Three crosses shadow box SVG
Three crosses on a hill against a great rising sun, with far hills and palms behind, two doves in the air, an old tree on the slope and lilies in the grass 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 4, “Doves and old tree”, the slowest: at 0.7 mm it has the thinnest part in the scene, and sheet 5, “Lilies”, fills the most of the view, 36% of it.
| Sheet | What is on it | Narrowest part | Seen from the front |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Rising sun | A whole sheet with holes for: Plain disc | over 2 mm | 11% |
| 2. Far hills and palms | Rolling ground, with: Straight palm tree silhouette and Palm tree with coconuts | 1.1 mm | 6% |
| 3. Crosses on the hill | Rolling ground, with: Three crosses on a hill | over 2 mm | 16% |
| 4. Doves and old tree | Rolling ground, with: Peace dove with an olive branch, Flying dove and Oak tree with a broad crown | 0.7 mm | 13% |
| 5. Lilies | A gentle slope, with: 2 × Lily silhouette, Bunch of grass and Grass with flowers | 0.7 mm | 36% |
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 | 0.7 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
It depends on the light: the sun is one large hole in the back sheet, so the crosses stand dark against it. In white card with a warm light behind, it is an Easter morning. The crosses are solid and cut easily; the doves on their threads and the lilies are the fine parts, at about 0.7 mm at 8 by 10 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
Can I show one cross instead of three?
Yes. Select the crosses in the maker and choose Swap: a plain cross and a wooden one are under Holidays. Make it about half the height of the sheet.
Is it only for Easter?
No. It also suits a baptism, a confirmation or a memorial. Add a name, a date or a verse to the border at the foot of the arch by hand.
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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