Easy Pattern for a Paper Mache
Lion Mask or Wall Sculpture
$12
Some people say it gives off gentle Aslan vibes, but however you finish it, this lion is full of character and ready to steal the scene.
The pattern creates all the main shapes for you, so no sculpting experience is needed.
You can wear your new mask at Mardi Gras or your next dress-up party, display it on your wall—or create it as a one-of-a-kind gift for someone who loves these big, beautiful cats.
No matter how you use or display it, you can proudly say, “I made it myself!”
How to make your lion mask:
Print the pattern and stick it to cardboard.
Cut out the pieces and tape them together, using the instructions included with the downloadable PDF pattern.
Add paper mache, or paper mache clay.
Add a sculpted or raffia mane to your lion, and bring hm to life with acrylic paint.
Two ways to use your lion mask:
You can use all the pattern pieces and create a helmet-style mask to wear at a fancy-dress party or for Halloween.
Or leave off the cap portion, and use your lion as a display mask. It looks fantastic on a wall.
This photo shows the mask made with a sculpted mane created with pattern pieces included in the PDF file. You can also see it as a helmet style lion mask, and how it looks before you add the paper mache and paint.
How to make your lion’s mane:
Create a sculpted mane with cardboard, paper towels and paste, like the one shown in the photo above. It’s easy, and the instructions are included in the downloadable file.
Or make a custom mane with a softer material, like yarn or raffia, like the one shown below. To see how I made a lion with a raffia mane, watch the third video below.
Finished size: Helmet-style mask – about 15.5 inches (39 cm) high, 13 inches (33 cm) wide and 12 inches (30 cm) deep. About 7.5” deep (17 cm) if built as a wall display mask. When made as a mask, it will fit an adult head, but it can be made larger or smaller, if needed.
My downloadable PDF Patterns come with full instructions.
There’s no waiting for your pattern to arrive, and no shipping costs, so you can start on your project right away.
Note: If you’ll be saving your pattern to and iPhone or iPad, those devices like to hide your downloaded files. You can scroll down this page to see how to find them.
And remember – if you have any problems downloading your files or putting your pattern together, just let me know. I’m always happy to help.
$12
Getting started with the first few pieces:
The nose and mouth are the hardest pieces to tape – so, naturally, I make you do those first. 🙂
How to Tape the Forehead Pieces:
These three pieces at the top of the head can be a little tricky. This video shows how they’re taped together.
How to create a mane with a raffia table skirt:
How to sculpt fur texture on a cardboard mane…
To make the lion mask you will need:
- Standard letter size paper (8.5” x 11”) or A4 paper (210 × 297 mm) or full-sheet labels for printing the pattern.
- Cardboard
- Glue stick, if printing on copy paper instead of labels
- Box cutter or craft knife
- Tape
- Hot glue gun (if making a custom-made mane with a soft material like raffia or twine)
- Paper strips and paste, or paper mache clay
- Paper towels (to add texture to a sculpted mane*)
- Acrylic paint and varnish
$12
Do you have a question or need help with your pattern?
There are two ways to contact me: The fastest way to get an answer is to leave a comment below. I read all comments and answer them as soon as I can, usually within a few hours. One of my readers might also chime in to help – we have a very supportive community here on this site.
If you prefer to reach me privately, you can send me an email.
I get a ton of spam and I don’t want your email to get lost, so please put “paper mache” in the subject line so your email won’t be accidentally deleted. If you don’t hear back from me within 24 hours, assume the cyberspace gremlins ate your email, and try again. 🙂
Some of the lions created with this pattern:
Hi, I was wondering if there is a way to use this template to make into a puppet?
I’ve never made a puppet of any kind, so I don’t know how you would do it. But quite a few people have used the different patterns to make puppets. That link takes to the search results for ‘puppets,’ and there’s only one lion. And the photo they sent in doesn’t show the body of the lion puppet, although they did give us some tips on how they made it.
Hello! Do you have any tips on how to form the eyes to add to mask?
You can see an easy way to make eyes with a foam ball in the first video on the Jaguar page, at the 6:47 mark.
Hi! Just purchased to make for our elementary school Literature Night! So excited! Any advice on how to print it to make it larger? (Similar to the one used in a play above?)
Thanks in advance!
Hi Colleen. I made a video about making the patterns larger or smaller. You can find it here. I hope that helps. 🙂
Olá boa tarde ! eu gostaria de saber quando fizer a compra como vai m enviar e qual o “valor em rel brasileiro”.
O molde que que gostaria seria o de leão de parede do segundo video !
Hi Jonni.
Do you sell your finished paper mache masks?
No, I don’t – but if you need one but don’t have time to make it yourself, a local artist should be able to use the pattern to make one for you.