Creative ideas for old trophies: space-saving DIY collage tutorial
Do you have boxes of old trophies and medals collecting dust? I completely understand the struggle. When my husband’s mother told him to take home his two crates of childhood sports trophies, we were faced with a dilemma! He wanted to honor and display those achievements, but I didn’t want to display huge trophies throughout our small home.
After brainstorming creative ideas for old trophies, I came up with a display solution that compressed medals and trophies into a beautiful, space-saving, wall-mounted collage. But I am also sharing other creative ideas for repurposing old trophies and medals in this post, as well as donation options.
My DIY Solution: Trophy, medal, and awards collage frame
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When my husband brought home those two crates, I knew we needed a solution that would make him happy (keeping his achievements visible) and make me happy (not living in a trophy museum). Here’s what I came up with.
The Concept
Instead of keeping bulky trophies, I removed just the meaningful parts, which are the engraved plaques and medals, and created a collage in a painted vintage/thrifted frame. The result: two crates filled with old trophies became one collage piece of framed art. Same memories, 95% less space used.
It’s been hanging in our home for over a decade, and it’s actually become a conversation piece in his man-cave. My husband loves it.
The Backstory
Ever since our wedding 20 years ago, I have been faced with the problem of what to do with my husband’s huge collection of sports paraphernalia. He had been collecting all kinds of stuff like athletic accomplishments, baseball/football cards, Sports Illustrated magazines. He was under the impression that we would display everything in the man cave. This actually made me laugh at first, and then I wanted to cry! If I displayed everything that he and I love, our house would look like we could be on the show Hoarders.
With a decluttering mindset, we were able to come to a compromise.
He had 2 crates full of trophies, medals, and plaques stored in his mother’s attic. As a typical empty-nester mom, she was sick of keeping all his sports memorabilia and told him to take everything home. He actually thought we’d display them all! He is so attached to his sports past.
Materials needed
- thrifted frame (or you could use a large taxidermy display case, or a large shadow box frame
- fabric to cover the back
- red, white, and blue craft acrylic paint or any other color (I chose this color combo to match his small medal ribbons)
- primer
- antiquing glaze
- fabric
- staple gun
- glue gun
- chisel
Step-by-Step Tutorial
I had seen some projects where people spray-painted old trophies glossy white, but that doesn’t solve the space issue. And his trophies weren’t nice shapes either. I had to come up with something that would display his medals and trophies in a small space. Let me show you what I did…
Step 1: Find a frame
I went thrift shopping and found a homemade frame with a wooden back—perfect for this project. (You could also buy a shadow box frame, which already has fabric backing, or a taxidermy display case.) The key is having a frame with good depth and a solid backing you can attach things to.
Step 2: Cover the backing with fabric
Remove the backing from your frame. This will be your canvas.
Stretch your fabric over the back of the frame. Then staple the fabric tightly on the back with your staple gun. Pull it taut as you go to avoid wrinkles. I chose a gray fabric that I already had on hand. (Choose a fabric that complements your home decor!)
Step 3: Paint the frame (optional)
This is where you can personalize the project. My idea to paint the frame in red, white, and blue came from the fact that my husband liked the old red, white, and blue ribbon that was left on one of his old medals. If you also choose to paint your frame the same way, here is what I did:
- Lightly sand and clean the frame with a degreaser like Krud Kutter
- Apply spray primer and let dry
- Give it a coat of white spray paint and let it dry
- Tape off your stripes (For crisp stripes, use painter’s tape and check out my tutorial on painting crisp stripes here)
- It is now easiest to paint the red and blue stripes by hand with paint and a brush. (Or you can use spray paint, but you have to make sure to cover the other dried colors with more tape.)
- Optional: Apply antiquing glaze for a vintage look (My daughter thought I was “ruining” the pretty colors, but it gave it the perfect aged character to match the aged ribbon of the medal!)
You could also paint it in school colors, team colors, or neutrals to match your room.
Step 4: Assemble your frame
Place the fabric-covered backing into your painted frame and secure it. Add hanging hardware to the back if needed.
