Unicorn and moon shadow box SVG
A unicorn standing on a hilltop in front of a huge full moon, with stars round it, clouds drifting in over the far hills, a blossom tree at each side and toadstools and flowers 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 × 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 “Lit from behind” set; cut them in any card you like. Cut sheet 5, “Toadstools”, the slowest: at 0.9 mm it has the thinnest part in the scene, and sheet 5, “Toadstools”, fills the most of the view, 28% of it.
| Sheet | What is on it | Narrowest part | Seen from the front |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Moon and stars | A whole sheet with holes for: 7 × Plain disc and 2 × Four-pointed sparkle | over 2 mm | 23% |
| 2. Clouds and far hills | Rolling ground, with: Fluffy cloud and Classic puffy cloud | over 2 mm | 6% |
| 3. Unicorn | Rolling ground, with: Unicorn silhouette | over 2 mm | 14% |
| 4. Blossom trees | Rolling ground, with: 2 × Cherry blossom tree | over 2 mm | 16% |
| 5. Toadstools | A gentle slope, with: Three mushrooms, Three wildflowers on stems and Grass with flowers | 0.9 mm | 28% |
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 | 0.7 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 20 × 20 cm | 200 × 200 mm | 0.9 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 8 × 8 in | 203.2 × 203.2 mm | 0.9 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 23 × 23 cm | 230 × 230 mm | 1 mm | 17 mm | Yes | Cuts easily |
| 25 × 25 cm | 250 × 250 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
Made to be lit. The moon is one large hole in the back sheet and the stars are smaller ones, so with a string of warm white lights behind it the unicorn stands dark against the glow. Its horn and legs are sturdier than they look, over 2 mm at 8 inches, and the flowers at the front are the fine cutting, at about 0.9 mm. The two clouds grow in from the frame, so nothing hangs on a thread.
- 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
Does it need a light?
No. Put a sheet of white or gold paper behind the back sheet and it reads in daylight. For a light box, fix a string of battery lights round the inside of the frame behind the back sheet.
Is this the same as the Unicorn castle scene?
No. That one has a castle and a crescent moon, with the unicorn in the garden. This one is the unicorn alone against the moon. For the castle, see the Unicorn castle 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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