Majestic Lion Wooden Puzzle
A lion whose mane hides the animals of his own savannah – 150 pieces
Specifications
| Material | Wood |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 20 × 24 cm |
| Thickness | 4 mm |
| Pieces | 150 |
| Recommended age | 14+ |
| Made in | Poland |
Shipping
Every order ships from our fulfilment centre in France – never dropshipping. Orders are dispatched within 24 hours on working days; order before 10:30 and it leaves the same day. You’ll receive your tracking number by email at dispatch.
France: 2–4 working days – free home delivery from €40.
Rest of Europe: 2–10 working days, depending on destination.
Returns
You have 14 days from delivery to change your mind – no reason needed. Write to us first at info@creatifwood.com, then send the product back unused, in its original packaging.
Return shipping is at your charge; we refund the full order amount within 14 days, to your original payment method.
Received a damaged or wrong item? Contact us within 14 days with photos – we’ll make it right.
About this product
A lion built from the animals of his own savannah
The portrait faces you straight on, and the mane is where the work is. Each strand is a separate feather-shaped segment filled with its own pattern, in orange, yellow, turquoise, lilac and deep red, so the fur reads as ornament rather than as hair. The eyes are the one calm part of the design: pale blue-grey, and the only place on the board where the pattern stops.
The animals hidden in the mane
Scattered through the lion are figural pieces cut in the shape of other creatures. An elephant, a rhino, a giraffe, a tortoise, a striped hyena, birds in flight, and two palm trees. Lift one out and it leaves a clean silhouette in the board, which is how you notice them at all.
They sit inside the mane and the muzzle rather than around the edges, so you meet them mid-assembly rather than at the start. Several are small enough to pass for ordinary pieces until you notice the outline.
This is also where the table gets loud. The animals pass for ordinary pieces just long enough that every discovery becomes an announcement – nobody holds up a plain piece to show the room, but everybody holds up the giraffe.
Why the mane fights you
The same warm palette repeats across every strand of the mane, and the strands themselves are close to symmetrical, so two pieces from opposite sides of the head can look interchangeable until you try them. What separates them is the pattern inside: a row of zigzags against a row of dots, a turquoise field against a lilac one.
Start at the eyes and the nose – the only high-contrast areas on the board – then work outward through the muzzle before attempting the mane.
What the lion has stood for
The lion has carried the same meaning across an unusual number of cultures: solar power, courage and rule. Sekhmet in Egypt, the lions of Greek myth, the Lion of Judah in Christian art, and the lion that dominates European heraldry more than any other beast. It is one of the few animal symbols that does not reverse itself from one tradition to the next, which is part of why it works as a gift for someone who would find a wolf or an owl ambiguous.
On the wall afterwards
Finished, it is small enough for a bookshelf or a narrow stretch of wall beside a door. The silhouette needs no frame, and the dark outer edge of the mane does the work a frame normally would. And if you prefer facets to ornament, the same animal exists in a second temperament: the Lion Mozaik.
Our craftsmanship
Made by our family, piece by piece
Every creatifwood puzzle starts as a sheet of birch plywood in our family workshop. We laser-cut every piece into its own shape – no two are alike – check each set by hand, and pack it in a gift-ready box. No production lines, no shortcuts – just a small family that loves working with wood, and takes it personally that your puzzle brings people together around the table.
Meet the family behind your puzzleFrequently asked questions
Why does this puzzle have no straight edges?
The outline follows the shape of the design itself, so the usual approach of building the border first does not apply. Most people start from the area with the strongest contrast – in animal designs, usually the eye – and work outward from there.
What are the animal-shaped pieces for?
They are called whimsy pieces, a tradition that goes back to Victorian puzzle cutters who added recognisable shapes on a whim while working. Parker Brothers made it a standard in 1908. They do not interlock the way ordinary pieces do, so the pieces around them hold them in place.
Is this harder than a cardboard puzzle of the same size?
Yes, for three reasons. There is no straight border to anchor from, the ornamental patterning repeats so colour sorting barely helps, and the piece shapes are irregular rather than a uniform knob-and-socket grid.
How long will it take?
Honestly: longer than you expect. With no border to anchor from, repeating ornament and irregular pieces, a wooden puzzle takes noticeably longer than a cardboard one with the same count. We think that is part of the pleasure – it is made to be savoured, not raced.
Can I glue it and hang it on the wall?
Yes. Use a glue made for puzzles rather than a general craft adhesive: it runs into the joints and dries as a thin clear film that protects the face. We stock the Cléo'Puzzle glue-varnish, rated for cardboard, wood and MDF, with a precision nozzle for boards that have no straight edges. Work in thin coats and let each one dry. Gluing is permanent – if you would rather rebuild the puzzle one day, or keep the front matt, dry adhesive film on the back is the alternative. Once sealed, the board can be framed or hung as it is.
Why does it smell of wood when I open the box?
Laser cutting leaves a light trace of scorching on the edges. We clean the pieces before packing, but a faint smell of cut wood in the first days is normal and fades.
Which age is it suitable for?
It is shown on each product page under Specifications. Most designs in this range are marked 14+, and a few simpler ones are suitable from 3.
What if a piece is missing or broken?
Write to us with a photo and we will send a replacement. Details are on our Missing Pieces page.