Step 5: Remove trophy plaques
Have your family member go through their trophies and choose which achievements they want to keep in the display. Then use a chisel or flat-head screwdriver to gently pry off the small engraved plaques.
Most plaques are just glued on, especially older ones, so they pop right off. A few might be screwed on, and you can just unscrew them. Clean them slightly if needed, but I recommend keeping the natural patina for character.
Step 6: Prep your medals
Remove any torn or faded ribbons from the medals. Keep ribbons that are still in good condition if they add to the display.
Step 7: Create your layout
Before gluing anything down, lay out your plaques and medals on the fabric-covered backing. Move pieces around until you find an arrangement you love. I overlapped some plaques and scattered medals throughout for visual interest.
Pro tip: Take a photo of your final layout so you remember where everything goes!
Step 8: Attach everything
For plaques: Use hot glue on the back and press firmly onto the fabric. Hold for a few seconds until secure.
For medals: Thread pinning needles through the ribbon holes, then push the needle through the fabric from the front. On the back, bend the needle and tuck it into the fabric to secure.
Step 8: Find a spot to hang or display the collage
Once everything is glued and secured, you can hang it up or lean it on a dresser or bookshelf.
This small frame uses a lot less space than those 2 filled crates, and we’re both happy with the results.
Why this works so well
- Massive space savings: Two crates → one frame
- All the memories preserved: Names, dates, achievements are still visible
- Actually looks good: It’s wall art, not clutter
- Makes both people happy: He kept his accomplishments, I got my space back
- Becomes a conversation piece: Visitors always ask about it
Variations you could try
- Paint the frame in school colors or team colors instead of patriotic
- Create multiple smaller frames for different sports or family members
- Add photos from the competitions between the plaques
- Include jersey numbers, patches, or other memorabilia
- Group plaques by year or achievement level
- Use the old medal ribbons as part of the fabric backing (spread them out as a colorful striped backdrop over the fabric)
More creative ideas for old trophies, medals, and awards
Not ready to take trophies and achievements apart? Here are other space-saving display options my family uses:
Medal display board
My daughter wanted her medals visible without taking over her room. We mounted a simple wooden board on her wall with decorative hooks. It takes up about 2 square feet but displays 20+ medals. See how we did this in her teenage bedroom.
Sports memorabilia wall and shelves
My son prefers keeping trophies intact. He has Ikea shelves to display his awards and medals alongside his collection of soccer patches that are hanging on flag banners.
We created a whole wall in my son’s room with his medals, world flags, and his favorite soccer team patches. It tells his athletic story without requiring dozens of trophies. Check out his sophisticated boys’ room setup.
Man cave feature wall
In addition to the collage I created, we chose to display my husband’s Sports Illustrated collection on the walls behind our sectional sofa in the man cave. Check out our basement man cave.
More ways to repurpose old trophies
If you want to get really creative, here are other projects that give trophies new life:
Wine bottle toppers
Remove the small figures from trophy tops. Drill a small hole in a tapered cork, screw the figure into it, and add super glue to secure. Such a cute gift idea for wine lovers.
Coat hooks
Mount trophy toppers to a wooden plank to create whimsical hooks for coats, bags, or towels. Perfect for a mudroom, kid’s bathroom, or mancave.
Planters
Trophy cups or bowls can make adorable planters for succulents or other small plants. Either drill drainage holes in the bottom or use them for air plants. You can group several together on a bookshelf.
Desk paperweights
If you don’t want to use the actual trophy itself as a paperweight because it is too large, remove the plaque and add it to a rock or acrylic paperweight.
Christmas ornaments
Remove small trophy toppers, drill a hole through the top, add a ribbon, and you are done. These make unique family ornaments that represent memorable achievements.
Quick FAQ
Usually not. Modern trophies have minimal scrap value. Exceptions: Pre-1960s solid metal trophies or sterling silver pieces (check for hallmarks). Really old trophies might be worth taking to a pawn shop or scrap metal dealer. Better option: donate to qualified nonprofits like Repeat Champions Foundation for a tax deduction.
