Alright, so the big game was just around the corner, and you know how it is. My kid’s team, the “Fighting Squirrels” – don’t ask, long story about a mascot incident – they actually made it to the city finals. Pretty big deal for them, and of course, I had to be there, front and center, or at least as front as my old knees would let me get.
Thinking It Through, Sort Of
Honestly, I wasn’t even planning on making a sign. Seemed like a lot of fuss. But then, the night before, I was watching some highlights from a pro game, and everyone had these massive, colorful signs. And I thought, well, why not? It’s not like I’m a professional artist, but a bit of cardboard and some enthusiasm can go a long way, right? My first thought was just to buy one, but then where’s the fun in that? Plus, I’m not made of money.
So, the mission was on. I didn’t have a grand design in my head. My main goals were:
- Make it visible from a distance.
- Make it clear who I was rooting for.
- Not spend any extra cash.
That last one was key. This was gonna be a pure “use what you’ve got” kind of project.
Scrounging for Supplies
First stop, the garage. I knew there was a biggish cardboard box in there somewhere, from when we got that new air fryer. Found it! A bit dusty, but solid enough. That was my canvas. Then, I needed something to write with. Raided the kids’ old art supplies drawer. You know the one, full of broken crayons, half-empty glue sticks, and markers that might or might not work.
I managed to find:
- A couple of thick black markers – one was a bit dry, but I figured I could make it work.
- A red marker that looked promising.
- Some old blue paint, the poster kind, but no decent brushes. Hmm.
- Scissors that were more for paper than thick cardboard, but hey, challenges are fun.
No glitter, thankfully. My wife still gives me the side-eye from the Great Glitter Incident of ‘Sophia’s 5th birthday project’.
Getting Down to Business: The Making Of
Okay, so I dragged the cardboard into the kitchen. Laid down some old newspapers first – learned that lesson the hard way a long time ago. Cutting the cardboard into a manageable rectangle was the first hurdle. Those scissors were really struggling. Took a bit of sawing and swearing, but I got a decent-ish shape. Not perfectly square, but good enough for government work, or in this case, a kids’ soccer final.
Then, the slogan. “Go Squirrels!” felt a bit… uninspired. I wanted something with a bit more punch. After a few bad ideas, like “Squirrel Power Activate!” (too much like a cartoon), I settled on “FEAR THE SQUIRRELS!” Yeah, that had a nice ring to it. A bit of friendly intimidation.
I lightly sketched out the letters in pencil first. Always a good idea, especially when your artistic skills are, let’s say, developing. Then came the markers. The black one for “FEAR THE” was okay, but I had to go over it a few times to make it bold. The red marker for “SQUIRRELS!” was actually pretty good. Nice and vibrant.
I wanted to add some color, so I thought about that blue paint. Since I didn’t have a good brush, I improvised. Found an old sponge, cut a piece off, and dabbed some blue around the edges. It was a bit messy, looked a bit like a toddler had helped, but it added some… character. Yeah, let’s call it character.
The whole thing probably took me a solid hour. My back was aching a bit from leaning over the table, but I felt pretty chuffed with the result. It wasn’t going to win any design awards, that’s for sure. But it was big, it was clear, and it was made with heart (and slightly dodgy markers).
The Sign’s Big Day Out
Took it to the game the next day. The kids on the team saw it and got a kick out of it. Little Timmy pointed and yelled, “That’s my dad’s sign!” which was nice. I waved it around, especially when our team was attacking. It got a bit windy, and the cardboard flapped about, but it held together. Good old air fryer box.
The Fighting Squirrels? They fought hard. They didn’t win, sadly. Lost by one goal in the last few minutes. But the sign did its job. It showed support. It got a few smiles. And it survived the day, mostly intact, just a few battle scars from enthusiastic waving.
So yeah, that was my adventure in game day sign making. Didn’t cost a penny, used up some old stuff, and was a fun little project. Sometimes the simple, homemade things are the best, you know? Definitely better than some generic store-bought thing. Maybe next season I’ll try stencils. Or maybe not. We’ll see.
