My Starting Point with Lamine Yamal
Been obsessed with football tactics lately, especially Barcelona’s rising star Lamine Yamal. Wanted to display his iconic number 19 in fresh ways, not just basic jersey prints. Dug through fan forums and Pinterest boards for inspiration. Saw lots of boring stuff – thought I could level it up.
Testing First Idea: Shadowbox Jersey
Grabbed my old Barcelona away kit from the closet. Took off the Yamal nameplate with a seam ripper – took forever! Pinned it against black felt inside a shadowbox frame, leaving just 19 showing. Hung it up. Meh. Felt flat without texture. Tried adding 3D acrylic numbers underneath. Better! Light bounced off, giving depth I wanted.
Experimenting with Lights
Bought cheap LED strip from local hardware store. Taped the numbers “1” and “9” shaped with plastic tubes. Mounted behind my TV stand. Plugged it in – blew out half the lights. Rewired using thicker cables. Second try: deep blue glow circling the numbers 19. Absolute banger! But cables looked messy. Fixed by hiding wires inside cable raceways.
Mini Digital Display DIY
Scavenged an old digital photo frame from garage sales. Found online template maker, layered Yamal’s photo with semi-transparent 19 graphic. Set it to slideshow mode with his highlight clips:
- Goal celebrations
- Assist compilations
- Training footage
Plugged frame near my workstation. Rotating visuals keep it fresh without being distracting.
Final Surprise: Coffee Table Reveal
Found abandoned glass table on street corner. Sanded the frame, spray-painted Barça colors. Printed “YAMAL 19” in vintage font onto transparency sheet. Slid it under glass top with stadium confetti underneath. Friends thought it was store-bought! Top layer spins too – bonus feature for party mode.
My Key Takeaways
Honestly? Start small. Burnt three LED strips before getting voltage right. Shadowbox needed multiple tweaks. Pro tips:
- Use hot glue instead of tape for lights
- Always check resolution for digital displays
- Search thrift stores before buying new
Biggest win? That spinning table. Every time I see it during matches, reminds me why football’s magic. Might tweak designs if he changes numbers, but for now? Mission accomplished.