go to DLTK's Homepage
25 Newest  Activites
Top 10 Activities

DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Easy Lion Paper Plate Craft

I've had a lot of requests for more paper plate crafts.  This king of the jungle is made with a paper plate.  I've provided templates for dinner sized and snack sized plates.  If you don't have paper plates, don't fret!  Just take a regular plate and trace it onto a piece of cardboard (old cereal boxes work great!) or use a margarine/ice cream container lid.

You can easily make a mask, by leaving off the eyes and cutting holes.  Attach (glue and tape) a popsicle stick or unsharpened pencil to the bottom for the child to hold it to their face.

Older children may prefer the toilet paper roll version (Age 3+) or the paper folding version (Age 6+) as they are each more challenging (although some days it's nice to have an easy craft on hand when supper's running a bit late!)

 Easy paper plate lion craft

MATERIALS

it all depends on what option you use... you'll will need

either
bulletpaper plate (whatever size)
bulletcardboard cut into a circle OR
bulletmargarine or ice cream container lid

either
bulletyellow paint, yellow construction paper OR
bulletyellow tissue paper

either
bulletbrown and/or orange paint,
bulletbrown and/or orange construction paper,
bulletbrown and/or orange tissue paper, OR
bulletbrown and/or orange wool

either
bulletblack paint, OR
bulletblack marker, OR
bulletblack wool

INSTRUCTIONS

bulletPaint your paper plate yellow
 
or
 
bulletglue yellow construction/tissue paper onto it (rip 1 inch (ish) squares of construction/tissue paper and glue them on with a mixture of 1/2 water and 1/2 regular children's white glue.  This is sort of like mod podging)

OPTIONS FOR THE MANE:

bulletSwirl yellow, brown and/or orange paint in a plate (don't mix it totally).  With a a toothbrush, dip into the paint and brush on a mane (this is how we did ours)
 
bulletSwirl yellow, brown and/or orange paint in a plate (don't mix it totally.  With a sponge, dip into the paint and sponge on a mane.
 
bulletCut 1/2 inch wide x 2 inch (ish) long strips of brown, yellow and or orange construction or tissue paper and glue them around the outside edge of the plate to make your mane.  You can curl all/some of them around a pencil to make some curly parts
  
bulletCut 1/2 inch wide x 2 inch (ish) long strips into the paper plate itself.  Roll them around a pencil to make curly  parts.  You can paint/color with marker the tips brown if you like
 
bulletCut 2 inch (ish) long strips of orange/brown/yellow wool and glue onto the paper plate to make the mane

MAKE THE FACE

bulletPrint out the template of choice.  Colour (where appropriate) and cut out the template pieces.  (Younger children may require assistance with the cutting.) 
 
bulletOr skip the template and cut/draw your own pieces on construction paper and glue them on
 
bulletDraw a mouth with black marker or paint (see photo) or glue bits of black wool in a mouth shape

 

 PICTURE INSTRUCTIONS OF HOW WE MADE OUR LION

paint plate yellow

Paint paper plate yellow

 

brush on mane

Use toothbrush to brush on swirled yellow/orange/brown paint for mane.

 

put on face

Glue on template pieces 
(ears, eyes and nose)
colored in with pencil crayon or marker

And draw mouth, whisker freckles and eyebrows with black marker
bullet

Close the template window after printing to return to this screen. 
    

bullet

Set page margins to zero if you have trouble fitting the template on one page (FILE, PAGE SETUP or FILE, PRINTER SETUP in most browsers). 

 

Small plate template (color)  or  (B&W)

Large plate template (color)  or  (B&W)