Unicorn and rainbow shadow box SVG
A unicorn standing on a hill under a rainbow in the daytime: the sun and a cloud in the sky, the rainbow with a cloud at each foot on the far hill, small round trees, the unicorn on its rise, a leafy tree and toadstools at the sides, and tulips and flowers along the front. 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 × 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 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, “Flowers”, the slowest: at 0.9 mm it has the thinnest part in the scene, and sheet 6, “Flowers”, fills the most of the view, 26% of it.
| Sheet | What is on it | Narrowest part | Seen from the front |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sun and cloud | A whole sheet with holes for: Plain disc and Fluffy cloud | over 2 mm | 24% |
| 2. Rainbow | Rolling ground, with: Rainbow with two clouds | over 2 mm | 19% |
| 3. Round trees | Rolling ground, with: 2 × Round tree silhouette and Simple tree with branches inside | 1.3 mm | 7% |
| 4. Unicorn | Rolling ground, with: Unicorn silhouette | over 2 mm | 12% |
| 5. Tree and toadstools | Rolling ground, with: Round tree with leaf cut-outs and Three mushrooms | 1.3 mm | 11% |
| 6. Flowers | A gentle slope, with: Three spring tulips, Grass with flowers, Flower silhouette with stem and Bunch of grass | 0.9 mm | 26% |
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 | 20 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 20 × 20 cm | 200 × 200 mm | 0.9 mm | 20 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 8 × 8 in | 203.2 × 203.2 mm | 0.9 mm | 20 mm | Yes | Fine detail: sharp blade, slow speed |
| 23 × 23 cm | 230 × 230 mm | 1 mm | 20 mm | Yes | Cuts easily |
| 25 × 25 cm | 250 × 250 mm | 1.1 mm | 20 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
The bands of the rainbow are cut through, so the back sheet shows between them: use a bright paper for the back, or tape strips of coloured tissue behind the gaps. The sun and the cloud are holes in the back sheet. The unicorn is a bold shape, over 2 mm at 8 inches, horn and all. The sheets with the small trees and the toadstools are about 1.3 mm at their finest and the flowers at the front about 0.9 mm. Nothing hangs on a thread.
- 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
Is this the same as the other unicorn scenes?
No. This is a daytime scene with a rainbow. The Unicorn castle scene has a castle and a crescent moon, and the Unicorn and moon scene has the unicorn alone against a full moon, made to be lit.
Can I add a second unicorn?
Yes. Select the unicorn sheet in the maker and add another from Figures: there is a standing unicorn and a chubby one, which suits a foal. Flip one so that they face each other.
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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