Easy Popsicle Stick Lion Craft for Kids + Free Template
This easy popsicle stick lion craft transforms jumbo wooden sticks and colorful felt into a friendly lion with a wonderfully shaggy mane.
It is a fun and easy zoo project for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary-aged children, although an adult should prepare the base and handle the hot adhesive.
Easy Popsicle Stick Lion Craft for Kids
Use it during a safari lesson, a jungle-themed lesson, a letter L lesson, summer camp, a rainy day, or after a family trip to the zoo. The combination of soft felt, bright details, and a wooden base makes this a cute, hands-on creation that children can proudly display.
Why Kids Will Love This
This creative DIY combines painting, tracing, cutting, gluing, and drawing in one cheerful hands-on project. The fringed felt adds texture to the finished face, making every adorable popsicle-stick lion look slightly different.
Children can help:
- Decorate the wooden face
- Trace the pattern shapes
- Cut felt with age-appropriate scissors
- Arrange the facial features
- Draw the mouth and whiskers
- Choose a different shade for the fringe
Younger kids may need an adult to assemble the wooden base, cut the thick felt, and attach the shapes with a low-temperature glue gun.
Supplies for a Popsicle Stick Lion
You will need:
- Five jumbo craft sticks for the face
- Two additional jumbo wooden sticks for the back supports
- Tan acrylic craft paint
- Paintbrush
- Two large googly eyes
- Dark orange craft felt
- Tan craft felt
- Light pink craft felt
- Brown craft felt
- Black permanent marker
- Low-temperature glue gun and glue sticks
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Pencil or fabric marker
- Free printable pattern
Most of these supplies can be found at a dollar store or in a basic children’s art collection.
Safety note: Hot adhesive and freshly cut wooden sticks can cause injuries. An adult should trim the wood and operate the glue gun. Always supervise children when using scissors, acrylics, adhesive, and small decorative parts.
How to Make a Popsicle Stick Lion Craft
Step 1: Build the wooden base
Place five jumbo popsicle sticks vertically beside one another with their long edges touching.
Trim two additional jumbo sticks so they fit horizontally across the back of the five-stick panel. Attach one support near the top and the second near the bottom.
The two supports hold the face together. Allow the adhesive to set before turning the panel over.
Liquid adhesive can be used instead of hot glue, but the base will require considerably more drying time. For a classroom session, an adult can assemble the bases before the lesson begins.
Step 2: Paint the face
Cover the front and visible edges of the wooden panel with tan acrylic paint.
Set it aside to dry. Apply a second coat if the wood still shows through.
Washable paint or markers can be substituted when working with younger children, although acrylic provides the most even coverage.
Step 3: Print and cut out the pattern
Download the free template from the box at the bottom of this post. Print it at 100% or “Actual Size.”
Cut out the paper shapes and use them to trace:
- Two outer ears on tan felt
- Two inner ears on light pink felt
- One nose on brown felt
The printable provides the shapes for these facial features, while the orange fringe is measured and cut separately.
Step 4: Cut out the felt shapes
Cut around each traced shape. Cutting just inside the traced lines helps remove visible pencil or marker marks.
Attach one pink inner-ear shape onto the center of each tan outer ear. Set the assembled ears aside.
Step 5: Prepare the orange felt mane
Measure and cut three dark orange felt rectangles, each approximately 2 inches by 12 inches.
Make narrow cuts along one long edge of each rectangle to create fringe. Stop approximately ½ inch before reaching the opposite edge to keep the strip connected.
The cuts do not need to be perfectly even. Slight variations help create a fuller, fluffy appearance.
Adults can prepare the fringed strips in advance for preschoolers. Older children can cut the fringe themselves as a scissor-skills exercise.
Step 6: Add the eyes and nose
Attach two large moving eyes near the upper center of the decorated panel.
Place the brown felt nose directly beneath the eyes. Leave enough room below it to draw the mouth.
Let children position the features before an adult secures them with hot adhesive.
Step 7: Attach the first layer of the mane
Begin at the bottom of the face. Secure the uncut edge of one orange felt strip to the outside edge of the panel, allowing the fringe to extend outward.
Continue wrapping and attaching the soft material around the sides and top. Curve and slightly overlap the strips as necessary.
Avoid covering the eyes or too much of the tan area.
Step 8: Add another layer of fringe
Use the remaining orange felt to add a second layer around the face. Place this layer slightly behind or between the first sections to make the mane look full and shaggy.
There is no single correct arrangement. Continue adding fringe until the wooden edges are hidden and the overall design looks evenly distributed.
Trim excess felt or unusually long sections to create a rounded shape.
Step 9: Attach the ears
Secure one completed felt ear near each upper corner of the face.
Place the ears slightly over the fringe to keep them visible, then tilt them outward for a playful look.
Step 10: Draw the facial details
Use a black marker to draw a curved mouth beneath the felt nose.
Draw three small whisker lines on both sides. You can also include whisker dots, eyebrows, or other details to get creative and give your popsicle stick lion more personality.
Allow everything to dry completely before handling or displaying your masterpiece.
Helpful Crafting Tips
Assemble the wooden bases ahead of time
If you are making this DIY with a preschool class, assemble the panels before the lesson. Children can begin decorating rather than waiting for the supports to set.
Cut felt with sharp scissors
Dull scissors tend to pull or fold felt rather than cut it cleanly. Children’s fabric scissors may work better than ordinary safety scissors for creating the fringe.
