Crochet Deer Wooden Ring Rattle with Embroidered Eyes

This crochet deer wooden ring rattle combines a smooth wooden handle with a compact cotton animal head. A separately crocheted brown cap makes the forehead stripe and covers the face embroidery’s securing stitches. The head, ring sleeve and small features are made independently, so check their proportions before sewing. The tables use US terms and keep the spiral pieces separate from the flat accessory rows.

Materials, Gauge and Size

Vita Cotton Lily cotton, 125 m / 50 g, about 80 m / 87 yd in total; beige for the main face and brown for the cap. Small amounts of brown or black are needed for nose and ear accents. Use a 2.5 mm hook for pieces and 2 mm around the ring, a 60–70 mm wooden ring, 24–30 mm enclosed rattle insert, fiberfill, black embroidery thread, needle, scissors and marker. Source gauge: 26 sc × 25 rows per 10 cm. The yarn-ball quantities are shopping allowances; substitute cotton by gauge and firmness rather than color name alone.

Stitches and Pattern Notes

US crochet terms: ch = chain; sc = single crochet; hdc = half double crochet; dc = double crochet; tr = treble crochet; sl st = slip stitch; st = stitch; sp = space; BLO = back loop only; inc = 2 stitches in one stitch. Sc2tog, hdc2tog and dc2tog combine two neighboring stitches into one. A number before a stitch tells you how many consecutive stitches to work. Parentheses followed by a repeat number describe one complete group repeated that many times.

Step 1: Fit the Crocheted Ring Sleeve

With the 2.5 mm hook, ch 10 and join the chain around the wooden ring without twisting. Switch to the 2 mm hook and work sc continuously around that small chain tube. Slide the tube along the wood as it grows, covering about half the ring or a little less. The starting ten chains go around the thickness of the wood, not around the entire ring.

Fit is important: the sleeve should grip the wood rather than rotate loosely. If necessary, restart with one fewer chain. Finish with a slip stitch and hide the beginning, end and tails toward the inside of the ring. Alternatively, ch 20 and work nine flat rows of sc, then wrap that rectangle around the ring and sew its long edges together on the inner side. Adjust the rectangle to your actual ring before sewing.

Step 2: Shape the Deer Head

Use the main face color and the 2.5 mm hook. Mark the first stitch and work continuously without joining. The marker follows the spiral; move it after every round. Count before adding filling, since a missed increase can change where the face sits.

Row / round	Instructions	Count / note
1	6 sc in a magic ring.	6
2	Inc in every stitch.	12
3	(Inc, 1 sc) six times.	18
4	(Inc, 2 sc) six times.	24
5	(Inc, 3 sc) six times.	30
6	(Inc, 4 sc) six times.	36
7	(Inc, 5 sc) six times.	42
8	(Inc, 6 sc) six times.	48
9–15	Sc around for seven rounds.	48
16	(Dec, 6 sc) six times.	42
17	(Dec, 5 sc) six times.	36
18	(Dec, 4 sc) six times.	30
19	(Dec, 3 sc) six times.	24
20	(Dec, 2 sc) six times.	18
21	(Dec, 1 sc) six times.	12
22	Dec six times.	6

After Round 19, distribute filling evenly and place the enclosed rattle insert inside. Continue stuffing as the opening narrows. After Round 22, thread the tail through the front loops of the remaining six stitches and close. Leave 45–50 cm for attaching the head to the covered ring.

Step 3: Crochet the Brown Forehead Cap

Row / round	Instructions	Count / note
1–8	Repeat head Rounds 1–8 in the upper-head color.	48
9–13	Sc around for five rounds.	48
14	(Dec, 6 sc) six times.	42
15	Sc around, then turn to begin the forehead tab.	42
16–17	Ch 1, 6 sc; turn after each row.	6
18	Without a turning chain, skip first stitch, 5 sc; turn.	5
19	Skip first stitch, 4 sc; turn.	4
20	Ch 1, 4 sc; turn.	4
21	Skip first stitch, 3 sc; turn.	3
22	Skip first stitch, 2 sc; turn.	2
23–25	Ch 1, 2 sc; turn between rows.	2

Sc along the exposed edge of the upper-head piece, slip stitch and leave a 65–70 cm sewing tail. The narrow tab becomes the colored forehead stripe; the rest of the cap wraps over the back and sides. Pin it temporarily before embroidering the face so the stripe is centered.

