Last Halloween my family went with Safari themed costumes. All the costumes were pretty easy to make and ended up looking super cute when we were all together. My middle child was the lion out of the group. His costume was pretty easy to make. All you need is brown or tan pants and top, a lion mane and a lion tail.
You can probably find a lion mane and tail set in the stores around Halloween but I didn't see one - I didn't search super hard though - so I decided to make my own and I love how it turned out!
I made the lion mane out of yarn pom poms and cat ears I found at the Dollar Tree for $1. I also used the yarn to make a matching tail. Click HERE for my Yarn Tail Tutorial!!!
The lion mane was surprisingly easier to make than I thought it would be. I was afraid it wouldn't look right with the black cat ears but it turned out really well and definitely made his costume come together. I really liked the yarn I used to make the pom poms for the mane.
What you'll need:
- Cat or Lion Ears - Dollar Tree find!
- Brown Yarn
- Scissors
I used a mixed brown/tan fuzzy yarn I found at Walmart (I believe it was Bernat Blanket Big Ball Yarn for around $6).
I also used a regular dark brown yarn I already had. I had plenty of yarn left for future crafts!
I also used a regular dark brown yarn I already had. I had plenty of yarn left for future crafts!
How To:
1. Start by cutting six to eight pieces of yarn about 6" long. This will be used to tie the pom poms together.
I used regular yarn because it makes a tighter knot and is less likely to break when pulled tight. You can use the fuzzy yarn if you don't want to buy two different types of yarn.
2. Using the fuzzy yarn, begin to wrap it around your four fingers. Spread your fingers out to make the pom poms bigger. Wrap the yarn at least 15 to 20 times if not more. The more times you wrap the yarn around your fingers, the fluffier the pom pom will be.
If you don't want to use your hand, you can use a cardboard cut out or a cell phone.
3. Using the pre-cut yarn from Step 1, wrap the yarn through the middle of the yarn and tie a knot. Try to center the yarn so you have an even amount on both sides of the knot.
Once the knot is tied, wrap the yarn around the other side and tie another knot. This secures the yarn together. *See the picture below for what it should look like.
Leave the extra yarn from tying the knot hanging, you will need this to attach the pom poms to the ears.
If you are making pom poms for other crafts, you can cut the yarn used to hold the pom pom together short.
4. Cut the loops at the Top and Botton of the pom pom. This makes the yarn look more like a pom pom. Make sure to cut all the loops.
5. Optional - Once all the loops are cut, you will have a messy yarn pom pom. As you can tell in the picture below, not all the yarn is the same length. This is perfect for a lion mane, but if you are wanting the pom poms to look more like a circle, you can trim the yarn down so it is all the same length and looks more like a circle pom pom.
If you are making pom poms for other crafts, you will want to trim the pom pom. Trimming the pom pom makes the pom pom look fluffier and fuller.
6. Find the extra regular yarn you used to tie your pom poms together. Using the yarn, wrap it around the headband part of the cat ears and secure it with a double knot.
Repeat until all the pom poms are on the headband or you are happy with the way it looks.
Position the pom poms next to each other so the lion's mane looks full and fluffy. You can add as many pom poms as you want to make the lion's mane. I believe I used seven or eight pom poms for this lion's mane.
7. Trim any pieces that look odd or are super long, pair it with a lion tail and you are done!
Walmart sells solid color pants and tops for pretty cheap. I have seen them cost anywhere from $2-$5 an item.
I used regular yarn because it makes a tighter knot and is less likely to break when pulled tight. You can use the fuzzy yarn if you don't want to buy two different types of yarn.
2. Using the fuzzy yarn, begin to wrap it around your four fingers. Spread your fingers out to make the pom poms bigger. Wrap the yarn at least 15 to 20 times if not more. The more times you wrap the yarn around your fingers, the fluffier the pom pom will be.
If you don't want to use your hand, you can use a cardboard cut out or a cell phone.
3. Using the pre-cut yarn from Step 1, wrap the yarn through the middle of the yarn and tie a knot. Try to center the yarn so you have an even amount on both sides of the knot.
Once the knot is tied, wrap the yarn around the other side and tie another knot. This secures the yarn together. *See the picture below for what it should look like.
Leave the extra yarn from tying the knot hanging, you will need this to attach the pom poms to the ears.
If you are making pom poms for other crafts, you can cut the yarn used to hold the pom pom together short.
4. Cut the loops at the Top and Botton of the pom pom. This makes the yarn look more like a pom pom. Make sure to cut all the loops.
5. Optional - Once all the loops are cut, you will have a messy yarn pom pom. As you can tell in the picture below, not all the yarn is the same length. This is perfect for a lion mane, but if you are wanting the pom poms to look more like a circle, you can trim the yarn down so it is all the same length and looks more like a circle pom pom.
If you are making pom poms for other crafts, you will want to trim the pom pom. Trimming the pom pom makes the pom pom look fluffier and fuller.
6. Find the extra regular yarn you used to tie your pom poms together. Using the yarn, wrap it around the headband part of the cat ears and secure it with a double knot.
Repeat until all the pom poms are on the headband or you are happy with the way it looks.
Position the pom poms next to each other so the lion's mane looks full and fluffy. You can add as many pom poms as you want to make the lion's mane. I believe I used seven or eight pom poms for this lion's mane.
7. Trim any pieces that look odd or are super long, pair it with a lion tail and you are done!
***Click HERE for my Yarn Tail Tutorial!***
Now that you have your lion mane and tail finished, pair it with some brown or tan pants and a top. Add a little brown face paint or in my case, eyeliner to create a nose and whiskers and your lion costume is complete!
The lion costume cost me around $15 with a lot of extra yarn. If you already have brown pants and a top, it will cost a lot less.
- Cat ears - $1 at the Dollar Tree
- Yarn - around $6 at Walmart
- Sweat pants & Top - around $8 at Walmart
Walmart sells solid color pants and tops for pretty cheap. I have seen them cost anywhere from $2-$5 an item.
The best part is that when you are done with Halloween or dressing up as a lion, you can add the pants and shirt to your child's everyday clothes so they can get more use out of it!
My son loved being a Lion for Halloween. He ran around roaring, laughing, and chasing his little brother who was a Zebra. It was hilarious.
This costume was pretty easy to make and cute! It took some time to make all the pom poms for the lion mane but not as long as I thought it was going to take. You can easily make the pom poms while binge watching your favorite episode.
You can also follow this tutorial to make yarn pom poms for other craft projects.
You can also follow this tutorial to make yarn pom poms for other craft projects.
If you haven't already, go check out our Safari Themed Family Halloween Costume to see how I made the rest of the family costumes. For more pictures of our Halloween costume, keep scrolling!
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