Step 1

To make a base for the lion's mane, pin two sheets of brown felt together along the long edge. Open up and place on the head. Carefully, pinch and pin the felt so that it fits nicely around the head.

Step 2

Hand stitch, or use a sewing machine, to secure the felt sheets together along the pinned line created in step one. Trim away any excess felt with a sharp pair of scissors, then cut away the corners off the bottom to create a nice curved edge.

Step 3

Turn the hat out and gently pull at the seams to create a smooth edge.

Step 4

Cut strips of felt in different of shades of yellow and brown for the mane; these should be roughly 10 x 2cm. Glue the strips onto the hat using a hot melt glue gun. Start at the base and work up to the top. When working on the front, start a few inches up from the bottom of the hat to allow for a fringe. Layer up the felt so that the whole hat is covered.

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Step 5

Snip into the felt to make the strands thinner - ours have been cut in half.

Step 6

Cut four ear shapes from brown felt, then cut two inner ears from cream felt that are about 5mm smaller. Secure the cream felt on top the brown felt and then glue the ears together in pairs. Trim away any excess felt.

Step 7

Pin the ears where you want them to sit on the mane, and then secure in place with a glue gun once happy. Top Tip: Move any strands of felt out of the way so they don’t become trapped.

Step 8

To make the tail, fold a piece of brown felt 6cm along the length and pin in place. Sew along the side and then turn out.

Step 9

Wrap yellow wool around a book approximately 50 times. Remove and cut through one end of the loops. Insert the bundle into the tail, pin and sew to secure. If you like you can pad the tail out with leftover scraps of felt or toy stuffing. Sew the tail onto the top of a pair of brown trousers. Top Tip: Secure the tail loosely to the trousers so that you can easily remove it afterwards.

Step 10

Use face paint to add whiskers and a nose, then add your mane and tail, followed by a cream top to complete the costume.

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How To Make A Lion Costume

You will need

Black Mini Hot Melt Glue Gun

Hot Melt Glue Sticks 7mm 12 Pack

Hemline Rose Gold Dressmaking Scissors 21.6cm

Gutermann Cream Sew All Thread 100m (1)

Hemline Household Hand Needles 50 Pack

Hemline Glass Head Pins 95 Pack

Yellow Polyester Felt Sheet A4

Buttercream Polyester Felt Sheet A4

Cashmere Polyester Felt Sheet A4

Gold Polyester Felt Sheet A4

Knitcraft Yellow Cotton Blend Plain DK Yarn 100g

Recycled Polyester Toy Filling 250g

Snazaroo Light Brown Face Paint Compact 18ml

Snazaroo Black Face Paint Compact 18ml

Snazaroo Blue Brushes Starter Set 3 Pack

Craft with us at our workshops

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