Flamingo beach shadow box SVG
A tropical lagoon with a palm island and a boat far out, palms on the far shore, flamingos wading in the shallows and a palm leaning over the sand with one more flamingo beside it and shells along the tide line. 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 “Blossom” set; cut them in any card you like. Cut sheet 6, “Sand and shells”, the slowest: at 0.7 mm it has the thinnest part in the scene, and sheet 6, “Sand and shells”, fills the most of the view, 25% 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 | 30% |
| 2. Island and boat | Waves, with: Palm tree on an island and Simple sail boat for children | 0.9 mm | 4% |
| 3. Far shore | Rolling ground, with: Double palm tree and Straight palm tree silhouette | 0.9 mm | 10% |
| 4. Flamingos | Waves, with: Two flamingos making a heart and Flamingo silhouette | 1.3 mm | 16% |
| 5. Palm and flamingo | A gentle slope, with: Leaning palm tree and Flamingo standing on one leg | 0.9 mm | 11% |
| 6. Sand and shells | A gentle slope, with: Scallop seashell, Starfish silhouette, Bunch of grass and Conch seashell | 0.7 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
Pink card for the flamingo sheet and sandy or green card for the rest makes the birds the first thing you see. Their legs are the thinnest parts at about 1 mm, so cut that sheet slowly and peel the card away from the legs, not the legs from the mat.
- 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 flamingos?
Yes. In the maker choose Add, then Birds and insects: there are three flamingo designs. Stand each one in the water so that its feet are welded to the sheet.
Could I use real sand?
Yes. Leave the front sheet out, spread glue along the bottom of the frame and sprinkle fine sand and a few small shells over it.
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.
Surf beach 
Desert cactus 
Western ranch 
Farmyard 
Paris street 
Hot air balloons