Embroidery Library Urban Threads The Study

💎 Buy 4+ Hidden Gems, Save 65% 💎

SHOP NOW

🎃 Spooktacular Savings on Halloween Designs - 60% Off!

Pagoda Lantern in 3D (Lace)

Pagoda Lantern in 3D (Lace)

Illuminate your decor with this little lantern, inspired by multi-tiered Asian pagodas! Just stitch each lace piece separately, then stitch together to create a gloriously dimensional shape. Add battery-powered tea light inside to light up your lantern!

Supplies & Materials:

Project Materials or Supplies
- Heavy duty water-soluble stabilizer

- Hand sewing needle

- Battery powered tea light- Ribbon or cord

Design Notes: 

Finished size: 4 1/2" wide by 8" tall


Special notes: To make a completed lantern, embroider a total of 4 copies of the pieces labeled with an "a", "b", "c", "d", "e", "f", and "g". Embroider only one of the base piece (labeled with a "h").


In this tutorial, the lantern is sewn together by hand. If preferred, some steps can also be sewn together using a zigzag stitch on a sewing machine. If this is possible, it will be noted in the text of the given step. To do this, simply lay the pieces side by side (instead of back to back), and sew a zigzag over both of the pieces edges to hold them together.

The designs used in this tutorial include:

- X14043, Pagoda Lantern 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 eight files which contain all of the pieces of the lantern.

Red lace design shaped like a pagoda lantern with geometric patterns, placed on a dark wooden surface.

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 translucent sheets, one white and fibrous, the other clear and crinkled, are placed side by side on a dark wooden surface.


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 holder with a clear plastic bobbin wound with red thread, set against a white sewing machine base.

Start Embroidering:

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

Embroidery hoop with white fabric secured for machine stitching, placed on a wooden surface. The hoop is rectangular with rounded corners.

Attach your hoop to your machine and stitch out the first embroidery file.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching a red lace design resembling a triangular pagoda lantern on white fabric held in an embroidery hoop.

After embroidering, trim away the excess stabilizer.

Orange-handled scissors cut through white fabric with a small red lace embroidery resembling a pagoda lantern resting on it, all 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.

Hand holding a small red and beige embroidered fabric piece with geometric cutouts over a textured, metallic, circular container background.

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

Close-up of an iron pressing the edge of a white fabric with a red pagoda-shaped lace piece partially visible underneath the corner of the fabric, on a light blue surface.

Repeat the steps above to embroider the rest of the lace pieces. Remember to sew a total of 4 for pieces "a"-"g".

Red lace embroidery pieces laid out on a dark wooden surface, arranged by shape and size, including symmetrical geometric and trapezoidal designs with grid patterns.

To begin assembling the lantern, take two of the side pieces (labeled with an "g"), and match up the long sides with the wrong sides of the lace pieces together. Make sure the tops and bottoms are also matched up, and hand sew the pieces together along one long edge. This can also be sewn with a zigzag stitch on a sewing machine.

Hand holding red lace fabric shaped into a 3D rectangular frame with geometric patterns, needle and thread stitching the edges, dark wood background.

Then repeat to sew all five of the side ("g") pieces together side by side. Make sure to always sew them with wrong sides together. This step can also be sewn on a sewing machine.


Red lace fabric piece with geometric cutouts forming three square shapes, laid flat on dark wood. A needle with red thread is positioned nearby.

Next, take one roof piece that was sewn from file "f". Match up the edge to the top edge of one side piece ("a"). Make sure the right sides are together this time. Then hand sew the pieces together along that edge. This step can also be sewn on a machine.

Hand holds red lace fabric shaped like a pagoda lantern with a needle and red thread stitching a corner on a dark wooden surface.

Repeat to add all four of the "f" roof pieces onto the top edge of the sides. This step can also be sewn on a machine.

Red lace fabric piece with geometric cutouts arranged in a pagoda-like pattern, partially folded, with a needle and red thread on a wooden surface.

Then with wrong sides together, hand sew an "e" roof piece on top of an "f". This step can also be sewn on a machine.

Hand holding a red lace fabric piece shaped into a 3D pagoda lantern roof, showing grid pattern and detailed stitching on a wooden surface.

And repeat to add all the "e" roof pieces. This step can also be sewn on a machine.

Red lace embroidery shaped like a pagoda-style structure with three window openings, placed on a dark wooden surface.

Continue to add all of the roof pieces. With right sides together, hand sew the "d" roof pieces onto the "e" roof pieces. This step can also be sewn on a machine.

Three bright red lace pieces shaped like pagoda lanterns, laid out overlapping on a dark wooden surface. Each piece has geometric cutouts and stitched detailing.


With wrong sides together, hand sew the "c" roof pieces onto the "d" roof pieces. This step can also be sewn on a machine.

Red lace fabric piece shaped like a pagoda lantern with multiple tiered roofs and open window designs, placed on a wooden surface.

With right sides together, hand sew the "b" roof pieces onto the "c" roof pieces. This step can also be sewn on a machine.

Red lace fabric piece shaped like a pagoda lantern with multiple roof tiers and open window designs, placed on a dark wooden surface.

Finally, with wrong sides together, hand sew the "a" roof pieces onto the "b" roof pieces. This step can also be sewn on a machine.

Bright red lace embroidery shaped like a pagoda-style lantern with tiered roofs and window cutouts is displayed on a dark wooden surface.

Now that all the roof pieces are attached, match up the edges of two side by side rook sections. Make sure wrong sides are together, and hand sew them together all the way from the side piece ("g") to the top of the roof ("a").

Hand holding a red lace pagoda-shaped piece with a needle and thread, several similar red lace pagoda pieces lie on a dark wooden surface background.

Then repeat to sew together the other side by side sections of the roof. However, don't sew the two opposite sides together just yet.

Hand holding the red 3D lace model of a pagoda lantern with detailed tiered roof and grid pattern, set against a dark wood background.

Instead, take the base piece ("h"), and line up one edge with the bottom of one side piece ("g"). Make sure wrong sides are touching, and hand sew the two pieces together.

Hand holding a red lace fabric piece with square window-like patterns and a needle, part of multiple connected similar lace pieces on a wooden surface.

Then continue to sew each side of the base piece ("h") onto the bottom edge of each side ("g").

Hand holding a small red 3D lace pagoda lantern with geometric square patterns, showing a threaded needle inserted on one side.

Once the base is sewn on, match up the final open side with wrong sides together. Then hand sew all the way from the base to the top of the roof.

Hand holding a red 3D lace pagoda-shaped lantern with angular roof tiers and window openings, against a blurred dark wooden background.

To make a hanger, cut a 10" piece of cord or ribbon and thread it through the loops at the top of the roof. Tie the ribbon into a loop to make it a hanger.

Hand holding a red 3D lace pagoda lantern with intricate geometric patterns, placed on a dark wooden surface; twine attached at bottom.

A battery powered tea light or fairy lights fit right through the open window of the lantern. This allows easy access for placing the lights and turning them on and off.

Hand holding a small white round object near the opening of a red lace pagoda lantern on a dark wooden surface.

A battery powered tea light or fairy lights fit right through the open window of the lantern. This allows easy access for placing the lights and turning them on and off.