A welcome sign, a deer with a crown of autumn leaves, a cluster of acorns and toadstools, a heart plaque and a plaid bow, all strung down one cord with a tassel at the bottom. It hangs on a front door from September through to November and it is the piece people stop and comment on.
It is built in sections, which is the good news. Nothing here takes more than an hour on its own, and you can make it over several weeks without losing your place.
What you’ll need
DK cotton in oatmeal, caramel, dark brown, cream, rust, mustard, sage green, deep red and white.
A 2.5 mm hook.
You’ll also want polyester fibrefill, 8 mm black safety eyes, a scrap of plaid or tartan fabric for the ear linings and the bow, two wooden beads around 15 mm, jute cord, a piece of thin card for backing the plaques, and a tapestry needle.
Finished length is about 75 cm.
Abbreviations are US terms. ch is chain, sl st is slip stitch, sc is single crochet, hdc is half double crochet, dc is double crochet, inc is two stitches in one, dec is an invisible decrease, MR is magic ring.
Part 1. The welcome plaque
Worked flat in oatmeal, then backed with card so it stays rigid.
Ch 33. Row 1, sc in the second ch from the hook and in each ch across (32). Rows 2 to 11, turn, ch 1, sc across (32).
Rows 12 to 14, shape the bottom point by decreasing one stitch at each end of every row, then fasten off.
Make a second identical piece for the back. Cut card to match, sandwich it between the two and sc them together around the edge in caramel.
Embroider the word Welcome across the centre in dark brown backstitch. Write it out on paper first at the actual size and pin the paper to the plaque as a guide. Freehand lettering on crochet almost never comes out straight.
Part 2. The deer head
In caramel.
Round 1. 6 sc in MR (6) Round 2. Inc six times (12) Round 3. Sc, inc, repeated six times (18) Round 4. Sc twice, inc, repeated six times (24) Round 5. Sc three times, inc, repeated six times (30) Round 6. Sc four times, inc, repeated six times (36) Rounds 7 to 16. Sc around (36) Round 17. Sc four times, dec, repeated six times (30) Round 18. Sc three times, dec, repeated six times (24) Round 19. Sc twice, dec, repeated six times (18) Round 20. Sc, dec, repeated six times (12). Stuff firmly. Round 21. Dec six times (6). Close.
Muzzle patch. In cream, 6 sc in MR (6), inc six times (12), sc and inc repeated six times (18), then sc twice and inc repeated six times (24). Fasten off with a long tail and sew it flat across the lower half of the face.
Insert the eyes through the caramel just above the top edge of the muzzle patch, nine stitches apart.
Nose. In dark brown, 6 sc in MR (6), inc six times (12), sc around (12). Fasten off, stuff very lightly and sew to the top centre of the muzzle. Add a small curved mouth beneath it in brown backstitch, and a short vertical line joining the mouth to the nose.
Face details. Cream eyebrow arcs above each eye, rust French knot cheeks, and a few short dark brown straight stitches running down from between the ears for a forehead tuft.
Ears, make two. In caramel, ch 10, then work into the chain: sl st, sc, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, sc, then 3 sc into the last chain, and work back along the other side in reverse. Fasten off.
Cut two plaid fabric ovals slightly smaller than the ears and slip stitch them onto the front of each. Fold the base of each ear in half and sew to the sides of the head at round 8.
Antlers, make two. In dark brown, ch 10. Sl st in the second ch from the hook and in the next 3. Ch 5, sl st in the second ch from the hook and in the next 3, then sl st back into the main stem. Ch 4, sl st in the second ch from the hook and in the next 2, sl st back into the stem. Sl st down the remaining chains. Fasten off and sew to the top of the head just inside the ears.
Part 3. Leaves, acorns and toadstools
Leaves, make about fourteen in a mix of rust, mustard and sage. Ch 9, then work along the chain: sl st, sc, hdc, dc, ch 2 and sl st into the second ch from the hook for a point, dc, hdc, sc, then 3 sc into the last chain, and back along the other side in reverse. Fasten off.
Acorns, make six. In cream, 6 sc in MR (6), inc six times (12), sc for three rounds (12), then dec six times (6), stuff and close. Change to dark brown for the cap: 6 sc in MR, inc six times (12), sc around, fasten off and sew over the top of the nut. Add a short brown chain stalk.
Toadstools, make four. Stalk in cream, 5 sc in MR (5), sc for four rounds (5). Cap in deep red, 6 sc in MR (6), inc six times (12), sc and inc repeated six times (18), then sc around (18). Stuff lightly, sew the cap onto the stalk and add five or six white French knots to the cap.
Berries, make about twelve. Deep red, 4 sc in MR, inc four times (8), sc around, dec four times, close with a pinch of stuffing.
Part 4. The heart plaque
In oatmeal, worked flat.
Make two identical hearts. Start with two small circles worked to 18 stitches each, join them side by side with a row of sc across, then work around the whole outline decreasing at both lower sides for about six rounds until it comes to a point.
Cut card to match, sandwich it and sc the two halves together in caramel.
Embroider Autumn Sweetness across the centre in dark brown backstitch, on two lines, again using a paper guide. Add a small leaf motif underneath.
Part 5. Assembly
Cut a length of jute cord about 90 cm and work from the top down.
Make a hanging loop at the very top and tie it to the two ends of a shorter cord attached to the top corners of the welcome plaque, so the plaque hangs level like a sign.
Below the plaque, attach the main cord and thread on, in order: the deer head, a wooden bead, the acorn and toadstool cluster, a wooden bead, the heart plaque.
Stitch each piece to the cord rather than relying on the beads to hold them, since a door gets knocked and a purely threaded piece will slide.
Build the acorn and toadstool cluster as a group before attaching it. Sew the acorns, toadstools, berries and about eight leaves together into a rough posy shape, then attach the whole thing to the cord as one unit. This is far easier than adding them individually.
Sew the remaining leaves, two acorns and a toadstool into a crown across the top right of the deer’s head, tucked around the base of one antler.
Part 6. Bow and tassel
Cut a strip of plaid fabric about 40 cm long and 8 cm wide. Fold the long edges in, pinch the middle and bind it with a narrow strip of the same fabric. Sew it to the cord just below the heart.
Tassel. Wrap oatmeal cotton around a 15 cm card about fifty times, tie tightly at one end, cut the loops and trim level. Bind a collar 2 cm below the tie.
Attach the tassel below the bow, then sew three or four short beaded strands into the top of the tassel, each ending in a small leaf, a berry or a toadstool.
Notes and variations
A winter version in white, silver and blue with a fox instead of a deer works from the same layout.
Change the words to a name and a date for a nursery door.
Skip the plaques and make it as a simple garland of deer, acorns and leaves.
Questions I get asked
Why does my lettering look wonky? Almost everyone’s does on the first try. Pin a paper template over the plaque and stitch through it, then tear the paper away.
Do I need the card backing? Yes, or the plaques curl and the lettering distorts.
Is it weatherproof? No. It is a covered porch or an indoor piece. Cotton in the rain will fade and sag.