Harvest hay wagon shadow box SVG
A hay wagon in a farmyard in autumn: a low sun over far hills with two birds crossing it, a barn with its silo and a wind pump, an old oak at the side, the wagon with its load of hay beside a stack of pumpkins, and a squirrel with an acorn and a sheaf of wheat at the 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 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 6, “Squirrel and sheaf”, the slowest: at 0.7 mm it has the thinnest part in the scene, and sheet 6, “Squirrel and sheaf”, fills the most of the view, 27% 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 | 22% |
| 2. Far hills and birds | Rolling ground, with: Flying bird with raised wings, Swallow in flight, Three trees and Round tree silhouette | 1.2 mm | 7% |
| 3. Barn and wind pump | Rolling ground, with: Farm windmill on a tower and Barn with a silo | 1.1 mm | 13% |
| 4. Old oak | Rolling ground, with: Oak tree with a broad crown | over 2 mm | 14% |
| 5. Hay wagon | Rolling ground, with: Hay wagon stacked with bales and Three stacked pumpkins | 1.1 mm | 11% |
| 6. Squirrel and sheaf | A gentle slope, with: Squirrel with an acorn, Three pumpkins in a row, Classic round pumpkin and Wheat sheaf | 0.7 mm | 27% |
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
In the autumn colours it runs from pale gold at the back to chestnut at the front. The two birds hang on threads against the sun, the only threads in the box. The ears of the wheat sheaf on the front sheet are the thinnest card, about 0.7 mm at 8 inches, and the wind pump and the rails of the wagon are about 1.1 mm; the barn, the oak and the pumpkins are sturdy.
- 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 real leaves or straw?
Yes. Glue a little raffia to the load on the wagon, or scatter small pressed leaves along the foot of the frame in front of the first sheet. Keep them flat so that the glass closes.
Can I use it for Thanksgiving?
Yes. It is a harvest scene, so it suits the whole season. For a turkey, add one from Animals in the maker, or start from the Thanksgiving turkey scene.
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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