This crochet lion wrap is so soft and squishy that babies and toddlers never want to take it off. Promise. The crochet lion wrap features a hooded baby blanket with a fluffy lion mane, perky ears, and a wrapping shawl-style design that doubles as a snuggle wrap or play mat. The mane is created with a loop-stitch technique worked over a flexible straw — it took me a while to figure out how to fluff that up just right, but the finished effect is so worth it! 🦁❤️

The crochet lion wrap is the perfect handmade baby gift — it photographs beautifully, holds up to years of cuddles, and works in any color palette. The Bernat Baby Big Ball Sport Yarn linked below has been discontinued, so I’m now recommending Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca which has the same soft, baby-safe finish and works perfectly when doubled to achieve the right gauge.

Why You’ll Love This Crochet Lion Wrap

✔ Adorable hooded design with fluffy lion mane and pointed ears
✔ Doubles as a wrap, blanket, or play mat
✔ The crochet lion wrap uses a soft alpaca-blend yarn that’s gentle on baby skin
✔ Loop-stitch mane technique adds beautiful texture and dimension
✔ Curling tail with a tassel finish — irresistibly cute!
✔ Beginner-intermediate friendly with sc, hdc, and loop stitches
✔ Makes an unforgettable baby shower or newborn gift
✔ Customize the colors for any nursery palette

Pattern Details

Materials You’ll Need

• 🧶 1 lb worsted weight pale yellow yarn in Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca in Mimosa (main color)
• 🧶 1 baby skein Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca in Lace (contrasting color for mane and edging)
• 🪝 F-5 (3.75mm) and H-8 (5mm) crochet hooks
• 🧵 Embroidery needle
• ✂️ Scissors
• 🥤 Bendable straw (for the loop-stitch mane technique)

The crochet lion wrap shines in a soft alpaca-blend yarn — Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca is dreamy to work with, holds up to lots of love, and comes in vibrant baby-friendly colors. Lion Brand has the full color range. The Craft Yarn Council has great reference info on worsted weight yarn.

Gauge

14 sc = 4″ (10 cm) with Size F-5 (3.75 mm) hook

The Crochet Lion Wrap Pattern

Back

Begin at lower back neck, with smaller hook and MC, ch 17.

Row 1: hdc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each ch across — 16 sc. Ch 1, turn.

Work even in hdc on 16 sc for 5″.

Fasten off.

Sides and Top

Row 1 (RS): With RS facing, attach MC and work 18 hdc across first side edge of back piece, 16 hdc across top, 18 hdc across rem side edge of back piece — 52 sc. Ch 1, turn.

Rows 2 and 3: hdc in each hdc across. Ch 1, turn.

Fasten off MC at end of Row 3 and attach A (contrast).

Mane

Loop Stitch Row (WS): hdc in first st, * place a bendable straw in front of work, yo straw 2x from front to back, then insert hook in next st and complete as for sc; rep from * across to last st sliding loops off and moving straw forward as it becomes full, hdc in last st. Ch 1, turn.

Next Row (RS): hdc in each hdc across. Ch 1, turn.

Rep last 2 rows until 3½” from beg of sides and top, end RS. Fasten off A. Attach MC. Work 1 row sc. Ch 1, turn.

Bottom Edge of Hood

Next Row (RS): With RS of hood facing, using MC and smaller hook, work 47 sc evenly spaced over lower side and back edges. Ch 1, turn.

Next Row (WS): Sc across, dec 5 sts evenly spaced — 42 sc. Ch 1, turn. Work even in sc for 3 rows. Fasten off.

Ears (Make 2)

Outside Piece: With smaller hook and MC, ch 9.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each ch across — 8 sc. Ch 1, turn.

Rows 2-5: Sc in each sc across. Ch 1, turn.

Row 6: Work sc across, dec 1 sc each side of row. Ch 1, turn.

Row 7: Rep Row 6 — 4 sc. Fasten off.

Edge of Ear: With MC and smaller hook, work 18 sc evenly around side and top edges of outside ear piece. Fasten off.

