How to Make a Lioness Costume

You can make a lion costume without sewing.

Everyone can have a fun Halloween dressed as a lion. Make a homemade lioness costume for yourself or your daughter without sewing a stitch. Sweatsuits make an easy starting point for a girl's lion costume. Wear a leotard or a mini dress to create a sexy lioness look.

Things You'll Need

• Sweatsuit
• Feather boa
• Hot glue gun and glue
• Safety pins
• Felt
• Leotard
• Tights
• Tulle
• Headband
• Elastic
• Face paint
• Dress
• Cardboard
• Scissors

Instructions

Sweatsuit Costume

1. 

   Your trick-or-treater will love this comfy costume.

   Start with a yellow or tan hooded sweatshirt and matching pants. Measure around the hood of the sweatshirt and cut a piece of orange feather boa to that length.

2. Hot glue the boa to the edge of the hood. If you plan to wear the sweatshirt again, attach the boa with safety pins.

3. Cut lengths of the boa to go around the wrists and ankles of the sweatsuit. Attach them with hot glue or pins.

4. Cut a long strip of felt for the tail. Use felt that matches the color of the sweatsuit as closely as possible. Safety pin one end of the tail inside the back waistband of the sweatpants. Cut a small piece of feather boa and hot glue it to the end of the tail.

5. Cut two large triangular or football-shaped ears out of the felt. Attach them to the hood of the sweatshirt on the outside edge of the boa mane.

6. Make an oval large enough to cover the tummy and chest area out of felt that matches the boa. Glue or pin it to the front of the sweatshirt. Tie some bows in the lion's mane and on the tail if desired.

Leotard Costume

1. Wear a yellow or tan leotard and tights.

2. Cut strips of orange or dark brown tulle approximately 12 inches by 4 inches. Tie them onto a headband in a tight row. Fluff up the tulle so that it sticks out like mane. If necessary, spray with starch or fabric stiffener.

3. Cut pieces of elastic to go around your wrists and ankles. Tie more strips of the tulle in knots all the way around the elastic to make fluffed-up wrist bands and ankle bands.

4. Cut a long strip of felt that matches the color of the leotard. Attach one end to the seat of your leotard with a safety pin. Attach a poof of tulle to the other end with hot glue.

5. Cut ear shapes out of the felt and attach them to the headband with hot glue in front of the tulle.

6. Draw a brown nose and black whiskers onto your face with face paint. Cover your whole face with a shade of paint that matches your leotard if you wish.

Dress Costume

1. Trim a yellow or tan dress with pieces of brown feather boa using a hot glue gun. Attach the boa around the bottom of the dress and along the neckline.

2. Wear tights and shoes that match the color of the dress as closely as possible. Attach a piece of feather boa around your ankles or on top of your shoes.

3. Cut one leg off another pair of tights in the same color. Attach a piece of feather boa to one end. Pin or glue the other end to the backside of the dress to make a tail.

4. Cut out cardboard ears, paint them to match your dress, and hot glue them to a headband so that they stand up straight. Glue small pieces of the feather boa to the base of each ear.

5. Draw a brown nose and whiskers on your face with face paint.

References

• Coolest Homemade Costumes: Lion Costume
• Country Living: Halloween Costumes for Kids: Lion Costume
• Spirit Halloween: Sexy Lion Adult Costume