Tree of Life Colour Guide
Finally! A Tree of Life shadow box is something I’ve wanted to create for what feels like forever. I wanted it to have the flowing, organic shapes I love, with branches, leaves and roots weaving through all nine layers.
This design is incredibly versatile when it comes to colour. It can be vibrant and playful, earthy and natural, soft and subtle, or dark and dramatic. I created a few of my favourite combinations, and you’ll find an interactive colour guide for each one further down in this post. Of course, these palettes are only starting points—you can choose your own favourite colours and make the Tree of Life completely your own.
Interactive colour guides
The guides contain a suggested cardstock colour for every layer, using:
Encore Cardstock for the USA and Canada
Vaessen Creative cardstock for Europe
These two palettes have been matched as closely as possible using physical cardstock swatches—not colours guessed from a screen.
Inside the PDF, simply click or tap the appropriate brand beside each layer to view the corresponding cardstock.
Inside the PDF, simply click or tap the appropriate brand beside each layer to view the corresponding cardstock.
Why Vaessen and Encore?
Because cardstock availability differs considerably between regions, I wanted to provide two practical options.
Encore Cardstock is available through 12x12 Cardstock Shop for customers in the United States and Canada. Vaessen Creative cardstock is widely available throughout Europe and is the brand I will be offering through the new Studio Tokano website.
The two ranges are not identical, but I have matched them as closely as possible so that both versions preserve the overall character and contrast of the original palette.
Ordering Vaessen cardstock in Europe
For now, I can ship Vaessen Creative cardstock to:
- Belgium
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- The Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Spain
I hope to add more European destinations later.
I am also researching suitable shipping options for the United Kingdom, but unfortunately I have not yet found a practical solution. Luckily, Vaessen Creative cardstock is also available through Amazon and various craft shops. You can use the exact colour names and codes from the guide to search for the correct sheets.
Making the Tree of Life
For a standard 12 × 12 inch sheet of cardstock, I recommend resizing the complete design to approximately 11.5 × 11.5 inches—about 292 × 292 mm. Always resize all layers together with the proportions locked.
For cutting, stacking, gluing and framing instructions, please check out the assembly guide
... and ofcourse you need the Tree of Life SVG too!
Show me your version!
If you create this Tree of Life Shadow Box, please share a photograph in the Studio Tokano Facebook group. I would love to see which colours you choose—and your version may inspire someone else to try a completely different palette.
Please note that cardstock colours can look slightly different because of lighting, screen settings, photography and paper finish.
Some links in the interactive guide are affiliate links. Studio Tokano may receive a small commission when you purchase through them, at no additional cost to you.