Prancing Reindeer SVG

About this design

On the rooftop, this is how a reindeer walks. It prances forward with one front leg lifted high and bent at the knee, its head raised proudly and its branching antlers sweeping back. The long neck and strong body give it a graceful, lively look, somewhere between the calm of a standing stag and the energy of a leap.

The design is one connected piece with three small cut-outs: at the eye, by the antlers and between the legs. In the layered version, these show little flashes of gold. It passes our cut checks from about 3.5 inches wide.

Color layers

• Backing in gold, which shows at the eye and between the legs
• Design in reindeer brown

Projects

• Holiday shirts and sweatshirts.
• Mantel signs.
• Holiday cards in layered cardstock.
• Mugs for coffee and cocoa.
• Wood cut-outs for a porch display.
• Window clings.
• Stencils for painted signs.

Size and cutting tips

It passes our cut checks from about 3.5 inches wide. The antler tips and raised hoof are the narrowest parts, so for felt choose 5 inches or more. For an adult shirt, 10 to 11 inches wide.

Step by step: rooftop porch display

1. Set the reindeer to 18 inches wide and download the PNG.
2. Print it at full size as a template, taping the pages together.
3. Trace it onto thin plywood, cut it with a jigsaw and sand the edges.
4. Paint it brown or white and add a gold eye.
5. Attach a stake to the back and stand it in the yard or on a porch.

Color ideas

• Brown with gold, the classic
• White for a snowy yard display
• Gold glitter for a mantel piece
• Black on whitewashed wood for farmhouse style

Design notes

The lifted leg gives this reindeer a sense of rhythm. A row of prancing reindeer, each slightly higher than the one before, looks like Santa’s team trotting across a rooftop.

Good to know

This design is a good middle ground between the calm Standing Reindeer and the energetic Leaping Reindeer. Use all three together on a long sign or mantel for a team that seems to move from standing to flying.

Variations to try

• Mirror it in the editor to face the other way.
• Place it inside a circle in the editor for an ornament.

Pairs well with

The Leaping Reindeer takes off next, and the Two Running Reindeer are already on the move.