Sunflower field shadow box SVG
A field of sunflowers under a blazing sun: a barn and its silo on the far hill, row after row of flowers growing taller towards the front, a bee among them and two great heads framing the view. 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 × 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 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 “Autumn” set; cut them in any card you like. Cut sheet 4, “Sunflowers and bee”, the slowest: at 0.7 mm it has the thinnest part in the scene, and sheet 5, “Front row”, fills the most of the view, 35% of it.
| Sheet | What is on it | Narrowest part | Seen from the front |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sun | A whole sheet with holes for: Classic sun with triangle rays | over 2 mm | 27% |
| 2. Far hill and barn | Rolling ground, with: Barn silhouette with a fence, Oak tree with a broad crown and Round tree silhouette | over 2 mm | 5% |
| 3. Far rows | Rolling ground, with: 4 × Three sunflowers on stems | 0.8 mm | 7% |
| 4. Sunflowers and bee | Rolling ground, with: 2 × Sunflower with stem and leaves, Sunflower silhouette and Flying bee from the side | 0.7 mm | 20% |
| 5. Front row | A gentle slope, with: Sunflower silhouette, Sunflower with stem and leaves, Grass with flowers and Bunch of grass | 0.9 mm | 35% |
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 | 17 mm | Yes | Too fine: choose a larger size |
| 20 × 20 cm | 200 × 200 mm | 0.7 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 8 × 8 in | 203.2 × 203.2 mm | 0.7 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 23 × 23 cm | 230 × 230 mm | 0.8 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 25 × 25 cm | 250 × 250 mm | 0.9 mm | 17 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 sun, with all its rays, is one hole in the back sheet, so put yellow paper or a light behind it. Cut the three sunflower sheets in three yellows, pale to deep. The bee sits on the tallest flower, so nothing hangs on a thread. The bee and the far rows of flowers are the fine cutting, at 0.7 to 0.8 mm at 8 inches.
- 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
How big are the front sunflowers?
At the 8 inch size the two at the front stand 10 to 11 cm tall. They overlap the frame on purpose, so the view is seen between them.
Can I add a name or a saying?
Not inside the maker yet. Cut it from the lettering in the library and glue it to the bottom border.
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.
Fishing lake 
Ducks over the marsh 
Three crosses 
Santa at the cabin 
Gingerbread house 
Skeleton dance