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It’s game day party time, and today I will show you how to make this awesome DIY Scoreboard!

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Recently, we decided that it was time for me to give my notice at work.

I have been with my current company for over 20 years, but I was ready to spend more time at home doing the things I love, like hosting parties for my friends and family.

So, when my husband came home the other day and told me that a couple of our close friends were coming over to watch a basketball game,

I decided to make a party out of it. After all, any reason is a good reason to have a party, right? Now I will show you how to throw an awesome game day party!

Game Day Party:

First, list everything you can think of that would go with a basketball-themed party. Then check your craft supplies to find everything that you might be able to use to make your vision a reality. Once you gather your supplies and know what you are missing, head to the store.

I discovered it was quite a challenge to find orange food for the party. I found circus peanuts, peanut butter cups (my husband ate before the party), Reese’s Pieces, tangerines, and a carrot cake.

Then I added peanuts, cucumbers, carrots, ingredients for ranch dip, food coloring, cheese doodles, and BBQ pork rinds. Hopefully, you will have some good luck finding foods matching your theme and appeal to your guests.

At Dollar Tree, you should be able to score most of your orange and black party supplies, which will help you stretch your budget quite a bit. So grab your purchases and head home to start your party project!

At first, you may think you need a pennant banner to hang above the party table.

Let’s make something a little more original. Instead, how about a DIY scoreboard?

I think you will find that this will be a fun and challenging project.

I made mine from a piece of cardboard, spray painted black, but I decided to give you the instructions for making one from a black tri-fold board (this will save you so much time!).

I thought it might be easier for you to find the tri-fold board than a large piece of cardboard just lying around waiting to be transformed into something amazing.

DIY Scoreboard:

Supply List:

1 Black 36-inch by 48-inch trifold board
4 rolls of Duck Tape .75 inch by 72 inches White ( I used Glow since my store didn’t have white)
1 roll of Duck Washi .75 inches by 72 inches in yellow
Yard stick or ruler
Tape Measure
X-Acto knife
Cutter Bee Precision Cut Scissors
Letters and numbers or Cricut

Step 1: Cut the tri-fold board to 20 inches wide by 48 inches long. Put the white tape around the outside edges of your scoreboard.

Next, draw two boxes 8 1/2 inches tall by 7 1/4 inches wide. These will be your score boxes. The period box will be 6 1/2 inches square. All three of these boxes can be outlined in white tape. The time clock box dimensions are 14 3/4 inches wide by 3 1/4 inches tall. Outline this box in yellow.

Step 2: Now, it is time to prepare the words and numbers for the scoreboard. You may want to start by drawing some lines where the words and numbers will go so you can attach them to the board straight. (My words went uphill on my first scoreboard). Now don’t look back at the picture to see the crooked letters.

I used Cricut Explore to cut out my letters and numbers. You can use a cutting machine or buy stickers from your local craft store for this part.

Attach the letters and numbers to the board in the spots shown in the scoreboard above picture.

You can use The Xyron Create A Sticker to attach the smaller letters and a Glue Runner to attach the larger letters.

Here is a photo of the completed scoreboard made using the tri-fold board for you to use as an example.

Okay, let’s think about the cake. Unless you happen to have a cake plate that will work with this decor, you will need a little something for your cake. How about a backboard that can stand behind your cake that will highlight your cake and add to your table decor?

DIY Backboard:

This will be super quick and easy to do.

Supplies List:
1-12 inch by 14-inch piece of foam board (white cardstock would also work)
Orange paint (I used Apple Barrel Pumpkin Orange Acrylic Paint)
Masking Tape
Paint Brush
Pencil
Ruler

Once complete, your painted lines should be about  3/4 inch wide. All you need are two squares, one large starting 3/8 inch from the outside edge all the way around and another about 2 inches from the top tape.

Use masking tape to keep your lines straight while painting. Try painting a couple of light coats to keep the paint from bleeding under the tape.

Once the paint is dry, gently peel the masking tape off. Now you have your backboard!

Next, we could make a banner for the front of your table. This will be easy and quick to make.

DIY Slam Dunk Banner:

Supplies List:
7 inch Orange Paper Plates
Black Sharpie
Hole Punch
3/8 inch black ribbon

Step 1: Use a sharpie to make lines on small orange plates resembling basketballs. (Easy, right?)

Step 2: Next, punch two holes in each plate at the top for the ribbon.

Step 3: Thread the black ribbon through the plates for the banner. (You can use string for this part if you don’t have ribbon).

Step 4: I used my Cricut Explorer to cut out the letters in SLAM DUNK and attached them to the plates. If you don’t have a cutting machine, Stickers will work as well, or you could just use the basketballs for the banner.

Before you leave, I would like to give you the recipe for the Ranch Dip!

Ranch Dip Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon paprika
a few drops of hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

How To Make It:

Mix all ingredients well. Add red and yellow food coloring until the dip is as orange as you desire. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container until party time.

Well, I have decided that I will love retirement from my job because I plan on doing much more of this type of thing going forward. My guests were pleasantly surprised when they arrived, and we had a great time that afternoon!

I am already looking forward to planning my next party and I can’t wait to share it with you!

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