How to make a layered paper shadow box FOR DAD – A great Father’s Day or Birthday Gift!

Instructions

Step 1: Download my FREE Layered Paper Shadow Box for Dad

Click here or use any of the forms in this post to get access to my SVG! Once you've downloaded it, you'll need to unzip the file. You'll see two versions of the file. I"ll walk you through how to make the version without the hearts, but the steps are very similar if you choose to use the other one.

Step 2: Select your paper

You'll need to pick a color/pattern for the different layers. You'll have one for the clouds, the sky, the silhouette of the dad and baby, the letters, and the fist.

Step 3: Load your Father's Day Shadow Box into Design Space

If you haven't done this before, here are the steps:

1. Open design space

2. Click “New Project”

3. Click “Upload”

4. Click “Upload Image”

5. Select the SVG file for this project.

6. Click “Upload”

7. Select the file you just uploaded from the library

8. Click “Insert Images”

Step 4: Resize the SVG Template and Cut

Now you'll want to take apart your shadow box and measure the inside of the shadow box. Then, while the whole design is still selected in Design Space, change the size of the design to the size that you need. For the Shadow Box I used and link to, I resized the design to 10.95.

Now click Make It and follow the prompts

Be sure to select Card Stock from the material list or turn your dial to Cardstock.

Step 5: Load your tools and paper

Make sure that your fine point blade is loaded into your Cricut machine.

Then add your paper to your light or standard grip mat and feed it into the machine by clicking the double arrow. Once the C starts flashing, press that button.

Do this for all the sheets.

TIP: It can help to adjust the color of the layers in Design Space to match what you want yours to look like so that you get a visual of it before you cut and to make identifying what layer the Cricut Machine is cutting as you go. Watch my video to see how to do this.

Step 6: Organize your cut sheets

Now gather the sheets you just cut and put them in the right order. This will make assembling your shadow box easier.

The order is:

1. Clouds (plain square)
2. Sky with cloud cut outs
3. Fit with dad and baby silhouette
4. Just the fit with no details (this is your letter color)
5. The detailed first with the letter cut outs
6. Frame

Step 7: Assemble Your Layered Paper Shadow Box

Now you are going to use your foam dots to put the shadow box together. Place your clouds sheet down and pick up your sky sheet. Add glue dots to the underside of the sky sheet, then line it up with the clouds sheet and press down. Continue with all the pages and always put the glue dots on the underside of the top most sheet you are working with.

Put a glue foam dot on each edge and near each feature to make sure they stay separated and don't sink.

Once you have put all the sheets of cardstock together, glue it to your shadow box backing put it in your frame and you're done!