Mermaid lagoon shadow box SVG
A mermaid sitting on a rock in front of a full moon, with dolphins leaping far out, palms on an island behind her, a second tail diving into the near waves and reeds along the shore. 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 × 10 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 “Sea” set; cut them in any card you like. Cut sheet 6, “Reeds”, the slowest: at 0.8 mm it has the thinnest part in the scene, and sheet 6, “Reeds”, fills the most of the view, 44% of it.
| Sheet | What is on it | Narrowest part | Seen from the front |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Moon and stars | A whole sheet with holes for: 6 × Plain disc | over 2 mm | 16% |
| 2. Far sea and dolphins | Waves, with: Two dolphins leaping from the sea | 0.9 mm | 6% |
| 3. Island | Rolling ground, with: Double palm tree | 1.7 mm | 7% |
| 4. Mermaid | Waves, with: Mermaid sitting on a rock | 1.9 mm | 9% |
| 5. Diving tail | Waves, with: Whale tail above the water | over 2 mm | 5% |
| 6. Reeds | A gentle slope, with: 2 × Pond grass with cattails, Starfish silhouette and Scallop seashell | 0.8 mm | 44% |
Measured from the files at 8 × 10 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 × 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 × 10 in | 203.2 × 254 mm | 0.8 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 mermaid cuts easily: her sheet has nothing under 1.9 mm at 8 by 10 inches. The dolphins on the second sheet and the reeds and shells on the front one are the fine parts, at a little under 1 mm. The oval window hides the corners of every sheet, so nothing important sits there.
- 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 have a square window instead of the oval?
Yes. Choose Rounded or Square under Window in the maker. The corners of each sheet then show, and you may want to add a shell or a starfish to fill them.
Is she a character from a film?
No. She is a plain silhouette drawn for cutting, with no face, costume or colours taken from any film or book.
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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