Every craft table needs a king. And this paper roll lion — with its magnificent shaggy mane of golden yellow, burnt orange, and warm brown paper strips, its chubby cream muzzle, its tiny black nose, and its big round eyes — is absolutely the king of every craft session it has ever attended.
What makes this lion so irresistible is the mane. It is the first thing everyone sees and it is what makes the finished craft look so impressively dimensional and lush. Strips of yellow, orange, and brown construction paper fanned out all the way around the top of the roll create a full shaggy mane that sticks out in every direction — wild and proud and completely lion-like. The golden yellow painted body with its orange belly patch and carefully drawn face does the rest of the work.
Kids love this craft because lions are inherently cool. Adults love this craft because the finished result looks genuinely impressive on a shelf. Everyone loves this craft because it takes less than an hour, uses basic supplies, and ends with something that makes people go ROAR when they pick it up.
This is a brilliant safari themed craft, a perfect addition to a jungle birthday party, a wonderful classroom animal project, or just an excellent Tuesday afternoon activity for anyone who has ever wanted to make something that looks this good from a toilet paper roll.
What You’ll Need
Materials:
- Empty toilet paper roll
- Bright golden yellow acrylic or tempera paint
- Construction paper in golden yellow, burnt orange, and warm brown (for mane strips)
- Cream or light beige construction paper (for muzzle)
- Orange construction paper (for belly patch and inner ears)
- Black fine-tip permanent marker
- Small googly eyes or black paint for eyes
- White craft glue or glue stick
- Hot glue gun (adult use only)
Tools:
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Paintbrush
- Ruler
- Cutting mat (optional but helpful for straight strips)
Before You Start — Worth Knowing
The mane strips are everything. Cut more than you think you need in all three colors. A lush full mane needs at least twenty-five to thirty strips going all the way around — including the back. Thin strips look more like real lion fur than wide strips. Aim for about one centimeter wide and eight to ten centimeters long per strip.
Paint the body golden yellow not orange. There is a real difference between golden yellow and orange, and the golden yellow is much more lion-accurate and more beautiful. Orange reads as tiger. Golden yellow reads as lion. If you only have yellow, mix in the tiniest amount of orange to warm it up.
The muzzle is what gives the lion its character. A cream colored oval muzzle with a black triangular nose and precise whisker lines is the detail that takes this lion from a yellow painted tube to an actual lion face. Take your time on this piece.
Add the mane before the face. Glue all the mane strips around the top of the roll first, then add the face details. The mane frames the face and helps you position the features in exactly the right place.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 — Paint the Roll Golden Yellow
Paint the entire exterior of the toilet paper roll in bright warm golden yellow paint. Use a wide flat brush and apply in smooth even strokes all the way around the roll. Golden yellow typically covers kraft brown in one good coat — check for any gaps and touch up if needed. Let dry completely before moving on.
Step 2 — Cut the Mane Strips
From golden yellow, burnt orange, and warm brown construction paper, cut long thin strips — each approximately eight to ten centimeters long and about one centimeter wide. Cut at least eight to ten strips of each color for a full lush mane — roughly twenty-five to thirty strips total. Use a ruler and scissors for the straightest strips, or fold paper accordion style and cut multiple strips at once for speed. Keep all strips roughly the same width but slightly varying lengths look more natural and wild.
Step 3 — Glue the Mane All the Way Around
This is the most satisfying step. Working in sections around the roll, apply a line of hot glue along the top edge of the roll and press mane strips in firmly — alternating the three colors and varying the angles slightly so they stick out in different directions. Work all the way around the full circumference of the roll — front, sides, and back — so the mane is completely full from every angle. Each strip should be glued at its base with the rest hanging outward and upward freely. Press firmly for a few seconds per section before moving on.
Step 4 — Cut the Muzzle Shape
From cream or light beige construction paper, cut a wide soft oval shape for the lion’s muzzle — it should be wide enough to span roughly the center third of the roll front and about half as tall as it is wide. Round the edges generously so it looks soft and muzzle-like rather than geometric. This cream oval is the anchor of the entire lion face — everything else builds from it.
Step 5 — Cut the Ears and Inner Ear
From golden yellow construction paper cut two small rounded ear shapes — each one a soft half circle or rounded triangle, about three centimeters across. From orange construction paper cut two slightly smaller inner ear pieces of the same shape. Glue each orange inner ear centered onto its yellow outer ear with a glue stick — leaving a clear yellow border all around. Set aside to dry.
