Ducks over the marsh shadow box SVG
A marsh at first light in the duck season: geese and ducks crossing a low sun, more ducks on the open water, and a retriever sitting on the bank among the bulrushes, watching them come in. 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 “Autumn” set; cut them in any card you like. Cut sheet 2, “Far trees and geese”, the slowest: at 0.7 mm it has the thinnest part in the scene, and sheet 6, “Reeds”, fills the most of the view, 25% of it.
| Sheet | What is on it | Narrowest part | Seen from the front |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Low sun | A whole sheet with holes for: Plain disc | over 2 mm | 26% |
| 2. Far trees and geese | Rolling ground, with: Three trees, Bare tree with even branches and 2 × Flying Canada goose | 0.7 mm | 12% |
| 3. Ducks coming in | Waves, with: 2 × Flying duck and Pond grass with cattails | 0.9 mm | 10% |
| 4. Ducks on the water | Waves, with: 2 × Mallard duck standing | 0.7 mm | 7% |
| 5. Retriever | Rolling ground, with: Labrador retriever sitting and Pond grass with cattails | 1.4 mm | 12% |
| 6. Reeds | A gentle slope, with: Tall grass with seed heads, Bunch of grass and Grass silhouette | 0.8 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 | 0.5 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
Every bird in the air hangs on its own thread, so cut the second and third sheets in a dark card that hides the threads against the sky. The dog is a bold shape; the geese and the two ducks on the water are the finest cutting, at about 0.7 mm at 8 inches.
- 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 dog?
Yes. Select it in the maker and choose Swap. A golden retriever, a beagle, a poodle and other breeds are under Animals, each sitting or standing.
How many birds are on threads?
Four: two geese on the second sheet and two ducks on the third. Each thread is 1.6 mm wide and runs straight up to the frame.
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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