Looking for a unique way to thank your softball coach at the end of the season? Follow this tutorial and find tips to create a DIY bucket seat for the awesome softball coach (or dad coach in our case) for a job well done!
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In baseball and softball, there can be a lot of action on the field, but there’s also plenty of down time (literally) in the dugout.
On hot days or cool afternoons alike, you can usually find some coaches trying to find a place to pop a squat and not get in the way of the players in the dug out. They can often find a bucket filled with balls to sit on, so why not make that a little more comfy with a DIY bucket seat?!
DIY Bucket Seat Supplies:
- 5 Gallon White Bucket (note: there is a warning label in a not so ideal place so you might have to spin yours for the best front placement)
- 5 Gallon Bucket Seat (there are plenty of DIY bucket tutorials over on pinterest but we went for this snap on one through Amazon and it fits perfectly, available in several colors and prints!)
- Oracal 651 Vinyl
- Cricut machine (we cut these on my friend’s Explore Air 2)
- Cricut Basic Tool Set (you’ll need your weeding hook and scraper for this one)
- Transfer Tape
To reiterate, you will need Oracal 651 Vinyl for this project as it’s waterproof and will help keep your vinyl on longer. You can find this in rolls or flat sheets. For this softball design, we opted for yellow, blue and red.
Cut out your designs and weed them. Use transfer tape to apply onto the bucket. Tips:
- Lay your bucket on a couch between two cushions to help keep it stable as you add the designs
- Be mindful of the design you’re adding as this is a curved surface. You make need to cut your transfer tape as you apply to get it on smoothly
- Don’t be afraid to use that scraper and really work out the air bubbles!
Once complete, snap on your bucket seat and it’s ready to gift! This DIY Bucket Seat becomes a seat and storage in one! We often goof that it’s basically a man purse for softball coaches since they put their glove, keys, wallet, lineup sheets, and anything else in this personalized piece in the dugout.
Since my hubby is a coach too, I made him one for Father’s day that we just gifted this Sunday. These DIY Bucket seats are also great for those who have to catch for their kids during pitching practice. It saves everyone’s knees!
Looking for more Softball Coach ideas? Consider framing a team photo and having the kids sign it before gifting. This is the Custom Picture Frames Hoyt frame which is a light grey distressed wood and can easily go in any office space. They graciously printed these 11×14 design and it included a non glare acrylic piece on front to protect after the team all signed it.
UPDATE: You can now grab this design in a 11×14 or 8×10 frame and add your own team photo in the center, via this listing on my etsy shop!
More Softball Gift Ideas
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