How to Make Kissing Deer Made From Plastic Needlepoint

Plastic needlepoint canvas is ideal for making three-dimensional projects like kissing deer because of its versatility. It keeps stitches smooth and undistorted; does not require framing, blocking, hemming or machine sewing; and can be cut into any shape or size that you need. Even a child can transfer a pattern, stitch, cut and finish a stuffed kissing deer toy using plastic needlepoint canvas with large holes or mesh, and a little bit of adult supervision.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Deer coloring page
• Copy machine
• Scissors
• 7-mesh plastic canvas, 4 sheets
• Felt-tip marking pen
• Persian wool yarn in assorted colors
• Tapestry needle, size 18 or 20
• Polyester fiberfill

1. Find a suitable deer shape from a coloring book or on-line coloring page to make a pattern for stitching. Enlarge the shape so it covers as much of the plastic canvas as possible. Cut out the pattern.

2. Center the pattern under one plastic canvas sheet and trace the shape outline, face and other details with a felt-tip marking pen. Repeat for an additional sheet of plastic canvas. Turn the pattern to the opposite side and trace onto a third sheet to make another deer. Repeat for the fourth sheet of plastic canvas. Allow the ink to dry to avoid smudging and staining the Persian wool yarn.

3. Work the design on all four pieces of plastic canvas with a double strand of Persian yarn and the continental stitch. This stitch is worked diagonally from bottom left to top right over each intersecting mesh of plastic canvas. Horizontal rows of continental stitches should be worked from left to right across the canvas; vertical rows should be worked from top to bottom.

4. Stitch the face, hooves and other small areas first, then fill in the rest of the body. Plastic canvas is more rigid than regular needlepoint canvas, so you will need to stitch using two steps: push the tapestry needle and yarn down into each hole, and then pull the needle and yarn up into the desired hole.

5. Cut out each piece of completed needlepoint with household scissors, turning the canvas as you cut instead of the scissors. Make a smooth edge and leave one row of un-stitched plastic mesh around the deer shapes for joining.

6. Place two cut pieces together to make the front and back of one deer. Beginning with the legs, match the un-stitched holes, and push the needle and yarn through and over the top into the next hole. Continue to overcast in this manner, changing thread colors as appropriate. After each leg has been joined, stuff with polyester fiberfill. Work around the deer shape, joining and stuffing until the entire deer has been finished. Repeat to finish the remaining deer pieces.

7. Place the deer side-by-side and nose-to-nose. Do not overlap. With one strand of Persian yarn in the appropriate color, join both deer together by stitching in the overcast edge of one nose and over to the overcast edge of the other nose. Make four or five of these stitches to secure the deer in a kissing pose.

References

• "Needlepoint On Plastic Canvas"; Elisabeth Brenner De Nitto; 1978
• "The Needlepoint Book Revised and Expanded"; Jo Ippolito Christensen; 1999

Resources

• Free Bargello Needlepoint Patterns for Plastic Canvas