Step 4: Add the Muzzle and Embroidered Face

With the face color, make 5 sc in a magic ring, increase in each stitch for ten, then work three rounds of ten sc. Slip stitch and leave a sewing tail. Stuff this small muzzle. For its dark tip, either make six sc in a dark magic ring and sew the little circle on, or embroider a filled tip directly on the muzzle.

Position the muzzle about six rows below the head’s final increase round. Pin the cap in place to judge its relationship to the forehead stripe, mark both eyes and remove the cap. Embroider matching sleepy eyes with black thread, taking the securing stitches into the back area that the cap will cover. Refit the cap and sew all around its edge. Keep the eyes level and the muzzle centered before tightening the final seams.

Step 5: Make the Ears and Antlers

Make two brown ears: 6 sc in a magic ring; then (inc, 2 sc) twice for 8, (inc, 3 sc) twice for 10, (inc, 4 sc) twice for 12 and (inc, 5 sc) twice for 14. Work Rounds 6–9 at 14 sc. Flatten the bases and leave sewing tails. For each antler, make one small branch (6 sc in a ring; inc, 5 sc for 7; two more rounds of 7) and one large branch (6 sc in a ring; (inc, 2 sc) twice for 8; Rounds 3–10 at 8 sc). Stuff lightly and sew each small branch onto its large branch.

Step 6: Shape the Scalloped Collar

For the scalloped collar, ch 22. Row 1: sc from the second chain across, giving 21 sc; turn. Row 2: ch 4 and dc into the first stitch, then repeat (skip one stitch, dc in next stitch, ch 1, dc in that same stitch) ten times; turn. The beginning ch 4 supplies a dc-height start and its small space.

Row 3 begins with ch 2 and two dc in the first space, then sc in the next stitch. Continue with five dc in each following ch-1 space, anchoring with sc on the next stitch; finish with three dc around the final end post. The source compresses the edge wording, so check that every V space has one scallop and neither end is doubled. Sew the collar around the neck with its shaped edge facing outward.

Step 7: Attach and Finish

Sew the antlers onto the cap and the ears about two stitches away from them, matching the reference sample. Add short beige decorative stitches along the forehead stripe if desired. Check both antlers from the front before finishing their tails.

Use the long head tail to sew the lower head securely to the middle of the ring sleeve. Hold the head against the sleeve rather than leaving a long narrow neck, and make a second complete pass around the attachment. Weave every tail through several stitches. Inspect all seams, embroidery and the wooden surface before use; the reference pattern does not certify the finished item as a tested toy. Choose a purpose-made enclosed rattle component and keep it fully inside the stuffing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the head rounds joined? No. Use a marker and crochet continuously; join only where an accessory specifically calls for it.

Can I sew a sleeve around the ring instead? Yes. The flat rectangle option is included, with the seam positioned on the inside of the ring.

How do I keep the face centered? Pin all features before sewing, check the front view and secure the head in the middle of the covered section.

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Browse our Crochet Baby collection, compare baby bootie patterns, or explore baby cardigan ideas. Save the project to Pinterest before gathering your yarn.

Pattern and Photo Credits

Adapted from the supplied Pattern_rattle_deer.pdf. Pattern and photographs: supplied Pattern_rattle_deer PDF; no designer name is printed in the extracted source text. Source photographs show the reference samples; captions identify any detail crops. This written adaptation has been reviewed against the supplied pattern pages but has not been physically crocheted or maker-tested. Yarn substitutions and tension can change the result.