Elephant herd shadow box SVG
A herd of elephants crossing the plain in single file in front of a huge setting sun, with a calf between the adults, a water hole and a scatter of trees behind them, birds overhead and long grass in front. 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 10 × 8 in, landscape, 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 6, “Long grass”, the slowest: at 0.6 mm it has the thinnest part in the scene, and sheet 5, “Herd”, fills the most of the view, 28% 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 | 24% |
| 2. Far hills | A gentle slope | over 2 mm | 5% |
| 3. Far trees | Rolling ground, with: 2 × Oak tree with a broad crown, Round tree silhouette, Flying bird with raised wings and Swallow in flight | 0.9 mm | 5% |
| 4. Water hole | Waves | over 2 mm | 5% |
| 5. Herd | Rolling ground, with: Walking elephant, Baby elephant silhouette, Elephant silhouette and Oak tree with a broad crown | over 2 mm | 28% |
| 6. Long grass | A gentle slope, with: Tall grass with seed heads, 2 × Grass silhouette and Wild grass with seed heads | 0.6 mm | 26% |
Measured from the files at 10 × 8 in, landscape. 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 10 × 8 in, landscape. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 8 in, landscape | 254 × 203.2 mm | 0.6 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
A wide scene with almost no fine cutting: the elephants are big, solid shapes. Their tails and tusks are the thinnest parts, so peel that sheet off the mat from the feet upwards.
- 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 add more elephants?
Yes. Select the herd sheet in the maker and add parts from Animals. There are five elephants to choose from, and each stands on the ground of its sheet.
How do the birds stay up?
Each hangs from the top of its sheet on a short thread of card, cut in the same pale colour as the far trees so that it does not draw the eye.
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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