It’s no secret that the vast majority of sports fan wear is designed for men. And while things are certainly improving, there’s a fun and environmentally friendly way to make sports gear your own: Modify what you already have to match your personal style, aka upcycling.

• Whether you’re upgrading boring pro team t-shirts or reliving the glory days by reviving your own old jerseys, upcycling is the unlock to help integrate your fandom and your style. Bonus: Even beginners can do it, and you definitely don’t need to know how to sew. Phew.

Why upcycle when adding new merch to your cart feels so good? Here are just a few of the reasons we love to tinker with sports gear we already own.

• 🔑 Customization is key. Whether you’re adding feminine touches to gear made with men in mind or simply trying to stand out in a sea of matching jerseys, adding personal touches is an unbeatable way to express your fandom.

• 🎨 Exercise your creativity. Stopping the endless doomscrolling, using your brain in a new way, and feeling a sense of accomplishment? Yes, please.

• 🌎 It’s better for the earth. Textile waste is a major problem for the climate. Upcycling your old clothes keeps them out of landfills and limits the materials needed to replace them.

• ✨ You’ll look phenomenal. Fun alterations make your clothes one-of-a-kind and exactly tailored to your personal style. Slay.

Ready to dive in? Here are a few newbie-friendly techniques you can use to upcycle your old sports gear:

✂️ Elevate the basic t-shirt crop. Everyone loves a cropped jersey, but there are some easy ways to take it even further — trim the back to make a halter top, make an extra large one into a gameday dress with tied sides, or separate pieces and tie them back together with cute materials like ribbons or even chains. Chop chop.

🎀 Attach ribbons, rhinestones, and other details. Threading ribbons through parts of your jersey — maybe up the sides, or across a DIY deep V — is easier with a hand-press grommet machine, but all you really need is a pair of scissors to cut holes. Sparkly elements and bows can be stuck on with a hot glue gun, or even with safety pins like in this no-sew temporary corset guide.

🖌️ Paint by in numbers. Craft stores sell special fabric paints and pens, but fabric mediums can make a basic acrylic paint flexible and washable enough to use on clothes too. We’re obsessed with the way this creator filled in the numbers on her Dallas Cowboys jersey with stunning designs, but if you’re not ready to free-hand CeeDee Lamb’s face, stencils are always an option.

⏹️ Add patches. Craft stores have tons of cute patches, and you can also find unique ones from independent creators, especially on Etsy and Patch Collective, that iron on like a dream. Even better: Patches are great for, well, patching holes and tears (duh), making them especially suited for vintage hand-me-downs…or even that childhood soccer jersey you don’t have the heart to throw away.

🧵 Sharpen your skills: If you know your way around a sewing machine, your options — and sources of inspiration — are endless. And if you don’t know how to sew, this is a great chance to learn. Seek out a sewing class in your community (some libraries even offer them) or watch a tutorial series on YouTube. Blanket stitches are an easy but high-impact place to start.

• And if knitting, crochet, or embroidery are more your speed, apply them to your upcycling project. A useful new skill that helps you express your sports fandom? Nothing better.