Inside Piece: With B (contrast) and smaller hook, work same as Outside Piece.

Assembly: Place inside ear piece on top of outside ear piece, then with MC and smaller hook, sc both pieces tog around sides and top edges. Fasten off. Sew ears evenly spaced on top of head between 3rd and 4th Loop St Rows from front of hood.

Wrap

Beg at lower edge, with MC and larger hook, ch 2.

Row 1: 3 hdc in 2nd ch from hook. Ch 1, turn.

Cont in hdc, inc 1 st each edge every row until there are 141 hdc.

Next Row: Cont in hdc, dec 1 st at center of row — 140 hdc. Ch 1, turn. Cont in hdc, dec 1 st each edge every row until there are 84 sc.

Next Row: Work 2 hdc tog across entire row — 42 hdc.

Next Row: Work even in sc. Fasten off.

Finishing

With RS’s tog, seam 42 sts of lower hood edge to 42 sts at top of wrap. With RS facing, using MC sc evenly around outer edges of wrap with larger hook and around hood edge with smaller hook.

Tail

With MC and larger hook, ch 30. Work 3 sc in 2nd ch from hook, then 3 sc in each ch to end. Fasten off. It will curl all on its own!

Tassel

Wrap A yarn around a 4½” piece of cardboard 82 times. At one end, slip a 5″ piece of MC under the loops and knot tightly. Cut the loops at other end and remove cardboard. Loop and tightly wrap a 36″ strand of MC around the tassel, about 1″ down from top. Secure the yarn ends and tuck them into the tassel. Attach to one end of tail. Fasten other end of tail to outside of wrap approximately 13″ from lower edge in center. Weave in ends and enjoy your finished crochet lion wrap! 🦁

Tips for the Perfect Crochet Lion Wrap

• Practice the loop stitch first: the crochet lion wrap mane uses a unique technique with a bendable straw. Work a small swatch before committing.
• Fluff the mane after finishing: gently rub the loops with your fingers to fluff them up — the mane goes from “flat loops” to “lion’s mane” with just a few strokes.
• Block before assembling: blocking the body and wrap separately helps everything sit flat and gives a polished finish.
• Use stitch markers: mark the start of each side when working the hood section to keep your edges even.
• Choose machine-washable yarn: the crochet lion wrap is touching baby skin and will get spit-up on often. Pick a washable yarn (Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca is gentle wash).
• Customize the colors: swap yellow for cream, pink, blue, or grey for a nursery-matching version. Brown mane on cream body looks beautiful.
• Pair as a gift set: the crochet lion wrap is showstopping on its own but unforgettable paired with a coordinating stuffed lion or rattle.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the crochet lion wrap take to make? About 20-30 hours total — 12-18 hours for the body, hood, and wrap, plus 4-6 hours for the ears, mane, tail, and assembly.

Is this beginner-friendly? Beginner-intermediate. The crochet lion wrap uses sc, hdc, hdc2tog, and the loop-stitch mane technique. The loop stitch takes a bit of practice but isn’t difficult once you see it in action.

What if I don’t have a bendable straw? Any small cylindrical object works — a chopstick, knitting needle, or pencil. The straw just helps create uniform mane loops.

What yarn substitutes work? Any worsted weight wool or alpaca blend — Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca, Caron Simply Soft, or Bernat Softee Baby all work for the crochet lion wrap.

What age is the wrap good for? Newborns through toddlers, depending on size. The wrap doubles as a stroller blanket, play mat, or photo prop.

Can I sell finished pieces? Yes — small batch sales are allowed for personal income with this crochet lion wrap pattern. Please credit SeeLoveShare as the designer.

More Baby Patterns You’ll Love

• Crochet Hooded Baby Blanket — Lion Wrap
• Browse All Baby & Kids Patterns
• Browse Crochet Baby Blanket Patterns
• Standard Blanket Sizes Guide

Save This Crochet Lion Wrap Pattern

Want to come back to this crochet lion wrap pattern later? Save it to Pinterest so you can find it when baby shower season starts — and share it with your crochet friends!