Use a flat-head screwdriver or chisel to gently pry them off. Most are just glued on (especially older ones). Some are screwed on—just unscrew them.
That varies by location! Always call your local store first before dropping them off.
The simplest option is donation. Or just select your favorite 3-5 trophies to display on a shelf and donate the rest.
If your kids are now adults and they don’t want them, it’s okay to let them go. Take photos first if you want to preserve the memory.
Where to donate old trophies (if you can’t or don’t want to keep them)
After all the customized parts and name tags of your trophies have been removed, it’s time to think about recycling the entire bin of trophies if they are in good condition. Did you know there are non-profit organizations, refurbishing programs, charities, schools, and companies that actually refurbish and reuse old leftover trophies? It’s definitely better to give them new life than to throw them in the trash. This way, you also have a positive impact on communities in need.
- Sports Medal Recycling is a group of athletes that recycles extra, unused, or no-longer-wanted medals. The recycling proceeds are used to make donations to non-profit fundraising minimums for road race bibs or charity endurance event entries.
- Total Awards & Promotions is a non-profit that will recycle and refurbish your trophies and then donate those rebuilt new trophies to nonprofits nationwide.
- medals4mettle will take your earned endurance marathon, half-marathon, or triathlon medals and reuse/donate them to kids and adults fighting debilitating diseases and illnesses.
- Lamb Awards & Engraving’s trophy recycling program will find new homes for old trophies. Or will either donate matching sets to charities in need or break the trophies down for parts. Email them for more information and details.
- the Salvation Army and Goodwill may take your gently used trophies but they all have different rules according to the area you live in, so call first.
- local schools may have use for them which you can also find out if you contact them first
(Call your local recycling programs and facilities for ideas and tips that I didn’t list)
Final thoughts
Those trophies represent real achievements, hours of practice, and family memories. But the memory lives in you, not in the trophy. When my husband looks at his collage, he remembers the games, the teammates, the pride, without having a cluttered home.
Whether you create a display like mine, donate to programs that help kids, or find your own creative solution, the goal is the same: honor the achievement while making your space work for your life today.
More affordable DIY wall art ideas
If you enjoyed creating this trophy display, you might also like these wall art tutorials:
- DIY watercolor wall art using an app
- DIY brush stroke art for modern abstract decor
- Geometric wood wall art that I made for indoors and our fence
- Long narrow wall art using combed macrame yarn and embroidery floss
- How to hang a plate on a wall for vintage charm
Do you have another creative idea for displaying or repurposing old trophies? Share in the comments below!
Thanks for the visit. I’m off to get rid of some more clutter.
Tschüß,
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this great idea !
And thank you for stopping by my blog!
Your blogs are totally worth giving time and energy.
crystal trophies
Well, thank you so much!
I like this idea! You can also take the little guys on the top of the trophies, remove them and make wine/bottle stoppers!!! 🙂
I would really like to know how to do this.
so I love the idea but the real reason I am posting is that I am from Bethlehem and the ‘crate’ is from Allentown I thought that was pritty amazing being all of the links I could have clicked….also you are german yes? living in the states…my friend is American living in Germany and she has a blog….Life and Death in Franconian Village by Laura Libricz..just little coincidences…in the big, yet very small world we live in. Oh and on the trophys I have 3 just barley adult kids with lots of trophys so I shall be busy.
Thanks Betsy!
I know it’s a small world 😉 and it just so happens that I’m also from Franconia! Not kidding! I checked out your friends blog and she lives around Nürnberg right? That’s about an hour away from where I am from. She wrote her first historical fiction novel and I love historical fiction! How exciting! I think I may just read it when I’m finished with my current historical fiction book which also plays in Franconia!
Talk to you soon!
Good luck with your project!
This is gettin really weird…you are from Franconia, yes she lives in Mailach. Yes check out her book, you will enjoy it.I got the okay from my children to rmove theur names and make a trophy frame. I will then try and donate the trophys to a local organization.
