Get early Autumn season with this free shadow box template you can download for free! This my step-by-step tutorial will spark you with beautiful shadow box ideas to decorate your home!
Autumn is one of my favorite seasons, and I’d love to have it early so I decided to use this free template to help me make my own autumn layered paper cut at home while forgetting the loudness of the city life!
I know this autumn layered paper art style will be easier with a Cricut machine, but since mine hasn’t arrived yet, I would do it with what I have now, Silhouette Cameo. Later I will also create a tutorial of Cricut autumn idea or more shadow box ideas with more gorgeous scenery!
Nonetheless, these steps are similar, and like I-don’t-know-who said there’s a will there’s a way. I won’t worry because I can still free download the shadow box template designed by my beautiful friends on DrizyStudio.com.
So first, download this free Autumn 3D Shadow Box – Layered Paper Cut and prepare the tools needed. I usually use these tools, but feel free to modify them with whatever you have at your home. You can also apply this tutorial for any shadow box ideas you can find on the internet, but I’ll use this because I got hooked by the autumn leaves shadow box the first time I saw it on the web!
Of course! Mine is a Cameo cutting machine since, again, my Cricut is still on shipping. Or you can set up whatever cutting machine that you have now to make your autumn shadow box at home.
For this paper based shadow box, use thick papers such as cardstocks, but not too thick especially if your cutting machine isn’t really that sharp. You can pick any colors that you want to show in your shadow box ideas or here I want to be safe, so I pick the colors depending on the object in each paper layer such as brown for a park wooden bench. You can also use one color for all layers such as white but it’ll look more like Winter than Autumn :).
Or a set of precision knives. Including a pair of scissors only if needed. If your Cricut or cutting machine is already good at cutting then you might not need this, although it’s better to have this so it will come in handy when you create any paper crafts.
Mine is gray and still perfectly clean, because you know, for aesthetic purposes of this article, but in reality it will have some “freckles” here and there.
So you won’t do any harm to your beautiful table where you work on this. I prefer large cutting mat, such as in A2 or A3 size cutting mat. When I didn’t have one I usually cut them on the floor, but believe me it wasn’t a good experience. And I still have a lot of shadow box ideas to decorate my living room, mine and my kid’s bedroom so yeah, make sure it’ll be fun.
Or paper glue, but if you’re using this, you have to wait for the glue to dry before adding another layer of paper, but it’s okay if this is what you have now.
This is optional, but since I want to hang my Shadow Box to decor my living room, I also added:
Here I’m using 10 x 10 inches (equivalent to 254 x 254 mm), you can use larger or smaller frames depending on how large the shadow box ideas or scenery you want to craft.
But keep note that when you use the larger one, you also need a larger cutting machine, and it will take more time to cut the paper by hand. And if it’s too small, it will be more difficult to cut the details out of the paper. Another option? You can use a paper frame, I will also make a tutorial on this later!
To add some effects to my paper shadow box. Although it’s unnecessary because I already use colorful papers here which bring the colors to pop. It will usually look wonderful in all-white shadow box.
Okay then! Now, take a deep breath, roll up our sleeves, let our children or grandchildren—and yes, including our husbands—to play outside and let’s create this autumn shadow box!
Let our cutting machine do the work for now. Cut and print all the layers we’ve downloaded from Autumn 3D Shadow Box. Unzip then cutting each of the layers with separate colors. Check each layer if the cut lines are clear enough for you to see.
I’m trying not to be techy here, because I’m also not haha, so if we have any problems with the machine, let’s call the technician because we still have thousands of shadow box ideas to decorate our home with!
This is the most time-consuming step but if we put the right mindset, it’s also the most fun step in the autumn shadow box ideas. Cut out all of the details in each layer one step at a time, if our Cricut or any cutting machine is in the best shape, it will come out easily, but if it isn’t then we have to put extra energy to cut them out.
It’s best to do this with steady hands, so watch our caffeine intakes! Take a rest, don’t push ourselves too hard. Enjoy the process, we’re crafting shadow box ideas here not buying mass-produced decor. And remember we don’t have to finish this at one time.
I usually will remind myself that it will be worth it, it is! The feeling of pride everytime I look at my shadow box as my home decoration is wonderful and motivating.
It’s time to unite each layer. Paste the glue on every corner and in every part you think it needs. Like in the layer branches of the trees and a wooden bench.
It also depends on what kind of paper we use. We need to be more extra careful if we’re using thin paper. This is the time when I realize I’m using a little bit too thin of paper, but it’s fine! I’m almost done with my shadow box.
See? Isn’t this Autumn shadow box beautiful? Let’s protect this gem. Would be a perfect home decor for this autumn! Let’s put them in a frame. Mine is already installed with a led strip around the corner at the back of the frame. I know it’s cheating, but I will also write on this tutorial next time!
Done and voila! Put the lights on (if any), but it also looks wonderful even without lights. I usually hang this but it’s also great to put on my desk, even my children also love having shadow box ideas with various scenery in their bedrooms! Also a good way to decrease children’s screen time 🙂
That’s it! I know this tutorial is far from perfect but I will write more and who knows I will be better at writing hahaha. I hope this tutorial will be useful, and hey, you can download many free shadow box ideas on DrizyStudio.com, no credit card required because, ugh, I also hate when a website asks for that!
We also have various licenses at competitive price so if you also want to sell your shadow box crafts at your local store or on your online and Etsy shop, it’s absolutely possible.
Meanwhile, give it a try with their free products!
See you in the next article, next shadow box ideas, or tutorial! Time to go, I’m gonna prepare for my family’s dinner now!
