Okay, so I’ve been seeing these “championship belts” for fantasy football leagues all over the place, and I finally decided to make one for my own league. It’s been a running joke for years that our trophy is, well, kinda lame. So, I figured, why not go big or go home, right?
First, I spent like two hours just browsing online, looking at different designs. I wanted something that looked legit, but also something I could actually, you know, make. I’m not exactly a crafting expert.
Getting the Materials
- I hit up a local craft store.
- I grabbed some thick, faux-leather material for the belt itself. Black, of course, gotta keep it classic.
- I also picked up some gold-colored spray paint, some adhesive-backed felt (for the back of the belt), and a bunch of those fake gemstones.
- Lastly I found some heavy-duty velcro for fastening.
The Messy Part
I laid out this huge sheet of plastic in my garage, ’cause I knew this was gonna get messy. I cut the faux-leather into the shape of the belt – a long rectangle with rounded ends. Then I started working on the centerpiece. I found a printable NFL logo online and used that as the centerpiece. I took it to print out at work, and I printed on some thicker card stock.
Next, I spray-painted the cardboard cutout with the gold paint. Several coats, letting it dry in between. My garage smelled like paint for days, but it was worth it. Once that was all dry, I carefully glued it onto the center of the belt.
The Bling
This is where the gemstones came in. I started arranging them around the centerpiece, trying to make it look somewhat symmetrical. Let me tell you, this took forever. I used some strong adhesive to stick them on, and I had to keep pressing them down to make sure they stayed put. Then, I cut out smaller pieces of the faux-leather and created side plates. On those side plates,I added our league name and the number.
Finishing Touches
After the glue was completely dry (I waited a full 24 hours, just to be safe), I flipped the whole thing over and glued the felt onto the back. This made it more comfortable to wear and gave it a more finished look. I also stick the velcro to the strap, because I’m a little bit lazy.
Finally, I attached the velcro to the ends of the belt, so it could be easily fastened and unfastened.
It’s not perfect, but I’m pretty proud of how it turned out. It’s definitely an upgrade from our old trophy, and I think the guys in my league are gonna get a kick out of it. Now, to win the league so I can actually wear the thing!
