Whether your kid is a scholar or a sports star, they have perhaps amassed collections of awards and trophies celebrating their track, soccer, debate, martial arts, equestrian, and dance achievements.
Even though these hard-earned rewards are an honor and source of pride, they can create clutter with time. Rather than surrendering to the collection of medals and figurines slowly taking over, make maximum use of your display areas.
Create a somewhat conspicuous place
Most schools proudly showcase trophies in glass-front cases, chronologically—old trophies in the back and most recent ones in front. While you may lack adequate space to house a full-size award case, you can have a slightly similar effect using a repurposed furniture piece.
You can easily convert a curio cabinet or china closet bought from a thrift store or salvaged from the attic to an award-display space.
If you choose to place the cabinet in your child’s room, paint its wood trims according to the bedroom décor. You can also apply mirrors or metallic paint behind its shelves for light reflection. The reflection will make the old trophies sparkle.
Have a wall of fame
If your kid has been actively participating in sports or club activities for years, their award assortment may be extensive. However, you don’t have to display all of them at once; prioritize their most prized trophies.
Therefore, mount a shelf unit on the wall. Depending on your space, it can contain long and narrow shelves or short wider shelves. Alternatively, you can mold a plate rail on your walls, approximately 20 inches from your ceiling board, working around your vents, doors, and windows.
Note: always be mindful of the weight the shelf units will carry when installing the hardware.
Then display the trophies according to their order of importance. Custom trophies engraved with your child’s name and type of achievement are suitable for this arrangement. They are pretty self-explanatory, meaning that your guests will quickly read the achievements. Besides, they’ll help you get through the sorting and arrangement effortlessly.
Be creative; tell a tale
Perhaps, your child’s award collection attests to the time they dedicated in a science laboratory, pool, or on the court playing basketball. To come up with a personal and distinctive display, use vignettes alongside the awards that showcase your kid’s activity.
Therefore, you can display these old trophies, mementos, and equipment in a shadowbox or bookcase. For example, if your child was a star pitcher, you can display their trophies with mitts and baseballs. On the other hand, if they were goalies, you could use hockey pucks and ice skates. And lastly, if they played as quarterbacks, place footballs and helmets.
Using framed photos is highly important since it adds interest to displayed trophies.
It is worth noting that creating a tale can serve as a motivating aspect. For example, your kid might have lost interest in a particular sport due to poor performance or lack of motivation. Reminding them who they were or how they used to perform can inspire them to join the sport again. Besides, it can also boost their self-confidence in other areas of life.
Display on functional décor
When your child’s room or display room is short on space, you can always use awards as functional décor. Showcase trophies on windowsills and dressers; however, rather than allowing them to gather dust and debris, make the trophies function as beautiful catchalls.
For instance, hang lanyards, necklaces, key chains, and bracelets on tall trophies. On the other hand, place small items such as rings, change, and buttons in trophy cups. If your bookcase space doesn’t allow trophy display, display them on the shelves, allowing them to serve as bookends.
Create a nook in your walls
If the number of trophies is overwhelming, cut into your wall and create a cabinet or recessed shelf between the wall cavity studs to accommodate the trophies.
A recessed shelf will allow you to display the awards without consuming any floor space in your rooms.
These are some of the creative ways to display old trophies. Before selling, donating, or throwing away old trophies, consider implementing some of these strategies. After all, trophies attest to your child’s efforts and should therefore be treasured.