The Legendary Lion Wooden Puzzle
A mane that dissolves into birds and giraffes at the edge – 141 pieces
Specifications
| Material | Wood, Cardboard |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 40 × 30 cm |
| Thickness | 4 mm |
| Pieces | 141 |
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Recommended age | 14+ |
| Made in | Ukraine |
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 mane that comes apart into birds
The lion faces left in profile, and the mane runs from deep orange at the muzzle through crimson into turquoise and violet at the tips, drawn as long feathered strands rather than fur. Along the outer edge those strands stop being mane: the pieces there are cut as birds, giraffes and small animals, and they scatter outward as if leaving the head.
That dissolving edge is the design. Most silhouette puzzles end at a clean outline; this one dissolves into its own figural pieces, and the further out you go the less it looks like a lion at all.
Where the difficulty sits
The gradient. Colour runs continuously along the mane from warm to cool, which means a piece can be placed within roughly the right band by its colour and then has to be positioned by shape alone. Two pieces from adjacent strands carry almost the same two hues.
Start at the eye and the muzzle, where the drawing is tightest, and work outward along the strands rather than trying to close the outline first. 141 pieces, on a board of 40 × 30 cm.
The box is part of it
This is one of our gift-box designs: a dark wooden box with a sliding lid and a cord tie, printed with the finished image, so it can be handed over as it is. The box is also where the puzzle lives afterwards, rather than a bag. A printed cardboard box is available as the lower-priced option.
Afterwards
The scattered outer pieces can be arranged as tightly or as loosely as you like when the puzzle is displayed, which is unusual: the composition is not fixed at the edge. Mounted on a wall they read as birds crossing open space. If this is the design that hooks you, the King Gorilla is its opposite number – one massive frontal gaze instead of a dissolving profile.
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.