitting up and Simple pine tree | 1.9 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 | 1.4 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Cuts easily |
| 20 × 20 cm | 200 × 200 mm | 1.9 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Cuts easily |
| 8 × 8 in | 203.2 × 203.2 mm | 1.9 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Cuts easily |
| 23 × 23 cm | 230 × 230 mm | 2.2 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Cuts easily |
| 25 × 25 cm | 250 × 250 mm | 2.3 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
Made to be cut by hand as well as by machine: every shape is a plain silhouette, and nothing in the scene is under 1.9 mm at 8 inches. The tree is about 11 cm tall, with stars cut through it that show the dark sheet behind. The star over its tip is a hole in the back sheet, with the small stars round it. In the Snow colours the back sheet is dark blue, so it reads as a night sky, and a light behind makes the stars shine. With a craft knife, cut the stars in the tree and the spots of the fawn first, and the long outer lines last. 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
Can I cut it by hand?
Yes. There are five sheets and the shapes are bold: the three sheets at the back have nothing under 2 mm, the deer are 2 mm at their finest and the front sheet 1.9 mm. Print each sheet at full size, tape it over the card and cut through both.
Is it a tree to fold or stand up?
No. It is a flat picture of a tree in five layered sheets, for a deep frame. The Christmas tree by the window scene is the same kind of picture with the tree indoors.
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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