This easy recycled craft is inexpensive, fun to make, and perfect for kids of all ages. With a fuzzy yarn mane, silly googly eyes, and a few cardboard details, an ordinary toilet paper roll quickly transforms into an exciting animal craft.
Once the cardboard pieces are cut out, the lion is surprisingly easy to assemble with hot glue. Add a pair of googly eyes and draw on a nose, mouth, and whiskers to give each lion its own funny personality. Kids can make the yarn mane as wild and fuzzy as they want—the messier it looks, the cuter the lion!
Supplies Needed
- 2-3 toilet paper roll tubes
- colorful yarn for the mane
- hot glue gun
- black marker
- pencil
- scissors
- googly eyes
Step 1.Take a toilet paper roll and carefully cut it lengthwise down the center. Open it up and flatten the cardboard, then draw the lion’s head, tail, and legs (make sure the legs are longer than you need as both ends will be folded). Cut out each piece and set them aside for assembly.
Step 2.Use a marker to give your lion a little personality! Draw on a nose, mouth, whiskers, paws, and any other details you’d like, making your lion as silly or fierce as you want. Don’t forget the eyes! You can use googly eyes or draw your own.
Step 3.Cut the yarn into short pieces, then glue them around the back of the lion’s head to create a fuzzy mane. TIP: To help keep the “fur” from flopping over, you can glue a scrap piece of round cardboard on top of the back of the head once all of the yarn is glued down.
Step 4.Time to bring your lion to life! Hot glue the head, legs, and tail onto the toilet paper roll body. For the legs, bend each piece at both ends—one fold creates a flat surface for gluing it to the body, while the other creates little feet to help your lion stand. If your lion’s head is too heavy for its body, simply tape a small rock on the inside of the body near the tail end to distribute the weight. 
This toilet paper roll lion craft is a great way to turn something headed for the recycling bin into a fun afternoon activity. It’s cheap, creative, and easy enough for preschoolers with a little help, while older kids can cut and assemble their lions on their own. Best of all, no two lions have to look the same!
Helpful Tips
- No yarn? No problem! Create your lion’s wild and colorful mane with small strips of construction paper, tissue paper, or even fuzzy pipe cleaners instead. Just make sure it doesn’t weight too much or your lion might flop over.
- You may need more than one empty toilet paper roll for the cut-out pieces, depending on how closely you’re able to arrange and trace them onto the cardboard.
- If you love this easy lion craft, try making another one with this Adorable Paper Plate Lion Tutorial for a fun new twist!
