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I Finally Found Tailgate Decor That Made Our Setup Scream School Spirit
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items If your tailgate spread looks like a sad folding table with a bag of chips while the setup next to you has a full-on themed headquarters, this is for you. I spent three seasons looking like the backup plan before I figured out what actually pulls a g...
Sections
12
Team Color Tablecloths and Table Covers
Plates Cups and Napkins in Team Colors
Banners Pennants and Hanging Decor
Balloons and Inflatable Spirit Gear
Serving Trays Bowls and Food Presentation
Drinkware and Beverage Station Supplies
Team Color Tablecloths and Table Covers
My table used to be a bare folding eyesore with ketchup stains from 2019. One team-colored tablecloth later and suddenly people were asking if I do this professionally.
Throw this over your folding table and instantly look like you planned ahead. For anyone tired of showing up with a bare plastic table while everyone else looks coordinated.
creative converting touch of color plastic table cover
Get the roll version so you can cut it to fit any table shape. I used this for a six-footer and a card table at the same tailgate and both looked sharp.
1. Amscan Plastic Table Cover Roll with Slide Cutter
Grab the 12-pack if you host more than once a season. I burned through singles for two years before realizing the bulk pack saves real money and you always have extras.
Exquisite 12 Pack Premium Rectangular Plastic Tablecloth
Use this for any gold or yellow team. My kid's high school colors are black and gold, and layering this under black plates made the whole table pop.
creative converting 011012b school bus yellow plastic
Perfect if your squad rocks orange. I paired it with white napkins and people thought I hired a decorator. It was literally a $3 plastic sheet.
Amscan Plastic Table Cover Roll with Slide Cutter
Plates Cups and Napkins in Team Colors
I used to buy whatever paper plates were cheapest. Then I showed up to a rivalry game with floral plates and got roasted by my own family. Never again.
Keep a stash of these in your trunk all season. Fifty plates means you're covered for multiple games without running to the store every Saturday morning.
Amscan Big Party Pack 9" Round Paper Plates, Silver
Swap out your plain white napkins for these. Such a small change but it ties the whole table together. My wife noticed before I even pointed it out.
Creative Converting 50 Count Touch of Color Beverage
Use these instead of random Solo cups and suddenly your drink station looks intentional. For anyone who wants their setup to feel coordinated without spending hours on it.
Amscan True Navy 18oz Party Pack Plastic Cups – 50 Count
Pair black napkins with any bright team color and it grounds the whole look. I use these with red plates and it reads clean, not chaotic.
Amscan Big Party Pack 125 Count Luncheon Napkins, Berry
Try these if your team rocks green. I stacked them with white cups at a homecoming tailgate and got three compliments from total strangers walking by.
Creative Converting Touch of Color Lunch Plates
Banners Pennants and Hanging Decor
Nothing says ‘this is our territory’ like a banner strung between your tent poles. Before I hung one, our setup blended into the parking lot like camouflage.
String this across the front of your canopy and you've got instant curb appeal. For the person whose tent currently looks like a generic camping situation.
Beistle Red White and Blue Oversized Pennant Banner
Grab this if your school rocks blue. I zip-tied it between two tent legs and it flapped in the wind like we owned the lot.
unbranded Blue Blank Pennant Banners for DIY
Use the gold metallic version for night games. It catches the stadium lights and looks way more expensive than it actually is. Found out by accident at a 7pm kickoff.
Beistle - Blue Pennant Banner - 11" x 12' - Pack of 12
Snag this if you want to spell out your team name or a trash-talk message for rivalry week. My buddy wrote ‘YOUR TEAM STINKS’ and it became the photo backdrop.
Amscan Customizable Birthday Banner Kit with Letters
Hang this along the back of your tent for depth. Sounds extra, but it fills the empty space that makes most setups look half-finished.
Beistle Club Pack of 12 Red and Green Tissue Garland
Balloons and Inflatable Spirit Gear
I resisted balloons for years because I thought they were for birthday parties. Then my neighbor floated a cluster of team-colored ones and his spot was visible from three rows away.
Tie a bunch to your cooler handle or tent leg. For anyone who wants their setup to be the landmark people text directions about. 'We're at the tent with all the red balloons.'
12" Red Latex Balloons, 72 Pieces, by Way To Celebrate
Keep a pack in your trunk for quick decorating. I inflate them with a hand pump while the grill heats up. Takes five minutes and changes the whole vibe.
Way To Celebrate, 12" Blue Latex Balloons, 15 Pieces
Pair orange balloons with black tablecloths for a Halloween-meets-game-day look that works from September through November. Double duty decorating.
Walmart
Use one or two of these as centerpiece anchors. I weighted one down with a can of beans inside a gift bag and it floated above the food table perfectly.
29" Black/Gold Air-Filled Stars Balloon, by Way To Celebrate
Get the big pack so you can go wild. I filled a trash bag with inflated black balloons and dumped them under the table for a balloon floor. Kids went absolutely feral for it.
