Sleeping Deer Amigurumi Crochet Pattern

Introduction

This fawn keeps antlers while it sleeps; that is the first shaping problem in this deer amigurumi crochet pattern. This version uses DK/light worsted yarn, a 3.0 mm hook, embroidered closed eyes, and measures about 18 cm long. The skill level is intermediate because the face patches, antlers, and lying body need accurate placement. Make it when a shelf or nursery display needs a low, stable woodland figure.

The Design: What Makes This Sleeping Deer Different

The head is a medium 36-stitch sphere, while the body expands to 42 stitches and holds that count for a longer plateau. That split keeps the face rounded without turning the lying body into a ball. You sew the head slightly downward, not centered like a seated toy. The maker then gets the resting pose instead of a standing plush with folded legs.

The cheek patches are separate flat circles because color changes across the front of a deer head can create jagged vertical lines. Separate patches give cleaner symmetry for a fawn amigurumi pattern and let the embroidered lashes sit on cream yarn. The most common mistake is placing antlers too far forward. On a sleeping deer crochet pattern, antlers should sit behind the ear line so the face stays soft and the silhouette still reads as deer.

Project Info at a Glance

Skill Level	Time	Finished Size	Hook	Best For
Intermediate	5–7 hours	18 cm long	3.0 mm	Woodland display, nursery shelf, market table sample

Finished size and hook choice are based on comparable deer amigurumi sources showing 7-inch/17.78 cm finished length, DK yarn with 3.0 mm hook, and small-hook amigurumi practice for tight fabric. Source

Materials and Tools

Yarn

• Warm tan brown — DK/light worsted — 35 g — YarnArt Jeans #78, Paintbox Cotton DK, or similar cotton-acrylic blend
• Cream — DK/light worsted — 15 g — for cheek patches, ears, hooves, and back spots
• Ivory — DK/light worsted — 8 g — for antlers
• Dark brown — DK/light worsted — 2 g — for nose
• Black embroidery floss — small amount — for closed eyes and mouth line

The gram amounts are pattern estimates. Searched deer patterns commonly list skeins and yarn types rather than exact grams consumed; one source specifies YarnArt Jeans as a 50 g / 160 m skein. Source

Tools

• Hook 3.0 mm
• Optional 8 mm safety eyes only for an open-eye version
• Polyester stuffing
• Tapestry needle
• Embroidery needle
• Stitch markers
• Pins
• Scissors

Use embroidered eyes for the photographed sleeping version. Comparable deer sources list 7 mm, 8 mm, and 10 mm eyes, so 8 mm is the closest optional eye size for this 18 cm deer. Source

Abbreviations

• MR = magic ring
• sc = single crochet
• inc = 2 sc in the next stitch
• dec = single crochet 2 stitches together
• sl st = slip stitch
• ch = chain
• BLO = back loop only
• FO = fasten off

Invisible decrease uses the front loops of the next two stitches only, then finishes as one single crochet; it reduces bulk on face and body closing rounds.

Pattern — Step by Step

Continuous spiral unless noted. Stitch counts appear in brackets at the end of every round.

Head

Yarn: warm tan brown — Source: Standard amigurumi math; comparable deer head patterns show 36-st shaping. Source

R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: inc ×6 (12)
R3: (sc, inc) ×6 (18)
R4: (2 sc, inc) ×6 (24)
R5: (3 sc, inc) ×6 (30)
R6: (4 sc, inc) ×6 (36)
R7: sc around (36)
R8: sc around (36)
R9: sc around (36)
R10: sc around (36)
R11: sc around (36)
R12: sc around (36)
R13: sc around (36)
R14: sc around (36)
R15: (4 sc, dec) ×6 (30)
R16: (3 sc, dec) ×6 (24)
R17: (2 sc, dec) ×6 (18)
Stuff firmly. Shape the lower face wider than the crown.
R18: (sc, dec) ×6 (12)
R19: dec ×6 (6)

Fasten off. Leave 25 cm tail and close the final hole.

