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3D Deer Head (Lace)

Completed Deer Head in 3D (Lace) design, in white

A rustic decor classic is reimagined in light and lovely lace! Stitch each piece of this 3D deer head separately, then assemble and mount on the wall or in a little frame. We'll show you how!

Supplies & Materials:

Project Needs & Notes:


  • Small piece of white stiff felt
  • Water-soluble stabilizer
  • Fabric glue (such as Beacon Fabri-tac)
  • Temporary spray adhesive (such as Gunold's KK100)
  • T-pins (for hanger)

Design featured in this tutorial:


Deer Head in 3D (Lace)


Finished Size:


3 1/2" wide x 6" tall x 4 1/4" deep


Special Notes:


For best results, use fabric glue to assemble the FSL deer head to help with stability. Make sure to always to hold the piece in place and let the glue completely dry before continuing on to the next piece.

Gather Materials:

Freestanding lace designs have been specially digitized for water-soluble stabilizer. After the stabilizer is removed, beautiful lace remains behind.


When you download the FSL Deer Head design, you'll find ten files. Nine are embroidery files (labeled a-i), and the other one is a dieline file, marked with the letters DL. Dielines are used to cut the fabric to the right shape and size.


Open the dielines files with embroidery software and print them.

White lace pieces resembling parts of a deer head and antlers arranged on a wooden surface next to printed pattern sheets with traced outlines.

First prepare the fabric piece. Cut around the paper dieline, and spray the back of it. Smooth it onto the felt.

Template piece for a 3D deer head project printed on white paper, pinned to a textured white fabric, placed on dark wooden surface.

Cut out the shape, and remove the paper.

Orange-handled scissors lying open on a dark wooden surface next to a white felt cutout shaped like a deer head silhouette.

There are a couple of different kinds of water-soluble stabilizer. One is clear and plastic, and that brand is Sulky Ultra Solvy. The other is soft and fibrous, called Vilene. Both will work very well. Vilene is used in this demonstration.


Use a size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle. A sharp sewing needle has a smaller, finer point than an embroidery needle. That means it will make smaller holes in the stabilizer.

Two square sheets lie on a wooden surface: one white, textured and opaque, the other clear, smooth, and crinkled plastic.

Freestanding lace is seen from both sides, so wind a bobbin with the same thread that you're using in the needle.

Close-up of a sewing machine bobbin loaded with white thread, set in the bobbin case on a white machine surface with a blurred background.

Start Embroidering:

Hoop a piece of water-soluble stabilizer firmly. Make sure it is nice and tight and has no wrinkles.

Embroidery hoop with white fabric stabilizer stretched inside, placed on a wooden surface. Hoop is rectangular with rounded corners.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the full embroidery file "a" (not the dieline files). Embroider the design. The first thing to embroider will be a dieline, or outline stitch. This marks the area on the stabilizer where we'll place the fabric piece.

Embroidery machine stitching a 3D deer head lace pattern on white fabric held in an embroidery hoop, close-up view of needle and design details.

Remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer. Spray the back of the fabric piece with a temporary adhesive, and place it right inside the sewn dieline.

Embroidery hoop with white stabilizer fabric stretched taut, holding a small irregular white embroidered patch in the center on a wooden surface.

Attach the hoop back onto the machine and continue embroidering the design. A tack down stitch will sew next. This binds the fabric in place for the remainder of the design.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching white lace fabric with a partially finished deer head design on a hoop, against a blurred white background.

Once the fabric piece is stitched in place, all of the inner elements will sew.

Close-up of a sewing machine embroidering white lace onto fabric in a rectangular hoop, showing intricate floral pattern stitching.

After embroidering, trim away the excess stabilizer. Leaving about a 1/4" around the edges of the embroidery.

Orange-handled scissors and a small piece of white lace fabric with a geometric pattern on a dark wooden surface.

The stabilizer's packaging should give instructions for removing the excess. For Vilene, soak the lace pieces for a few moments. The allow the lace to air dry, then press the piece with a pressing cloth on top.

Hand holding a small piece of white lace embroidery with abstract raised patterns over a clear glass bowl with circular ridges, on a wooden surface.

The rest of the embroidery files (labeled "b"-"i") sew out normal lace without any fabric pieces. Hoop a piece of water-soluble, and wind a matching bobbin. Then load the embroidery file onto the machine, and embroidery the design all the way through.

Close-up of a sewing machine embroidery foot stitching white lace fabric with a geometric pattern on a light background, framed by an embroidery hoop.

Once the embroidery is finished, soak, dry, and press the lace piece. Repeat until all the pieces of the FSL Deer Head are embroidered and pressed.

White lace pieces arranged on a dark wooden surface, including a deer head with antlers, two ears, two smaller shapes, a shield-shaped piece, and an irregular shaped piece, all with intricate cut-out patterns.

First take the main neck piece (piece "a"), and cut slits in between each of the sewn channels along the top edge. Make sure to only cut the stiff felt, and do not cut any of the embroidered borders.

Hand holding a white lace embroidery piece shaped like a stylized deer head with antlers, showing floral patterns and open spaces, against a dark wooden background.

Place the flat side of the main neck piece ("a") into the open slot of the back piece (piece "b"). Make sure the right side of the back piece is facing towards the neck. Using fabric glue, adhere the two pieces together. Make sure to hold the pieces together securely until the glue is dry.

Close-up of a hand holding a white lace embroidery piece shaped like a deer antler with intricate geometric patterns, on a dark wooden surface background.

Now take the first lace neck piece (piece "c"), and insert it into the cut slit that is closest the back piece ("b") with the wrong side of the lace piece facing the back. Make sure the slit of the new neck piece ("c") is facing downwards and goes around the main neck piece ("a"). Adhere the two pieces together along the inner, straight edges, and hold it in place until the glue completely dries.

Hand holding two white lace pieces shaped like parts of a deer head and antlers, against a blurred dark wood background.

Then take the next neck piece (piece "d"), and repeat the previous step to slide it into the cut slit next two where we place piece "c". This slit will be the second away from the back piece. Glue the piece in place along the straight edges, and hold it until the glue is dry.

Hand holding white lace piece shaped like a stylized deer head with antlers, showing intricate geometric and floral patterns on a dark wooden surface.

Repeat to add each of the remaining lace pieces to the main neck piece. The pieces will go in alphabetical order ("c"-"i") starting from the back and going forward towards the nose of the deer. This means the piece labeled "e" will go next to the previously placed "d" piece, and the piece labeled with an "i" will be the last piece added to the smallest slit located at the tip of the nose. While gluing, make sure to let the glue dry before continuing onto the next piece.

White lace 3D deer head sculpture held in a hand against a dark wooden background, showing detailed antlers, ears, and facial features.

If desired, fold the largest tines of the antlers forward and press them firmly with your fingers to get a fun 3D effect.

Close-up of a white lace 3D deer head held by fingers, showing detailed antlers and textured lace body against a dark wooden background.