Rocket launch shadow box SVG
A rocket lifting off in front of the setting sun, with birds scattering over the far hills, clouds of smoke rolling out from the launch pad and a palm and a pickup truck at the front. 5 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.
5 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 5 sheets
Sheet 1 is the back and sheet 5 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 “Sunset” set; cut them in any card you like. Cut sheet 2, “Far hills and birds”, the slowest: at 1.1 mm it has the thinnest part in the scene, and sheet 5, “Palm and truck”, fills the most of the view, 32% 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 | 31% |
| 2. Far hills and birds | A gentle slope, with: Flying bird with raised wings, Swallow in flight and Three palm trees | 1.1 mm | 5% |
| 3. Rocket | Flat ground, with: Rocket launch with smoke | over 2 mm | 10% |
| 4. Smoke | Rolling ground, with: Towering cloud, Fluffy cloud and Cartoon cloud with a highlight | over 2 mm | 11% |
| 5. Palm and truck | A gentle slope, with: Straight palm tree silhouette, Pickup truck from the side, Bunch of grass and Grass silhouette | 1.1 mm | 32% |
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 | 1.1 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Cuts easily |
Depth needed allows 3 mm of foam between sheets and 5 mm for the card itself and the backing.
Making this one
An upright scene with no fine cutting: nothing in it is under 1 mm at 8 by 10 inches, and the rocket, the smoke and the palm are all sturdy shapes, so it is a good one to make with a child. Cut the smoke sheet in white or pale grey card and it stands out from the hills behind.
- Cut all 5 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 5.
- 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 5 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 make it a night launch?
Yes. Change the colours to Blue dusk in the maker, make the sun smaller so that it reads as a moon, and add small plain discs to the back sheet for stars.
What are the clouds standing on?
The smoke clouds stand on the ground of their sheet like any other part, so they need no threads. Only the two birds hang.
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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