Body

Yarn: warm tan brown — Source: Standard amigurumi math; comparable deer body patterns use 42–48-st body structures. Source

R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: inc ×6 (12)
R3: (sc, inc) ×6 (18)
R4: (2 sc, inc) ×6 (24)
R5: (3 sc, inc) ×6 (30)
R6: (4 sc, inc) ×6 (36)
R7: (5 sc, inc) ×6 (42)
R8: sc around (42)
R9: sc around (42)
R10: sc around (42)
R11: sc around (42)
R12: sc around (42)
R13: sc around (42)
R14: sc around (42)
R15: sc around (42)
R16: sc around (42)
R17: sc around (42)
R18: sc around (42)
R19: sc around (42)
R20: sc around (42)
R21: (5 sc, dec) ×6 (36)
R22: (4 sc, dec) ×6 (30)
R23: (3 sc, dec) ×6 (24)
Stuff the rear end first, then the center. Keep the belly flat enough to rest on a table.
R24: (2 sc, dec) ×6 (18)
R25: (sc, dec) ×6 (12)
R26: dec ×6 (6)

Fasten off. Leave 30 cm tail.

Front Legs

Make 2. Yarn: cream for hoof, then warm tan brown — Source: Standard amigurumi math.

With cream:
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: inc ×6 (12)
R3: sc around (12)
R4: sc around (12)

Change to tan:
R5: sc around (12)
R6: sc around (12)
R7: sc around (12)
R8: sc around (12)
R9: sc around (12)
R10: sc around (12)
Stuff lower two-thirds only. Leave the shoulder end flat.
R11: fold opening flat, 6 sc through both layers (6)

Fasten off. Leave 20 cm tail.

Back Legs

Make 2. Yarn: cream for hoof, then warm tan brown — Source: Standard amigurumi math.

With cream:
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: inc ×6 (12)
R3: (sc, inc) ×6 (18)
R4: sc around (18)
R5: sc around (18)

Change to tan:
R6: sc around (18)
R7: sc around (18)
R8: sc around (18)
R9: sc around (18)
R10: sc around (18)
R11: (sc, dec) ×6 (12)
R12: sc around (12)
Stuff hoof and thigh lightly. Do not overfill the last round.
R13: fold opening flat, 6 sc through both layers (6)

Fasten off. Leave 25 cm tail.

Ears

Make 2 outer ears and 2 inner ears. Yarn: tan outer, cream inner — Source: Standard amigurumi math; deer patterns commonly make ears as separate pieces. Source

Inner ear, cream:
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: inc ×6 (12)
R3: (sc, inc) ×6 (18)

Fasten off. Leave 15 cm tail.

Outer ear, tan:
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: inc ×6 (12)
R3: (sc, inc) ×6 (18)
R4: sc around (18)

Do not stuff.

Place one cream inner ear on one tan outer ear, wrong sides together. Sew around the edge through both layers, then pinch the base by 6 stitches and secure it with the remaining tail.

Antlers

Make 2. Yarn: ivory — Source: Standard amigurumi math; comparable deer patterns build antlers from separate long and short tubes. Source

Main stalk:
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: sc around (6)
R3: sc around (6)
R4: sc around (6)
R5: sc around (6)
R6: sc around (6)
R7: sc around (6)

Fasten off. Leave 18 cm tail.

Side branch:
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: sc around (6)
R3: sc around (6)
R4: sc around (6)

Fasten off. Leave 15 cm tail.

Stuff each tube with tiny pinches only. Sew the side branch to the main stalk between R4 and R5, angled outward.

Cheek Patches

Make 2. Yarn: cream — Source: Standard amigurumi math.

R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: inc ×6 (12)
R3: (sc, inc) ×6 (18)
R4: (2 sc, inc) ×6 (24)
R5: sc around (24)

Fasten off. Leave 30 cm tail. Block flat with fingers only; heavy steam can stretch the patch.

Nose

Yarn: dark brown — Source: Standard amigurumi math.