Step 6 — Cut the Orange Belly Patch
From orange construction paper cut a large oval for the lion’s belly — wider than it is tall, positioned in the lower center front of the roll. This orange belly oval creates a warm color contrast against the golden yellow body and gives the lion a chubby rounded tummy appearance. Make it generously sized — a belly patch that is too small looks timid. A big bold orange oval looks confident and lion-like.
Step 7 — Assemble the Face Pieces
Glue the cream muzzle oval onto the center front of the golden yellow roll — positioned in the upper half of the roll below where the eyes will sit. Then glue the orange belly oval onto the lower center front of the roll below the muzzle, leaving a small gap between the two. Using hot glue, attach the two completed ears to the upper sides of the roll just inside the mane line — one on each side, sitting flat against the roll surface. The face is taking shape.
Step 8 — Draw the Lion Face Details
Using your fine-tip black permanent marker, draw the lion face on and around the cream muzzle oval. Add two small filled black oval or circle eyes just above the muzzle — not too large, positioned with a natural gap between them. Draw a bold upside-down triangle nose at the center top of the muzzle oval — fill it in solidly black. From the bottom point of the nose draw a short vertical line then branch it into a gentle curved M-shape smile. Draw three confident whisker lines extending outward from each side of the muzzle — long, thin, straight, drawn in one smooth stroke each.
Step 9 — Add Final Details
Add two very small filled black dots just above the muzzle oval on either side of the nose for the classic cat nostril detail marks. Using a yellow or orange pencil crayon or very lightly diluted orange paint on a fine brush, add a very soft warm blush wash across both cheek areas of the roll above the muzzle on each side — this subtle warmth gives the lion face a rounder more dimensional look. Check the mane is evenly distributed around the full roll — if any section looks thin add two or three extra strips with a dot of hot glue.
Step 10 — Your Lion Is Complete
Stand it up. Look at that mane. Look at that face. Look at those whiskers. This toilet paper roll is now definitively a lion — and a very good-looking one at that. It deserves to sit somewhere prominent where it can survey its kingdom, which in this case is probably a shelf between some books and a plant.
Fun Variations to Try
Girl lion: Add two tiny paper bow shapes in pink or purple to the top of the mane — one on each side of the center. Sweet, funny, and immediately charming.
Baby lion cub: Use a toilet paper roll cut to two thirds height for a shorter chubbier body. Make the mane slightly less full and use lighter yellow strips for a softer younger look. Pair with the full adult lion for a parent and cub set.
White lion: Paint the roll pale cream instead of golden yellow, use white and silver grey strips for the mane, and use pale grey for the muzzle details. Rare and striking.
Roaring lion: Instead of the closed M-smile, draw a wide open roaring mouth — a large oval shape filled with red paper and tiny white paper teeth along the top and bottom edges. The roaring lion version makes every child immediately make the sound.
Safari scene: Make a lion, use previous posts to make a frog and a penguin, and arrange them all together on a large piece of painted cardboard with paper grass, trees, and a blue paper river. Instant safari diorama.
Tips for Best Results
Cut mane strips in bulk before starting the gluing step — having all your strips ready means you can work quickly around the roll while the hot glue is still effective.
Alternate the three mane colors consciously as you glue — do not cluster all the brown together or all the orange together. Spread the colors so the mane looks rich and varied from every angle.
The mane should go all the way around the back of the roll too — not just the front. A lion with a mane only on the front sides looks flat from behind. Full mane all the way around is worth the extra strips.
When drawing the nose, fill it in solidly and confidently. A timid half-filled nose looks unfinished. A bold solid black triangle is what gives the lion face its authority.
Display and Gift Ideas
A paper roll lion on a child’s desk next to a small globe or stacked books looks like a proud safari companion. Make one in the classic golden coloring and one in the white lion variation and display them as a pair.
For a jungle or safari birthday party, set out pre-painted golden rolls and pre-cut mane strips at a craft station — let every child glue their own mane and draw their own face. No two will look exactly alike and that is completely the point.
Three lions in a row on a mantle with a few tropical paper leaves scattered around the base makes a genuinely impressive seasonal display — wild, warm, and completely handmade.
A single lion in a white gift box with natural kraft tissue paper and a small card that says “made with love” is one of the most thoughtful and charming handmade gifts imaginable. It costs almost nothing and looks like it came from a boutique.
Final Thoughts
The lion has always been the king of the animal kingdom and this paper roll lion is absolutely the king of toilet paper roll crafts. The mane alone makes it look more impressive than almost any other version of this craft format — full, wild, dimensional, and completely commanding.
Make one today. Give it a name. Let it sit on your shelf looking magnificent. Make three more because one lion is never enough.
ROAR.