Where Can I Make a Football Jersey?

Designing your own football jersey is an excellent outlet for the creatively inclined. But manufacturing them is best left to the pros. You could buy the fabric, cut the patterns, apply the trim and screen print the numbers yourself. But unless you have an airtight game plan, plenty of secondary support, including an entire backfield of seamstresses, and you're made of money--and very few are these days--odds are better than 2 to 1 you'll either wind up with a shirt even Theo Huxtable wouldn't look at twice or the overhead will sack you before you even break the huddle.

  1. Let the pros do it

    • So your best bet is to leave a job like that to the trained professionals, like TeamSportswear.com or uesports.com or customjersey.com. They've got thousands of styles, colors, shapes and sizes to choose. Some companies will custom make just one with your name and number or that of your favorite player. To keep costs down, most companies prefer you order bulk, so you're likely to find fantastic deals on dapper duds for your entire sandlot squad.

      TeamSportswear.com offers brand-name adult practice jerseys like Russell Athletic, which makes everything from 100-percent polyester belt-length youth practice jersey in sizes medium to 3XL to full-length adult paneled v-neck game jerseys with seven-inch sleeves and one-inch cuffs.

      If you purchase less than 10 blank Russell Athletic youth practice jerseys you'll pay $16.95 per piece. You'll save $3 per piece if you order 10 or more. Have TeamSportswear.com custom print less than 10 pieces and you'll dole out about $32 for each jersey. Ordering 10 or more printed jerseys nets you close to $5 off each jersey. Overall youth practice jerseys run approximately $2 less.

      CustomJersey.com will outfit your entire team and then some with any solid color Superstar Mesh jersey you desire for $29.94 per jersey when you order at least 100. These jerseys have double-layered shoulders, pro-style coverstitched seams, underarm gussets, side v-notches, your team name on the front and numbers on both sides. Be aware that these prices do not include pants.

    Try your hand at it

    • If you prefer to design a jersey yourself, The Sporting Store allows you to select from as many options as you wish, including style, shoulder, sleeve and neck colors, cuff style and sleeve stripe pattern. As you design your jersey, an on-screen image lets you preview your choices. You can also customize lettering, order specific sizes and even apply your favorite number. When you're finished, you can even print a copy of your design to show your friends.

    Don't be shy about shopping around

    • There are other options as well, perhaps even in your own neighborhood. The web is an excellent resource for just such a project. Don't just go with the first one you find. The key is to draw up a game plan for yourself or your team. Shop your idea around. Check and recheck your game plan early and often. Champions make adjustments when necessary. And they know how to avoid the blitz.