R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: inc ×6 (12)
R3: sc around (12)

Fasten off. Leave 20 cm tail. Add a vertical black mouth stitch after the nose is sewn to the cheek patches.

Tail

Yarn: warm tan brown — Source: Standard amigurumi math; deer pattern sources include separate tail construction. Source

R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: inc ×6 (12)
R3: sc around (12)
R4: sc around (12)
R5: sc around (12)
R6: dec ×6 (6)

Fasten off. Leave 18 cm tail. Stuff lightly so the tail stands upward.

Back Spots

Make 9. Yarn: cream — Source: Standard amigurumi math.

R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
Sl st to first sc (6)

Fasten off. Leave 12 cm tail on each spot. Make five spots for the visible upper back and four smaller-looking spots by pulling the center tight.

Sleeping Eyes and Mouth

Yarn: black embroidery floss — Source: photographed feature and standard embroidery finish.

Embroider each closed eye over 5 stitches, centered on R10–R11 of the head. Add three short lashes under each curve, each lash 1 stitch long. Place the vertical mouth line under the nose, over 2 rounds only, so the face stays small.

Fasten off all embroidery tails inside the head before final assembly.

Assembly

1. Pin the head to the front third of the body with the nose pointing slightly downward; sew around the neck twice.
2. Sew both cheek patches to the lower front of the head, touching at the center line and sitting below R9.
3. Sew the nose over the join between the cheek patches, then add the vertical mouth stitch.
4. Embroider the sleeping eyes on the cream patches before the ears are attached.
5. Pin ears to the upper sides of the head, with the bases spanning R5–R7; sew through the pinched bases.
6. Attach antlers behind the ears, not in front of them, with each stalk leaning slightly outward.
7. Sew front legs under the head and chest, parallel to each other, with cream hooves facing forward.
8. Sew back legs to the rear half of the body, set wider than the front legs so the body rests flat.
9. Attach the tail at the rear point of the body, angled upward by about 45 degrees.
10. Sew back spots across the top of the body in two offset rows, then weave all tails through matching color stitches.

The finished deer is a horizontal amigurumi with embroidered sleeping eyes, raised antlers, and a flat resting base.

7 Technical Tips

• Stitch marker drift: If the body marker shifts more than 3 stitches from the belly line by R14, the spots will sit crooked. Move the marker back to the underside after a plateau round, not during an increase round.
• Stuffing firmness: Underfilled neck fabric makes the head drop after assembly. Pack the neck contact area to medium-firm density, then leave the belly slightly flatter so the deer does not roll.
• Invisible decrease bars: Standard decreases create visible ridges on the cream cheek patches and head closing rounds. Use front-loop invisible decreases on every 36→30, 30→24, 24→18, 18→12, and 12→6 section.
• Eye placement timing: Embroidering eyes after the ears are sewn on can pull the face off-center. Stitch the closed eyes after cheek patches and before ears, using a 5-stitch-wide curve on each side.
• Velvet tension swap: Velvet yarn can double the antler width and blur the 6-stitch tube. If using velvet, test one antler first with a 4.0 mm hook and reduce stuffing to a single narrow strip.
• Pinning failure mode: Front legs sewn too close to the body center make the deer look seated instead of sleeping. Pin front legs under the chest and back legs under R10–R16 of the body before sewing.
• Tail weaving length: Short spot tails can loosen when the body is handled. Weave each cream spot tail through at least 5 cm of tan stitches, then reverse direction once before cutting.

Conclusion

This pattern uses a 36-stitch head, 42-stitch lying body, separate cheek patches, ivory antlers, and embroidered closed eyes to match the photographed deer structure. The next step is to make one test ear and one antler before crocheting the full body; those two parts set the scale for the whole face. Save the finished deer amigurumi crochet pattern sample to Pinterest, then post the side-view assembly photo on Instagram so the lying pose is clear. Use hashtag #SleepingDeerAmigurumi. For the next version, should the antlers stay ivory like this fawn, or should they switch to dark brown for a more realistic woodland deer?