Dog in the park shadow box SVG
A dog chasing a ball across the park, with a bench under a big tree and a lamp behind it, a butterfly overhead, and a second dog and a puppy sitting in the grass 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 3, “Bench under the tree”, the slowest: at 0.7 mm it has the thinnest part in the scene, and sheet 5, “Dogs in the grass”, fills the most of the view, 31% 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 | 27% |
| 2. Far trees | Rolling ground, with: Three trees, Round tree silhouette and Oak tree with a broad crown | over 2 mm | 11% |
| 3. Bench under the tree | Rolling ground, with: Park bench under a tree, Lantern on a lamp post and Simple butterfly with teardrop wings | 0.7 mm | 19% |
| 4. Dog and ball | Rolling ground, with: Labrador dog standing and Plain disc | 1.9 mm | 9% |
| 5. Dogs in the grass | A gentle slope, with: Sitting dog silhouette, Cute puppy dog sitting, Bunch of grass and Grass with flowers | 0.9 mm | 31% |
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 | 17 mm | Yes | Too fine: choose a larger size |
| 20 × 20 cm | 200 × 200 mm | 0.7 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 8 × 8 in | 203.2 × 203.2 mm | 0.7 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 23 × 23 cm | 230 × 230 mm | 0.8 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 25 × 25 cm | 250 × 250 mm | 0.9 mm | 17 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 dogs are bold shapes; the third sheet, with the butterfly, the bench and the lamp, has the fine parts, at about 0.7 mm, so cut it slowly. To make it your own dog, cut the dog sheets in card the colour of its coat.
- 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 use it as a memorial for a dog?
Yes. Leave the front sheet out to make room and fix a collar tag or a small photograph to the foot of the frame in its place.
Are there other breeds?
The three dogs in the maker are plain shapes rather than breeds: one standing, one sitting and a puppy. The library has separate designs for many breeds, which you can cut and glue in.
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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