Forest deer shadow box SVG
A stag on a hill at dusk, with a fawn below him, pines closing in from both sides and a full moon over far mountains. 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 “Blue dusk” set; cut them in any card you like.
| Sheet | What is on it | Narrowest part | Seen from the front |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sky and moon | A whole sheet with holes for: 8 × Plain disc | over 2 mm | 31% |
| 2. Far mountains | A mountain range | over 2 mm | 6% |
| 3. Treeline | Rolling ground, with: 3 × Classic pine tree, 2 × Tall pine tree, 2 × Simple pine tree and Short wide pine tree | 1.4 mm | 8% |
| 4. Deer on the hill | Rolling ground, with: Buck deer standing, Evergreen tree with even boughs and Tall pine tree | 0.7 mm | 10% |
| 5. Near pines | Rolling ground, with: Tall pine tree, Classic pine tree and Fawn deer with spots | 1.1 mm | 12% |
| 6. Grass | A gentle slope, with: Grass silhouette, Bunch of grass and Grass with flowers | 1 mm | 28% |
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
The antlers are the finest part, so cut the deer sheet first to test your blade and card. The two tall pines on the fifth sheet frame the view, and they are what gives the box its depth, so do not leave that sheet out to save card.
- 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 swap the deer for another animal?
Yes. Open the scene in the maker, select the stag and choose Swap: a bear, a fox, a wolf or a moose all stand on the same hill.
Which sheet has the moon?
The back one. The moon and stars are holes in it, so a light behind the box shines through them.
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.
Christmas village 
Haunted house 
Under the sea 
Safari sunset 
Nativity 
Unicorn castle