How to Make Cheerleading Gifts
Cheerleading is all about good sportsmanship, school spirit and friendly competition. Gift-giving goes hand-in-hand with cheerleading. Whether you're trying to motivate the basketball team with some decorated snickerdoodles or showing respect for the opposition, cheerleading gifts can make everyone feel great. Best of all, it's not about how much money you spend; cheerleading gifts are about what you feel inside. Here are some cheerleading gifts that you can make that are appropriate for cheerleading camps, varsity games or just for fun.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Crafts materials
- School spirit
- A glass jar
- Candies
- Ribbon
- Paint and brushes
- Hair scrunchies
- T-shirts
- Fabric paint
- Rolls of foil and plastic
- Plastic eggs
- Ball bearings
- Fashion dolls
- Fabric
- Scissors
- A needle and thread or sewing machine
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1
Welcome the opposing cheerleading squad with a gift. Sure, the people in the stands may be less than gracious with outsiders, but cheerleaders are known for their hospitality. Make a welcome gift for the visiting team's cheerleaders. Get a big glass jar and decorate it with their team colors. Have the whole squad write or draw whatever they like on the sides. Fill the jar with candies or whatever else you like. Put a big, colorful bow on top.
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2
Create hair accessories for the cheerleaders on your squad. Get cloth ribbon in your team colors; braid them together. If the young ones doing the work are too young to braid the ribbon, you can simply twist the ribbon together. Fix the ends together with knots or tape. Take that braid or twist and tie it into a hair scrunchie for a fashionable and spirited ponytail accent for your favorite cheerleader.
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3
Customize t-shirts for each of the cheerleader recipients. The best part of this idea is that your only limits are your imagination. Use iron-on transfers to put the owner's name on each shirt, and then allow the squad to write nice messages on everyone's shirts in fabric paint. This can be a great project for the end of the season.
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4
Assemble your own custom pom poms to allow the squad to make a unique statement. All other squads have the same old ribbons of plastic and foil. Here's how to make your own pom poms: Cut long strands of sheet plastic and foil in your school colors. These should be about two feet long, but you should leave the strips longer than you will likely want them. After all, you can always trim them later if you like. Tie the strands of foil and plastic around a plastic egg filled with ball bearings. Tie another length of ribbon around the egg to keep the strands of the pom poms in place. The ball bearings in the egg will make the pom poms rattle for extra spirit.
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5
Decorate a fashion doll for each of the members of the squad. Plan ahead, so you have time for fun little touches. Make miniature cheerleading uniforms for each of the dolls out of fabric or paper. Make them look like your school's real uniform. To make the uniforms, draw the outlines of the doll's body onto fabric. Cut two identical pieces, then use a needle and thread to sew the two pieces together. Cut out small details, such as an approximation of your team's logo. Sew those to the uniform where appropriate. Applying a little acrylic paint to the doll's hair lets you match the shade to each of the cheerleaders you're thinking about. Present the customized dolls to the squad after a particularly important game or tournament.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't worry if you're not the craftiest person you know; the most important thing about cheerleading is team spirit Now that you've made cheerleading gifts, think of fun ways to present them to the recipients.
Be very careful when using scissors, needles and any other craft products that could result in injury. Young people shouldn't use these tools without supervision.
