Eclipse over the hills shadow box SVG
A total eclipse of the sun over a range of hills: the sun and its rays cut as one hole in the back sheet, far peaks, a ridge of pines, tall pines at each side, and at the front the dark disc of the moon hanging in front of the sun, above a small tent in the grass. 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 “Halloween night” set; cut them in any card you like. Cut sheet 3, “Pine ridge”, the slowest: at 0.8 mm it has the thinnest part in the scene, and sheet 5, “Moon and grass”, fills the most of the view, 35% of it.
| Sheet | What is on it | Narrowest part | Seen from the front |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sun | A whole sheet with holes for: Classic sun with triangle rays and 5 × Plain disc | over 2 mm | 34% |
| 2. Far peaks | A mountain range | over 2 mm | 7% |
| 3. Pine ridge | Rolling ground, with: Pine forest on a hill and Three pine trees | 0.8 mm | 9% |
| 4. Tall pines | Rolling ground, with: Evergreen tree with even boughs and Tall pine tree | 1 mm | 13% |
| 5. Moon and grass | A gentle slope, with: Plain disc, Dome tent, Bunch of grass and Grass silhouette | 1.7 mm | 35% |
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 | 0.6 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 20 × 20 cm | 200 × 200 mm | 0.8 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 8 × 8 in | 203.2 × 203.2 mm | 0.8 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 23 × 23 cm | 230 × 230 mm | 0.9 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 25 × 25 cm | 250 × 250 mm | 1 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 sun is a hole with rays in the back sheet, and the moon is a plain disc on the front sheet that hangs straight in front of it on one thread of card about 1.6 mm wide. The disc hides the middle of the sun and leaves the rays showing all round, like the corona. Cut the front sheet in black card and put a light, or a sheet of white paper, behind the back sheet. The far pines on the third sheet are the fine cutting, at about 0.8 mm at 8 inches, and the tall pines are about 1 mm.
- 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
How does the moon stay in front of the sun?
It is part of the front sheet. A strip of card about 1.6 mm wide joins the disc to the top of the frame, so the sheet is one piece. The strip is short and runs straight up from the top of the disc.
Can I show a partial eclipse?
Yes. Select the disc in the maker and slide it to one side until part of the round middle of the sun shows beside it. The check tells you if the sheet is still one piece.
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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