Every soccer season, clubs unveil new home and away kits for their team. Countries often do the same every few years.
While the unveiling of new soccer kits is always interesting to watch, it also means that your soccer jersey can go out of trend quickly. A die-hard soccer fan will soon see his or her collection of soccer jerseys grow over a few years.
At first, it may not be a problem. However, after 5 to 10 years, you will open your closet and be overwhelmed by the number of jerseys that you have. It is at that point that many will head to Google to search for, “What do you do with old soccer jerseys?”
Key Takeaways
- The frequent changing of soccer kits leads to the piling up of old soccer jerseys
- Old soccer jerseys can be transformed into useful products using simple DIY tricks
- The value of old soccer jerseys grows over time and can be resold or auctioned for a fortune
- Recycling is another way of getting rid of old soccer jerseys in an eco-friendly way
- Donating to charity is a popular way soccer players add value to their old jerseys
Now you have an idea of what you can do with old soccer jerseys. If all you needed was reassurance that your old soccer jersey may still be useful and should not be tossed into a trash can, you have your answer already.
However, if you want a detailed breakdown of the exciting products you can make from your soccer jersey or how to upscale their value, continue reading to the end.
What do you do with old soccer jerseys?
Having a large collection of soccer jerseys from your favorite soccer club gives an exciting feeling until they start taking up too much space in your closet. Sadly, some of these soccer jerseys may never get worn for months—or you can’t wear them again because you have outgrown them.
When you think about the premium you paid to acquire some of these soccer jerseys, throwing them away is not a sensible option.
Well, there are ways you can repurpose old soccer jerseys to make them attractive. Most importantly, repurposing soccer jerseys will take them out of your closet and reduce the space they take up.
If you have found yourself in that dilemma, follow one or more steps below to declutter your closet without throwing away any of your precious soccer jerseys.
Give them out
Donating the soccer jersey to a charity organization, giving it to a friend, or gifting it to a poor young child that dreams of becoming a superstar someday doesn’t feel like throwing away the soccer jersey at all.
Research has shown that happiness is a byproduct of making other people happy. There are young players out there that cannot afford a jersey—which happens to be the only thing holding them back from belonging to a team.
They wouldn’t mind having an old soccer jersey as long as it gives them the opportunity to get into a team. There are myriads of charities like Second Kicks that collect used soccer jerseys and equipment and distribute them around the world. Consider donating to one of these charities.
Watch the reactions when soccer players give out their jerseys to a random fan and you will have an idea of the kind of joy you will bring to someone’s face when you donate your old jersey.
Frame them
If a soccer jersey means so much to you that you want them out of the closet but giving them out or tearing them down is not an option, consider framing them. Framing your soccer jersey will take them out of your closet and increase their appeal by a hundredfold.
Framing allows you to hang your soccer jersey on the wall without the fear of having them eaten up by insects.
It only takes about 5 minutes to frame a soccer jersey. All you need is a jersey frame case, cardboard, measuring tape, and a pair of scissors.
Last update on 2023-11-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Step 1
Cut the cardboard to fit edge-to-edge inside the jersey frame case
Step 2
Fix the cut cardboard into the soccer jersey and fold the jersey
Step 3
Slot the folded jersey into the jersey case and close it up
Auction the soccer jersey
If you are lucky to have a soccer jersey memorabilia such as a soccer jersey that has been worn by a famous star or a soccer jersey that has been autographed by a soccer player, then you can make a windfall out of it.
For example, an Ajax jersey that was worn by Johan Cruyff sold at an auction for $50,000. If you have soccer memorabilia, consider sending them to auction houses for sale. The auction house may charge you a small fee for this service.
Just like old wine, soccer jerseys often gain value as they age. A close alternative to auction is listing them on eCommerce websites like eBay or Craigslist.
Recycle the jersey
It is estimated that 30% of all clothes produced each year end in landfills. This practice and burning contribute to the degradation of the environment and an increase in global warming.
If you don’t have any use for your old soccer jersey but don’t want to be part of those contributing to environmental degradation, recycling the used soccer jersey may be a great idea. There are organizations that collect used soccer jerseys for recycling.
Soccer kit manufacturers like Puma are now exploring ways of recycling soccer jerseys into new ones by creating technologies that deal with restrictions like badges and embroideries that previously made recycling difficult.
DIY tips for old soccer jerseys
The previous tips that we discussed above don’t require altering the soccer jerseys. However, the tips that we will mention from here onward require significant alteration of your soccer jersey.
We would recommend you use the following DIY tricks for soccer jerseys that are significantly worn out, you have outgrown, or that you would have ordinarily thrown into the trash can.
Easy DIY tips for old soccer jerseys
There are so many DIY tricks for upscaling your old soccer jerseys. However, we decided to start with the easy ones before going to the harder ones.
The easy DIY tricks require minimal skill to get them done. All the tricks that we will mention here can be done in under 1 hour.
Turn them into pillows
When you have a bunch of old soccer jerseys lying around and some memory foam, you have a recipe for making a throw pillow. It takes only a few steps and basic sewing knowledge to get this done.
