Charlene's final batch • In 4 active carts right now • Only 316 left
Charlene's Homecoming Reindeer
Charlene's Homecoming Reindeer
Ships within 1–2 business days
30-day money-back guarantee
Insured & free shipping with tracking
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Charlene's Homecoming Reindeer
Made by hand in Berwick, Nova Scotia · since 1990
A little evergreen reindeer that lies by your door and glows until everyone’s home.
Charlene’s final batch · Only 316 left“I make every one as if it’s going to my own front porch.” – Charlene
“People always ask me why mine lie down. Because a reindeer standing in the yard looks like a decoration. One lying by the door looks like it’s waiting for you.”
– Charlene MacQuarrie, 68, Berwick, NS
What arrives at your door
- ✦1 Homecoming Reindeer, lying down, about 61 cm long and 56 cm tall (24" × 22") to the tips of the antlers
- ✦Warm-white fairy lights already woven through the greenery – nothing to string up yourself
- ✦Battery box, tucked out of sight under the greenery
- ✦Remote control to switch the lights on and off from across the room
- ✦Cream burlap bow with a real-look pinecone and a little brass bell, tied on by Charlene
- ✦Packed by hand by Kaitlyn and Brody, so the antlers and greenery arrive in shape
What makes Charlene’s reindeer different
No. 01
A frame bent by hand
Every reindeer starts as plain wire that Charlene bends into shape herself – the folded legs, the long neck, the turned head. That’s why it lies flat and steady instead of wobbling.
No. 02
Layered like feathers
Hundreds of soft faux-cedar sprigs – artificial, but they look just like real needles – go on one by one, each overlapping the last, so no wire shows through from any side.
No. 03
Light from the inside
The fairy lights are threaded through the greenery, not wrapped around the outside. The reindeer glows softly from within instead of looking like it’s tangled in a light string.
No. 04
Antlers like weathered branches
Shaped and coloured to look like twigs from the woods, so the reindeer looks like it walked out of the orchard behind the barn.
No. 05
The bow, the pinecone, the bell
A cream burlap bow sits around the neck with a pinecone in the middle and a little brass bell underneath – the finishing touch Charlene ties on last.
No. 06
Green every December
Faux cedar doesn’t shed, doesn’t dry out and doesn’t turn brown. Pack it away in January, and it comes out looking the same next Christmas.
How to set it up
- 1Unpack and fluff. Lift the reindeer out by its body, not the antlers. Gently fluff any sprigs that were pressed flat in the box.
- 2Batteries in, switch on. Open the little battery box under the greenery, pop in the batteries, then turn the lights on and off with the remote.
- 3Pick its spot. Beside the front door, on a covered porch, in the entryway or next to the fireplace. Switch it on at dusk – that’s when it looks its best.
A mass-made light-up deer vs. Charlene’s reindeer
| Mass-made deer | Charlene’s reindeer | |
|---|---|---|
| Frame | Thin pressed wire, often wobbly | Bent by hand, lies flat and steady |
| Greenery | Tinsel or a few sprigs, frame shows through | Hundreds of faux-cedar sprigs, layered by hand |
| Lights | Cold white, wrapped around the outside | Warm white, woven through from inside |
| Face | Blank or cartoonish | Dark eyes and nose, gentle and watchful |
| Details | Plastic ribbon, if any | Burlap bow, pinecone and brass bell |
| Who made it | A machine | Charlene, one at a time, in her barn |
Made by hand in Berwick
Charlene MacQuarrie has worked in the same old dairy barn outside Berwick, in the apple country of the Annapolis Valley, since 1990. It started with wreaths and garlands for the neighbours. Then people began asking for “something for the porch” – and the Homecoming Reindeer was born.
In 36 Christmases she has bent, wrapped and lit more than 11,000 of them. Now her hands are telling her it’s time to stop. At the end of November she closes the barn for good, and the 316 reindeer from her final batch are the last there will ever be. Her grandchildren Kaitlyn and Brody keep shipping until the last one is gone.
“I’m not trying to get rich off the last ones. I just want them lying by front doors where somebody’s glad to see them.”
Charlene MacQuarrie
Perfect for
Charlene’s standard
- ✓Every frame bent and every sprig placed by hand
- ✓Every reindeer switched on and checked before it’s boxed
- ✓Packed by hand and shipped within 1–2 business days
- ✓Only 316 left from the final batch – no restock, ever
30-day money-back guarantee. Bring the reindeer home and see how it looks by your door. If it doesn’t win you over, send it back within 30 days and get your money back. No questions asked.
Care & use
Indoors or on a covered porch. The faux greenery handles cold and frost just fine. Keep the battery box dry and shake off heavy snow.
After Christmas: switch off, take out the batteries and store the reindeer lying down in its box, somewhere dry.
Every one is handmade, so the layering of the sprigs and the shape of the antlers vary slightly from reindeer to reindeer.
Product details
| Size | About 61 × 56 cm (24" × 22") incl. antlers, lying down |
| Greenery | Faux cedar that looks like real needles, on a hand-bent wire frame |
| Lights | Warm-white LED fairy lights, battery-operated, with remote control |
| Details | Branch-look antlers, burlap bow, pinecone, brass bell |
| Use | Indoors and covered outdoor spots |
| Made by | Charlene MacQuarrie, Berwick, Nova Scotia |
| Shipping | Within 1–2 business days (Canada Post) |
| Guarantee | 30-day money-back guarantee |
The Final Series
The Final Series
A message from Charlene:
After 36 Christmases, I'm closing my barn at the end of November. These 316 reindeer are the last I will ever make. Every one was bent, wrapped and lit by hand in my old dairy barn outside Berwick. Nothing rushed. Nothing outsourced.
Kaitlyn and Brody will keep shipping them after I lock the door, until the very last one is gone.
When they're gone, they're gone.
Free Shipping
Free Shipping
Free shipping across Canada
- Ships within 1–2 business days (Canada Post)
- Insured: every parcel is fully insured
- Packed by hand so the antlers and greenery arrive in shape
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Kaitlyn and Brody personally reply to every single email – as fast as we possibly can. Whether you have a question about your order or just want to say hi to Charlene, we're here.
You can reach us:
- Mon – Fri: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (AT)
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (AT)
Email: info@backroad-goods.com
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Of course. We stand behind everything in our shop 100%. If the reindeer doesn't win you over, just shoot us an email within 30 days and we'll make it right – no hassle, no headaches.