3D Freestanding Lace House

Stunning freestanding lace comes together to create this sweet 3D house. Follow these project instructions to see how to stitch and assemble the lace house, then display it in your home!

Finished Sizes:

Large: 3 3/4" tall x 4 1/4" wide x 3 3/4" deep

Small: 2 1/2" tall x 3" wide x 2 1/2" deep

Supplies & Materials:

Project Materials or Supplies

Water-soluble stabilizer (like Vilene or Sulky Ultra Solvy)
Fabric glue or a needle and thread for hand sewing

The design featured in this tutorial is:

House in 3D (Lace)

Gather Materials:

Freestanding lace designs have been specially digitized for watersoluble stabilizer. After the stabilizer is removed, beautiful lace remains behind. When you download the design, you will find a total of 4 files. These are the front, back, side, and roof of the house (labeled a,b,c,d).

Four embroidered fabric pieces on a white background: three pink with red window heart designs and swirl patterns, one teal with scallop roofing pattern.

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.

A hand holding a clear flexible plastic sheet above a white, textured fabric square on a wooden surface.

Freestanding lace is seen from both sides, so wind a bobbin with the same thread that you're using in the needle. In this design, the front, back, and sides of the house all have two color lace. Follow the color change sheet and wind the bobbin for the first color.

Close-up of a sewing machine bobbin wound with pink thread, seated in the bobbin case on a white machine base, blurred background.

Start Embroidering:

Hoop the stabilizer firmly. Make sure it is nice and tight with no wrinkles.

Square embroidery hoop with rounded corners holding a piece of white stabilizer fabric, placed on a light wood surface. The fabric extends loosely beyond the hoop edges.

Load the first file (a) onto your machine. Use 40 weight rayon or polyester thread. You can also use 30 weight cotton or metallic thread for most freestanding lace designs. Embroider the design.

Close-up of pink lace embroidery in progress on machine. Lace depicts a house facade with two window cutouts, a door with window panes, and decorative swirls. White fabric backdrop.

For the two color lace pieces, wind a second bobbin to match the thread you're using for the windows. Follow the color change sheet, and stop the machine after the main color of the house is finished sewing. Place the second bobbin in the machine and continue embroidering.

Hand holding a small clear bobbin wound with red embroidery thread near a sewing machine needle and pink lace fabric in the background.

After embroidering, trim away the excess stabilizer.

Pink embroidered lace house panel with red window and heart details on light fabric, placed on a wooden surface next to metal scissors.

The stabilizer's packaging should give instructions for removing any excess. For Vilene, soak the lace pieces for a few moments.

Close-up of a hand holding a 3D pink lace fabric piece shaped like a small house with red window outlines and intricate swirl patterns on a round woven surface.

Allow the lace to air dry, then press with a pressing cloth on top.

Close-up of a pink lace fabric house section with red embroidered window and heart, next to a Black+Decker iron on black fabric.

Repeat the steps above to embroider the other lace pieces. You will need to embroider two of the side pieces (labeled with the letter "c") and two of the roof pieces (labeled with the letter "d") to make a complete house.

Six embroidered fabric pieces on a wooden surface: four pink house wall sections with window heart cutouts, and two blue scalloped roof sections.

With the same thread used to embroider the main section of the house, zigzag stitch one side piece to both the left and right edges of the front piece (the section with the door). Make sure the right sides of the lace are all facing the same direction and that the scalloped detail is all lined up at the top of the pieces.

Pink lace panel shaped like a house with six rectangular windows, a heart-shaped window at the top center, and a central door, all with embroidery on a wooden surface.

Next, zigzag stitch the remaining back piece to one of the sides.

Pink embroidered lace piece shaped like a connected row of five small houses with brown window and door details, placed on a wooden surface.

Crease the corners lightly, and bend the four walls into a 3D square house. Either glue or hand sew the final corner together, so that it can stand on its own. If using glue wait for it to dry completely before continuing.