Use cardstock when felt is unavailable
Orange, tan, pink, and brown cardstock can replace the felt. Cut the orange paper into fringed strips and gently curl some of the sections around a pencil for added dimension.
Construction paper will also work, but the heavier option produces a sturdier result.
Use liquid adhesive for a child-led version
A low-temperature glue gun provides the fastest and strongest hold, but adults must operate it. Tacky adhesive is a safer alternative when children need to complete the assembly independently. Allow the finished creation to remain flat overnight.
Do not worry about perfectly even fringe
Uneven sections give the finished face character. Encourage children to experiment with long and short strands instead of trying to make every section identical.
Ways to Use This Lion Craft
Zoo or safari unit study
Make this lion while learning about where these wild cats live, what they eat, and why a group is called a pride. Children can compare them with other large cats such as tigers, leopards, and cheetahs.
Letter L activity
Use this as a letter L craft idea for preschool or kindergarten. Write uppercase and lowercase Ls on the back, and practice words such as loud, large, and leap.
Storytime extension
Pair this fun, creative DIY with a book about zoo animals. After reading, invite children to describe their character’s personality or make up an adventure featuring their finished craft.
Classroom bulletin board
Let each child choose bright or vibrant fringe and different facial expressions. Arrange the finished creations together with a heading such as “Our Class Is a Roaring Success” or “Welcome to Our Pride.”
Refrigerator magnet
Attach a strong magnet to the back after everything is completely set. Because the finished craft made from popsicle sticks contains several wooden sticks and layers of felt, use a magnet strong enough to support its weight.
Puppet or storytelling prop
Attach a large wooden stirrer to the back to turn this lion craft made from popsicle sticks into a storytelling prop. Children can use it to retell a book, create a puppet show, or practice lion sounds.
Skills Practiced With This Craft
This simple DIY offers opportunities to practice:
- Fine-motor control
- Scissor skill
- Measuring with a ruler
- Following directions in sequence
- Shape recognition
- Creative decision-making
- Hand-eye coordination
- Vocabulary related to zoo and safari creatures
Young children can decorate and arrange prepared shapes, while elementary students can measure, trace, fringe, and assemble more of the DIY independently. It is a perfect way to encourage creativity during hands-on craft time.
More Popsicle Stick Crafts for Kids
Continue crafting with these related projects:
- Vehicle Popsicle Stick Frame Craft
- Dinosaur Popsicle Stick Puppets
- Goldilocks Popsicle Puppets
- Popsicle Stick Valentine’s Craft
- Car Popsicle Stick Craft
- Ladybug Popsicle Stick Craft
Download the Free Lion Craft Template
The printable includes patterns for the outer and inner ears and the nose. Print it at 100% or “Actual Size” for use with jumbo wooden sticks.
For personal and classroom use only. Please do not sell, redistribute, or upload the printable file to another website.
Which ages would enjoy making this?
This DIY is best for preschool through elementary-aged children with adult assistance. Younger learners can decorate and arrange pre-cut shapes, while older children can trace the template, cut the fringe, and add their own facial details.
How long does it take?
Active craft time is approximately 30 minutes. Additional drying time may be required for the acrylic coating and adhesive.
How many sticks are needed?
Use five jumbo sticks for the face and approximately two additional supports across the back.
Can regular-sized popsicle sticks be used?
Yes, but the finished design will be smaller and may require more sticks to create a wide enough face. The supplied pattern and felt measurements are intended for a base made with jumbo sizes.
Is a glue gun necessary for this craft?
Of course. Tacky adhesive can attach the wood and felt, but the finished design should remain flat until completely dry. School glue may work, although it will take longer and may not hold the felt as securely.
What does the free template include?
The printable pattern includes shapes for the outer ears, inner ears, and nose. The fringed mane is made from three measured strips of dark orange felt.
Popsicle Stick Lion Craft Card
Create this colorful Craft Stick Lion with the kiddos to promote learning skills and spark conversations about zoo animals.
Materials
- 7 jumbo craft sticks
- Tan acrylic craft paint
- 2 large googly eyes
- Dark orange craft felt
- Tan craft felt
- Light pink craft felt
- Brown craft felt
- Black permanent marker
- Glue sticks
- Free printable lion pattern
Tools
- Paintbrush
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Pencil or fabric marker
- Low-temperature glue gun
Instructions
- Place five jumbo craft sticks vertically beside one another.
- Trim two additional craft sticks to fit across the back and glue them horizontally in place.
- Paint the front and edges of the panel tan and allow it to dry.
- Print and cut out the lion pattern.
- Trace two outer ears on tan felt, two inner ears on pink felt, and the nose on brown felt.
- Cut out the shapes and glue the pink pieces inside the tan ears.
- Cut three 2-by-12-inch strips from dark orange felt.
- Fringe one long edge of each strip, leaving approximately ½ inch uncut.
- Glue the googly eyes and brown felt nose onto the face.
- Glue the fringed felt strips around the face in overlapping layers.
- Trim the mane and glue the ears near the upper corners.
- Draw the lion’s mouth and whiskers with a black marker.
- Allow the glue and paint to dry completely.
Notes
An adult should trim the wooden sticks and operate the hot glue gun. Tacky craft glue may be substituted, but it requires additional drying time. Preassemble the wooden bases and pre-cut the felt for a simpler preschool classroom version.
