Table of Contents
This 3d diorama set gathers seventeen tiny journeys, each one a little room on wheels, water or sky with a traveller settled inside and the scenery rolling past behind her. Print the sheets for handmade cards or junk journal spreads, raise the figures on foam dots and give a friend, a daughter or a grandmother a scene she can hold up to the light.
Every diorama is a different vehicle and a different small story, from a railway carriage with mountains rushing past to a seaplane cabin over a lake full of islands. Print on matte cardstock at actual size, and cut around each shape leaving a thin white edge so the scene sits cleanly on a card front.
Using these images: free for personal projects such as printing, coloring, cards, journals and gifts. Handmade items that include them may be sold up to 30 pieces per design. More than that is commercial use and is not permitted, and neither is selling or sharing the images themselves or passing them off as your own. Please ask before any other use.
Up In The Sky
Settling into a railway compartment, a young woman in a soft blue travelling dress lifts a teacup from its saucer while a round hatbox waits on the seat beside her.
Beyond the window, grey mountains rush past in sharp ridges, giving the whole card a sense of real speed. Raised on foam dots over a cream card base, it suits a friend who loves trains or anyone setting off on a trip of her own.
Sharing a basket lined with a chequered cloth, an elderly couple pass a pair of binoculars back and forth while a small picnic of bread and fruit sits between them, patchwork fields spreading far below.
Smoothing a floral quilt over a narrow bed, a young woman in an apron tucks in the corners while a kettle warms on a tiny stove behind her, a grazing horse and open meadow waiting through the caravan door.
Bent over a chart table in a sailboat cabin, an elderly woman in a striped jumper traces a route with a brass compass while her dog sleeps curled against a coiled rope, the harbor glowing at dusk behind her.
Try this one paired with the picnic balloon basket for a matching pair of cards, since both show older travellers still finding their way around. A strip of navy ribbon along the card base echoes the sea nicely.
On Dry Land
Unpacking a floral dress from an open suitcase, a young woman stands beside a balcony door in a small hotel room, a canal city glittering with lamplight through the glass behind her.
Knitting away on a window seat of a cheerful little bus, an elderly woman in a cardigan keeps a basket of rosy apples at her feet while country lanes and hedgerows slide past outside.
Leaning together at the rail of a small ferry cabin, a young couple watch gulls wheel past while sharing a flask of cocoa, chalk cliffs rising white and bright behind them.
Leaning her bicycle against a lamppost, an elderly woman sells bunches of flowers straight from the basket mounted on its handlebars, a narrow cobbled lane curving away behind her.
This one works nicely as a five minute version: colour just the flowers in the basket by hand with soft pencils, leave the rest as printed, and glue the whole sheet flat onto a kraft card base without foam dots.
Kneading dough on a narrow counter beside a round porthole window, a young woman bakes bread in the galley of a canal boat while a lock and trailing willows drift past outside.
Holding hands on the bench of a little cable car, an elderly couple ride upward with a pair of skis propped between them, snowy peaks rising sharp and white all around outside the glass.
Counting out coins at a little station kiosk, a young woman buys a cup of tea and a warm bun while steam trains wait and hiss along the platform behind her.
Riding a tram seat with a bunch of flowers wrapped in paper, an elderly woman keeps a small dachshund settled on her lap, a hilly city of rooftops and church towers sliding past the window.
Camps And Cabins
Strumming a guitar beside a glowing lantern, a young woman camps inside a canvas wagon tent, a quilt spread beneath her and a wide starry desert stretching behind the open flap.
Journal keepers might anchor a travel memories spread with this one, tucking small ticket stubs or a pressed flower on the facing page. The warm lantern glow also makes a nice small detail to pick out with gold gel pen.
Writing postcards at a small porthole desk, an elderly woman in a sun hat pauses with pen in hand, a tropical island with palm trees and turquoise water glowing through the round window behind her.
Curled up under a small reading lamp, a young woman in a sleeper train bunk turns the pages of a novel while snowy pine forests glide silently past the window behind her.
Driving along with the top down, an elderly couple share the front seat of a little vintage car, a wicker picnic hamper strapped on the back and a coastal road curving along cliffs behind them.
This pairs well with the ferry deck diorama for a seaside themed set of cards, since both lean on blue sky and open water. A scalloped cream mat under the raised scene keeps the whole card feeling bright rather than busy.
Pouring coffee from a battered thermos in the cockpit of a little seaplane, a young woman pilot in a leather jacket pauses mid flight, a lake dotted with small islands spreading out behind her.
What to Do Next
Print the sheets that suit the traveller on your list, cut around each one with a thin white edge, and start building a small stack of pop up cards ready for whatever journey comes next.
Frequently Asked Questions
What paper works best for these diorama sheets?
Matte cardstock around 200 to 250 gsm works best for these diorama sheets, since it holds fine detail without curling. Glossy photo paper looks shiny on a card front and makes cutting trickier around small shapes.
How do I print the dioramas at the right size?
Set the printer to actual size or 100 percent, never fit to page, so proportions between the figures and the vehicle stay correct. Check the print preview shows the full sheet before printing on good cardstock.
How do I make the scene look three dimensional on a card?
Print two copies of the same diorama, cut the inner scene away from the background on one, and raise that cut piece on foam adhesive dots over the matching full sheet. This lifts the traveller and nearby details above the background scenery.
What size card base suits these diorama scenes?
A standard A2 or 5 by 7 inch card base suits most of these diorama scenes comfortably, leaving a neat white or kraft border around the cut shape. Trim the diorama a little smaller than the card front so it reads as a framed scene rather than crowding the edges.
Can these dioramas go into a junk journal instead of a card?
Yes, each sheet works well as a journal page or insert, especially behind a vellum overlay or tucked into a pocket page. Pair a travel diorama with a small ticket stub or map scrap on the facing page for a fuller spread.
Have any thoughts?
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