How to Design Your Own Cheerleading Shirt

Your cheerleading squad is fun, energetic and unique---which is exactly the reason you need to design your own special cheerleading shirts. Get the squad together to brainstorm and you can come up with shirts that show off your special style, not to mention your enthusiastic creativity. Options are limitless when you design your own cheerleading shirt, but you do want to keep some key factors in mind.

Instructions

    • 1

      Pick the style. Your cheerleading shirt should best suit the purpose. That means football cheerleaders, who are often outside in the rain, may want long sleeves and a thicker material. Cheerleaders who are indoors on the basketball or other court can opt for short sleeves, cropped, tank tops or other styles with thinner materials. Draw an outline of the shirt front, another of the shirt back and one of the sleeves, if it has sleeves.

    • 2

      Decide on the colors. Go for the team colors, of course, but you still have options. Pick a white base with designs in the two team colors or one team color as the base and the other color for the detailing.

    • 3

      Start with front and center. Go for a bold, central design that will be the focal point of the shirt. Megaphones are a popular symbol, but they are also kind of humdrum. Opt for the team logo, a variation of the team logo, the team mascot, your initial, a fancy script of the team's name or the name of the cheerleading squad. For inspiration, check out other cheerleading shirts (see Resources).

    • 4

      Figure out the back. Leave the back blank if you want, or include the cheerleader's name, a number of her favorite player or anything else you desire. The back of the shirt could also be the back of the mascot's head that appears on the front.

    • 5

      Add any extras. Design smaller logos or illustrations for the sleeves if you wish. Include any
      team-colored stripes, polka dots, scrolls or other designs around the neckline and borders of the shirt.

    • 6

      Have it made. Sew the shirt yourself, using fabric paint to create the designs or bring your design to a company that creates custom shirts (see Resources).