Ideas for Homemade Soccer Gifts

Create a gift for your favorite soccer player.

When you have a friend or a child who is a soccer player, there are often many different pieces of equipment they would love to receive for a gift. The only problem is that such equipment often comes with a hefty price tag. But there are plenty of soccer-related ideas you can make inexpensively at home. Your soccer fan will love the thought you've put in, and you will not have to break the bank.

Soccer Ball Piñata

If you are headed to a birthday party of a soccer fan, bring along a soccer ball piñata to add to the fun. Piñatas are made from paper mache or newspaper. You will need paper mache paste, which is typically about three parts white glue to one part water, and small strips of paper. Wet the strips of paper in the paste and lay them on an old soccer ball that you don't mind getting dirty. Cover about three-quarters of the ball with several layers, leaving room for the ball to be removed after the paper dries. After the paper dries, remove the ball carefully. Fill the paper mache ball with treats then cover the empty part of the ball with more paper mache. After letting the last section dry, use a black marker to give the ball the same design as a soccer ball. Unlike typical piñatas, these are kicked to spill their contents, just like a real soccer ball.

Soccer Collage

Using a piece of poster board or foam board, create a collage your soccer fan will love. Start by printing or cutting out as many soccer pictures as you can find on the internet or in a magazine. Come up with a theme or a design scheme. Adhere the pictures with a glue stick or double-sided tape to your poster board or foam board. Print out lettering that says "Happy Birthday" or "Go (Team)" to go on top of your pictures.

Homemade Soccer Clothes

If you have a high-quality printer or some painting supplies, you can turn a white t-shirt, pair of shorts or socks into custom-made soccer clothes. Buy some iron-on paper and print out a team logo or a picture of a soccer ball to iron onto the clothes. Use a picture of the gift receiver playing soccer or a famous soccer player and put that on the clothing.

Wild Card

Any inexpensive item can be decorated with soccer memorabilia to turn it into a custom soccer gift. Take a plastic cup or wine glass and fill it with soccer-shaped candies and mini flags of the soccer fan's favorite team. Take a pair of cheap flip flops and add mini-soccer ball key chains and mini-foam soccer balls to them. Take a blanket and print soccer logos or get soccer player signatures on it. The more creative and fun you are with the design, the more fun the gift receiver will have getting it.

References

• Master Soccer: Home Made Soccer Decorations
• Soccer Game Information: Soccer Gift Ideas
• Jojobi: Make a Football Pinata
• DLTK Kids: How to Paper Mache