It is always important to start out with a clean soccer jersey for this. It will be more difficult to wash them once you have transformed them into a pillow.
Making a throw pillow is as easy as inserting your foam filling inside and sewing up all the sides. Then, cut out the excess material. For a detailed guide on how to achieve this, see the video below.
Make stuffed toys
Just like a throw pillow, old jersey and cotton wool or memory foam can provide you with all you need to make a stuffed toy for your kids or dogs. This is a way of recreating the fun experience you had with the jersey for your kids.
When you transform your jersey into toys for kids or your pets, you can’t control how they will use it. Nevertheless, it may be a cute way of retiring soccer jerseys you no longer hold dear to their graves.
Carry a patch of old soccer jersey to new clothes
If you have a very old (maybe ragged) soccer jersey that you are unwilling to let go of because of the memory it holds, you can carry a patch of it to your new soccer jersey or any other cloth.
Just cut out the team logo or name and number of the player and apply it as a patch to the new material. It takes a few easy steps and minimal skill to get this done.
Make a scarf/necklace
You can turn your old soccer jersey into a beautiful scarf (or necklace as some prefer to call it) in a few easy steps. This will come in handy if you don’t have money to buy your team’s scarf but have your team’s old jersey.
It is hard to claim that you are a soccer fan if you don’t have a scarf. Die-hard soccer fans wear their scarves in different ways.
You can achieve a few of these tricks with your improvised old jersey scarf/necklace. Follow the guide in the video to learn how to cut your old jersey into a beautiful scarf.
Turn your old jersey into a headband
An old soccer jersey can find a new purpose as a headband. This is another DIY technique that requires minimal skills and material.
All you will need is a pair of scissors, a stitching needle and thread, and gum. The good thing about headbands is that they can neatly hold your hair in one place so that you don’t have them all over your face.
Also, it is easy to style them to match your new soccer jersey. You can style your soccer jersey into a headband in different ways. The video below explains three different ways you can style your headband.
Make shoelaces from old soccer jerseys
Last update on 2023-11-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Imagine the kind of attention and respect you will command if you are wearing a piece of your club’s soccer jersey from head to toe. Shoelaces are easy to make out of old soccer jerseys and they are really durable too.
Cut your soccer jersey into a thin strip and stretch them out just like you would for a headband. Apply a shrink tube to the end and seal them up using a heat gun or hair dryer.
Harder DIY tricks for old soccer jerseys
The harder DIY tricks that we will reveal below need more skill, sophisticated tailoring materials, or more time to get them done. Some of the tricks we will mention here can take you a whole day to achieve.
However, the harder the DIY tricks, the more sophisticated and interesting result you will get. You will be blown away by what your old soccer jersey will turn into.
Consider making a quilt
If you have a large collection of soccer jerseys bearing the name of different soccer players or you have a large collection of your team’s soccer jerseys from different years, turning them into a quilt can be a great way to declutter your closet while finding a new use for your soccer jersey.
You can either make a quilt from the name side of your team’s soccer jerseys or make a quilt from different designs from different seasons of your team’s soccer jersey.
This is probably the best solution for the die-hard collectors with a closet full of soccer jerseys. For one or two soccer jerseys, you should explore other options.
Also, making a quilt requires more time and skill than all the other DIY techniques that we have mentioned.
Repurpose old jerseys into cloth bags
Another way you can add value to your old soccer clothes is to transform them into cloth bags. If you always loved wearing your soccer jersey until it was no longer your size, using it to make a cloth bag will allow you to carry it along once more.
For those that have not seen this before, the biggest question on their mind will be how durable it will be. Well, cloth bags are more durable than you think.
Unless you overload them beyond their carrying capacity, they should serve you just fine. See the video tutorial below for a step-by-step guide on how you can do this. The larger your jersey size, the better result you will likely get.
Turn them into a braided rug/mat
A braided rug is a lovely feature in the house. It adds glamor to your house. If you have lots of old soccer jerseys, turning them into braided rugs will definitely be a great idea.
The rugs will definitely look nicer if you have different colored jerseys and mix them up. It all starts with cutting the jerseys into thin strips.
After cutting out the strips, take three different colored strips and braid them together. Once you have your long braid, start folding them and holding them together into the shape you want using thread and needle.
Sounds complex when you try to explain it with words. However, the video below should make it easier for you to understand.
Conclusion
Old soccer jerseys should never go to the trash can. If you have spent so much fortune purchasing soccer jerseys, turning them into other useful pieces when you can no longer wear them is a no-brainer.
The DIY tricks we highlighted will help you to keep using your old soccer jerseys a little longer. However, if you don’t have time for DIY tricks, there are other options for you like selling them off or donating them to charity.
So, which of the DIY tricks caught your attention the most? Share your thoughts with us using the comment box below.
Hi there, I’m Jay.
Soccer is everything in my life! My friends and I have created this blog with all our enthusiasm, passion, and understanding after years of playing pro soccer. Hope you will enjoy it!