How To Show Your Team Pride
When Decorating Your Bedroom

Whether you spend your spring and summer rooting for the home team for nine innings or fall Sundays wondering how many touchdowns the quarterback will throw, it’s no secret that you, like most sports fans, love to show off your team pride. Some people even like to take it to the next level and turn their entire bedrooms into a shrine to their most beloved sport, team or player. If you and your sports-loving parents are planning to redecorate your bedroom, these ideas from PBteen can help you get started.

Start by deciding on a theme. Do you want to keep it broad and incorporate a league like the NFL or the NBA? Do you want to focus on a sport in general? Or do you want to focus more on your favorite team or player? Knowing your theme before you get started will help guide your shopping decisions. For example, if you’re a big Los Angeles Lakers fan, you may want to stick to shopping for items in team colors: purple and gold. However, if you simply want the room to revolve around hockey, you can start with practically any color and use sticks, pucks and other motifs to bring the sport to life in your space.

Whatever your decision, choosing colors is an important first step in the redecorating process. If you do plan to work with team colors, you can start by choosing paint colors that closely resemble them. If you aren’t sure about using team colors on your wall, consider picking out your bedding first. PBteen offers a large selection of sports-themed bedding that can be a great starting point for your overall design. Once you’ve settled on a comforter you love, you can pick colors from the fabric for the paint and trim.

When you have your bedding and paint colors chosen, it’s time to add furniture. Sports-themed bedding goes with practically any color or style of furniture. In addition to your traditional pieces, like your bed, dresser and nightstand, you can add some extra pieces that keep with your sports theme. Shop around for authentic items like benches from dugouts, old basketball hoops, vintage scoreboards, bean bag chairs, old hockey nets and football goals. Use these items around the room; you can even think about turning a sport collectable into a headboard if your bed only has a basic frame.

Artwork and wall hangings are the finishing touches for any sports-oriented room. Murals can have a big impact, too. You can even frame some of your favorite memorabilia. Some items you can turn into sports-themed wall art include:

• Jerseys • Posters • Pennants • Ticket stubs • Photos from games or of your favorite stadiums
• Newspaper and magazine articles • Blackboards • Backboards • Sports card collections •
Equipment like baseball bats and hockey sticks • Stickers • Your own personal sports-themed
artwork • Prints featuring your favorite sports, teams and players • Stadium-style clocks •
Inspirational quotes from favorite players and coaches

If you have even more wall space to fill, consider adding shelving or bookcases. This gives you the opportunity to show off your sports memorabilia collection or your own trophy collection, along with regular items like books, collectibles and gadgets.

Now that the walls are taken care of, it’s time to accessorize and really let your personality shine. If you chose to go with a certain team, it’s fairly straightforward to buy items like lamps, curtains and rugs with the team logo and colors. But if you don’t want everything to match exactly or you chose a more general theme, you may opt for other selections. The following accessories are must-haves for any teen’s bedroom and can help bring your look together:

• Throw pillows: Your bedding may come with some options, but you can also choose some in matching solid colors for a contrasting look.

• Curtains and shades: These don’t necessarily have to keep up with the sports theme. Just be sure the colors match your bedding and wall paint well.

• Rugs: A throw rug in your room will have the same effect as your curtains. You can go for something team-oriented or a solid color. Just be sure it complements the wall and bedding colors.

• Lamps: Look for something creative, such as a lamp that uses a baseball bat as part of the base.

Whatever you choose, remember to have fun while you make these important decisions. Turn it into a fun project to undertake and enjoy with your parents. Bond over a gallon of paint or a shopping trip to look for some sports accessories, and enjoy a space that lets your allegiance and your interests shine.