Love it.
What about donating the trophies to your local rec department or Boys and Girls club for them to reuse? They could add their own name plates. Love this idea!!!!
I did check into that but my husbands trophies weren’t in good shape at all.
Wow – you turned the ugly things into an amazing and interesting decoration! Love it! http://lynettesphotoart.blogspot.com
Thanks Lynette
oh！great！ idea is super friendly, knowledgeable, and they’re able to do a lot of different plaques, trophies, awards. Here is a sample “About Me” page that answers these questions. I love this post, lots of great info!Thank for sharing.
Perfect. Funny that he can’t let go of the “bodies”.
Thanks Karen. I know, isn’t it?
Wow great idea for medals! This is moving to the top off my project list this weekend!
Wow great idea for medals! This is moving to the top off my project list this weekend!
Glad you like it.
Great idea! I have a ton of gymnastics trophies and scouting awards and I think I am going to do this for myself.
Hi Sophie, good luck with your project!
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Just came across this- love the idea! Did you ever post what you did with the baseball cards and Sports Illustrated magazines???
I have been wanting to but we’ve had issues with our basement and I didn’t want to take pictures in the mess. But I will hopefully get to it this fall when I’m going to redo the basement a little.
Ok great- I will look forward to the ideas! Stumbled upon your blog today looking for ideas for mine and my hubby’s old trophies, medals, etc! And now I have been all over your blog posts- love them!!!
Thank you so much! That made my day, because it’s been one of those frustrating ones 😉
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Very wise words. I implore I can be the religious mom, my offspring needs to grow up having so that others can see God from side to side her and not the planet.
Fabulous idea! I am pinning. Kari
Good luck!
My fiancé and I were just talking about what to do with trophies and this looks great!
How did your husband get the plaques with the names on them? They look tough to get off and we’re hoping it’s something we can manage!
I guess I should clarify a bit, how did he get the plaques off? If you could clarify on that process a bit that would be fantastic! Thank you for sharing this awesome idea!!
Hi, we just used a screw driver or speckling knife to get under the plaques on the trophies and pried them off. Since most of them are only glued on and the glue was old, it was really easy. Some of them were screwed on and we just screwed them off.
Hope that helps and let me know if you have any more questions.
Ok, great! That shouldn’t be too bad (hopefully ha). Thank you so much!
This is a great way to store your collection of trophies. When I was a kid I collected a lot of awards through scouting, sports, and school. I am definitely going to try this out.
Absolutely the best idea ever! Thank you!
Thank you!
Julia, this is a great idea!!
Thank you!
love to see how you make so many things from what you have.Love it
Thank you Shirley!
The only “change” I would make is instead of painting the Red white and blue, I would actually use the old ribbons you removed and spread them out as the backdrop and mount the medals on top
How did you get the plaques off of the actual trophy it self?Mine seem to be super glued on and I don’t want to break them off.
Mine just popped right off
I love the idea of combining all of my old trophies into one case. This would make it really easy to show. I am definitely going to try this idea for my trophies and my children’s trophies.
Have you ever come across lead crystal plaques that are either broken or no longer useful? Any thoughts on how to repurpose those? I have about 10 that are either broken are just “NO” but feel guilty throwing them away.
thanks:)
Thank you SOOOOOO MUCH for this idea!!!! Now I can get all those dusty trophies off my shelf!!!!
SO glad you like it
Love, love, love this idea. I have all kinds of heirloom academia medals for me and hockey medals and trophies for my boys. I love the red, white and blue. Fantastic job and great inspiration!
Thanks so much I’m glad you like it and good luck.
This is such a great idea and it looks awesome!
Julia I just LOVE this project!!!! Every woman that is married to a guy with two crates of tropies that his mom saved since kindergarten thanks you! 🙂
What a wonderful idea! We have boxes of my husband’s trophies in the attic—I’m so doing this! Thank you!
Oh good luck Michele, I’m glad you like it.
Love this idea..Thank you for all the good ideas you post.