8 Fiercely Fun Lion Crafts That'll Get Your Kids Roaring

Lion crafts are wonderful for powerful and mighty (yet incredibly creative) kids, so it makes sense you might be searching for some arty ideas. There’s a lot to like about the lion. Not only are they the only wildcats that travel in a pack, but they let the women do the hunting. You have to give them props for realizing how strong women can be! Of course, The Lion King might also have your child begging to learn how to create a lion with paper and supplies. Since it’s been one of Disney’s most famous films since it debuted in 1994, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. The Lion King is also a popular party theme, so you might be looking for lion crafts to keep all of your party guests occupied.

Luckily, lion crafts aren’t too hard to figure out. In fact, most can be done with supplies you already have in your home or with supplies you can easily pick up in the office aisle of your favorite drugstore. Of course, you can always make your lion crafts more complex — but that’s entirely up to you.

Here are five great lion crafts that you can learn today, made popular by some of the craftiest YouTubers out there.

Lion Crafts Your Kid Will Love

1. Paper Lion

Aren’t these just the cutest lion stand-ups ever? The second a crafter uses googly eyes, I’m sold. All you need for this craft (aside from the aforementioned googly eyes) are pieces of construction paper, a ruler, a pencil, scissors, a plastic bottle cap or another circular measuring tool, and a glue stick. Prior experience with folding would also be recommended, yet not required. If you’re looking for lion crafts that you can quickly master in time, this is definitely one of them. Consider this to be like the IKEA of lions. You have a bunch of parts you need to assemble, but the finished product looks pretty good.

2. 3D Paper Lion

There are plenty of lion crafts that involve paper. But they’re not all the same. This paper craft includes a few interesting materials, like crayons, glue, and markers. It also requires some scissors since this artist uses them to add texture to the lion’s mane. If you use this video to inspire you to use this for a party craft, feel free to get crazy with the construction paper colors. While lions typically have brownish-yellow tones, these lions can look however you want. It’d be great to see how creative your young guests can get.

3. Paper Lion Puppet

You and your kids can also create your own lion puppets for more interactive play. These can be a blast for plenty of reasons, and it’s a great skill to have. You can also pre-assemble the puppets and give them out as party favors if this one contains too many small paper pieces for you to navigate in a room full of children. But parties aren’t the only excuse to bust out puppets — they also make for fun and friendly home office decor.

4. Origami Lion

Need a new hobby? Then, you might want to check out origami. The art of paper folding is a beautiful thing to master, and it makes for a great ice-breaker if you ever need one. This is a great instructional video for any age, but let me tell you — it’s not the easiest for beginners, despite the title including the word “easy.” However, the more you practice origami, the better (and faster) you’ll get.

5. Lion Mask

Finally, masks are the perfect way to complete this list of lion crafts. They’re also an excellent activity for a party or just a dull rainy weekend day at home. Parents can always trace and cut out the outlines to make it easier for younger children. You’ll need construction paper, a pencil to draw with, scissors, and a little bit of tape. You can also make this craft using a thick paper or plastic straw if you want a handle that’s even more durable.

More Lion Crafts Your Kid Will Love

1. Lion Mane Mask

The only thing better than a paper lion is helping your little one turn into one. You’ll need three paper plates, preferably the ones with the ridges around the edges. Cut out the center of the plates and paint them yellow and orange. Then crumble red, orange, and yellow tissue paper and paste them on the paper plate edges. Glue the edges into a circle and make two small holes on each side. Afterward, loop a rubber band or string through the hole, and voila — your very own lion’s mane.

2. Liner Lion

Cupcake liners aren’t just for baking. They also make really cool lion manes! Cut out a little orange or yellow circle that’s a bit smaller than the cupcake liner. Help your little one draw a ferocious face on it and then glue it to the center of the cupcake liner. Glue that onto a larger one. You can make your lion mane as big and crinkly as you want, depending on how many liners you can find!

3. Leafy Lion

This craft involves a walk through the park and some exercise, making it arguably the best craft on the list. This activity is perfect for the fall season. Take your little one on a walk, and along the way, pick up orange, yellow, and red leaves. Once you've collected a bunch, draw a circle on a yellow piece of construction paper. Then paste each leaf around the circle. Once the glue has dried, draw a lion's face in the circle's center.