Way To Celebrate, 12" Black Latex Balloons, 15 Pieces
Serving Trays Bowls and Food Presentation
Dumping chips into a grocery bag and calling it a snack station was my move for too long. One matching serving set changed how people treated the food table.
Lay your sandwiches or sliders on this instead of a paper plate. It's plastic, it's cheap, and it makes your food look like it was catered. I'm not even exaggerating.
Large Red Serving Tray for Food & Drinks, Non Slip Plastic
Use this for chips, popcorn, or candy in your team color. My kid dumps gummy bears in one and it becomes the most popular bowl at the tailgate every single time.
Creative Converting 347885 30 oz Clear Pebble Plastic
Pair this with colored napkins underneath. The clear tray lets your team-color tablecloth show through while keeping the guac and salsa from going everywhere.
Amscan Tableware Chip & Dip Tray, 16", Bright Pink
Grab a black tray if you want something that goes with any color scheme. I've used this with red, blue, and green setups and it always works.
STOBOK 6Pcs Rectangular Black PP Plastic Serving Tray
Try white platters as a neutral base. Stack cookies or brownies with team-colored sprinkles on top and people will think you spent way more effort than you did.
Creative Converting Flag 10" X 14" Plastic Serving Tray
Drinkware and Beverage Station Supplies
Pouring drinks out of a cooler into mismatched cups felt chaotic every time. Setting up an actual drink station with matching gear made the whole flow smoother.
Ditch the generic white cups and use red ones instead. Such a small swap but it makes your drink table look coordinated. My brother-in-law thought I was being ‘extra’ until he copied me the next week.
Hefty, Disposable Plastic Party Cups, 18 oz., Red, 50 count
Use these if you want something sturdier that won't blow off the table. They keep drinks colder than plastic and people always ask where I got them.
Ball Aluminum Cup, Disposable Cold-Drink Cups, 16 oz, 24ct
Fill this with lemonade or sweet tea in your team color. I made blue Kool-Aid for a Penn State game and it was the most on-brand thing I've ever done.
Igloo 5 Gal. Orange Seat Top Water Jug - Beverage Coolers
Toss these in a mason jar next to the drink station. For anyone who wants their setup to look Pinterest-worthy without actually going on Pinterest.
Amscan Red Striped Reusable Paper Straws 24 Count
Keep a sleeve of clear cups for water and mixers. Not everything needs to be themed. These handle the utility drinks so your colored cups stay for the fun stuff.
Great Value Disposable Plastic Cups, Clear, 9 oz, 100 Count
Utensils and Coordinated Cutlery
Using random white forks from a fast food bag was my low point. Matching utensils cost almost nothing and they pulled the whole color scheme together.
Swap your mismatched forks for these. Twenty red forks cost less than a coffee and suddenly your utensil cup looks intentional instead of like a junk drawer.
Amscan Premium Plastic disposable-forks, 9 x 4.5 x 1
Pair blue knives with red forks if your team has two colors. It sounds small but the details are what separate ‘we showed up’ from ‘we showed OUT.’
Creative Converting 7 1/2" Pastel Blue Heavy Weight
Grab black spoons for dessert bowls. I set these next to a chili bar and the whole station looked like a tailgate you'd see on ESPN's pregame coverage.
Amscan Premium Heavy Weight Disposable-Spoons
Try the assorted pack so you get forks, knives, and spoons in one grab. Perfect for the person who always forgets one type and ends up eating coleslaw with a knife.
Amscan Assorted Plastic Cutlery | Orange Peel | Pack of 24
Use orange cutlery for Clemson, Tennessee, or any orange team. I laid these on black napkins and the contrast was so clean my dad took a photo of the table.
Creative Converting Emerald Green Plastic Forks, 24-Pack
Canopy and Tent Accessories
My canopy was a plain blue shelter that said nothing about game day. A few add-ons turned it into a home base people actually wanted to hang out under.
Start with a solid canopy if you don't have one yet. This one sets up in about two minutes and gives you the blank canvas to decorate. I've had mine for four seasons.
Ozark Trail, Pop Up Canopy Tent, 10x10, Simple Push Setup
Attach a sidewall and suddenly you have a backdrop for decorations and shade from the afternoon sun. Before this, wind kept blowing napkins off my table constantly.
Ozark Trail Shade Wall, 10' x 6' with Organizer Pockets
Use weight bags instead of chasing your canopy across the parking lot. Learned this the hard way when mine took flight during a gusty September game and nearly hit a stranger.
Weight Bags for Instant Canopy Frame 4PK
Clip this inside your canopy for evening games. Before I had lighting, we were eating in the dark by 6pm and someone sat in the potato salad. True story.
Ozark Trail Canopy and Canopy Brightz Light Bundle
Use these to attach banners, lights, and streamers to your tent frame. Way easier than zip ties because you can adjust and reuse them every week.
Customer reviews for Nite Ize Gear Tie 12-Inch Reusable
Coolers and Cold Storage in Team Style
A beat-up white cooler with duct tape on the handle was doing zero favors for my setup. Even just adding team stickers to a clean cooler changes the whole energy.
Get a cooler that actually holds ice for the whole game. My old one turned everything into lukewarm soup by halftime. This one kept drinks cold through a double-header.
Ozark Trail 26 Quart High Performance Roto-Molded
Grab the red version and it doubles as decor. I stacked two of these and they became part of the color scheme without me even trying.
Customer reviews for Coleman 24 Can Party Stacker Cooler
Keep a small one on the table for condiments and dips that need to stay cold. Nobody wants warm ranch dressing. Nobody.
Igloo 7 QT. Playmate Pal Cooler - Red
Toss this in a kid's wagon with their juice boxes and snacks. For the parent who's tired of digging through the main cooler every time someone wants a Capri Sun.
Ozark Trail 6-Can Soft-Sided Cooler with Removable Hard
Try the zipperless design if you're constantly opening and closing your cooler. The flip-top lid is so much easier when your hands are covered in barbecue sauce.
Titan Deep Freeze Zipperless Cooler Bag by Arctic Zone
Spirit Wear Accessories for the Crew
Getting everyone in matching gear felt impossible until I started buying cheap accessories in bulk. Now we roll in looking like a coordinated squad instead of random strangers.
Toss a red lei on everyone as they walk into your tailgate. It's a dollar per person and suddenly your group looks unified in every photo. Way cheaper than matching shirts.
Beistle Hawaiian Lei
Keep a stack of red bandanas in your setup box. People tie them around their necks, heads, or wrists. My uncle wore his as a pocket square with his polo and looked incredible.
Time and Tru Women's Western Star Bandana
Hand these to the loud friend in your group. They're going to yell anyway, might as well give them a prop. My cousin used one to announce every touchdown from the parking lot.
Beistle - Action! Cut! Megaphone - 6" - Pack of 12
Use face paint sticks for the kids (or the adults who act like kids). My 9-year-old painted a paw print on his cheek and refused to wash it off for two days.
Amscan Non-Toxic Green Body Paint, 0.7 oz Tube
Pair these with any dark team color. I gave them to my daughters and they started a cheer routine that entertained the entire row of tailgaters behind us.
Cheer Pom Poms, 12 Inch Metallic Silver Tinsel
Lighting and Ambiance for Night Games
Night games used to mean fumbling around in the dark trying to find the mustard. A few lights turned our setup from invisible to the brightest spot in the lot.
Clamp this to your canopy frame and angle it down at the food table. No more guessing if that's ketchup or hot sauce. Learned that lesson the spicy way.
TOUGH Definition & Meaning
Wrap a red LED strip around your tent poles and your whole setup glows in team colors. My neighbor asked if I was a professional event planner. I am a middle school teacher.
Xtreme Lit 10ft Indoor LED Strip Lights Kit
Keep a lantern on the table as backup lighting. When the battery on my strip light died at a playoff game, this saved us from eating brisket in total darkness.
Customer reviews for Energizer 360 Degree LED
Drape fairy lights along the top of your canopy for a warm glow that doesn't scream ‘construction site.’ For anyone who wants cozy vibes instead of interrogation room lighting.
Xtreme Lit, 25ft Indoor Multicolor LED Strip Lights Kit
Stick solar lights along the path to your setup so friends can find you. I lined four of them from the parking row to my tent and people followed them like a runway.
LiUMX Solar Deck Lights with Color Changing LED
Cleanup and Pack-Up Supplies
The worst part of tailgating is the aftermath. I used to shove everything in trash bags and sort it out Monday. These supplies made cleanup take ten minutes instead of forty.
Bring more bags than you think you need. I always underestimate how much trash a group of 15 adults can produce in four hours. Two bags is never enough.
Hefty Strong Large Trash Bags, Black, Made with 20% Post
Wipe down your tables and cooler lids before you pack up. Nobody wants to open a sticky cooler the following weekend. Future you will be grateful, trust me.
Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, 75 Count, Crisp Lemon Scent
Use painters tape to secure tablecloths, attach signs, and mark your spot. It peels off clean so you're not scraping adhesive residue off your canopy all winter.
ScotchBlue™ Original Painter's Tape 2090
Toss leftover condiment packets, small decor items, and utensils into slider bags. Keeps everything organized in your bin instead of loose and rolling around your trunk.
Hefty Slider Gallon Size Storage Bags
Keep all your tailgate gear in one tote. I labeled mine ‘GAME DAY’ and it lives in the garage ready to grab. No more running around the house Friday night looking for the banner.
Rubbermaid Roughneck 18-Gallon Box, Dark Indigo Metallic