15 Creative Ways To Repurpose Old Trophies And Medals Around The House

Throughout the years, you and your family may compete or participate in many different sports events, activities, school festivals, and more. In many cases, you may go home with a medal or trophy showing off that achievement. However, like many other people, you may find yourself never really doing anything with these awards. While you may be tempted to throw or donate it, there's no need to do so. Instead, from converting into hanging hooks to using as coasters, check out these 15 creative ways of repurposing old trophies and medals around your house.

Before repurposing your old trophies and medals, there are some things you need to prepare for. First, many of these reusing hacks involve painting, taking apart sections, loosening and tightening screws, gluing, and being creative in general. Some projects may require additional materials like pieces of wood, string, ribbons, and other decorative elements. You'll also want to clean or polish these trophies and medals, since most of these ways involve turning it into decor or a functional item. The best way to clean a metal trophy or medallion is with a professional cleaner, like Brasso's multi-purpose metal cleaner, or a homemade solution of soap and water. Refrain from rubbing hard or using rough materials to avoid damaging the metal. With your supplies gathered and your awards now clean, you can get to repurposing.

Are you tired of all your papers flying when you have a fan or the AC on? There is no need to toss your old trophies when you can easily use them as desk paperweights. Many medals and trophies are heavy enough to stop loose paper from flying around. Plus, it is a great way to still show off your achievement in an office or workspace. You can easily keep it as it is or paint it whatever color that complements your room's look.

Medals are a great DIY to make beautiful wind chimes from repurposed household items. For this craft, you'll want to get some round metal wind chime tubes, string, and any other decorative supplies like beads. You can use your medal as the top base by drilling holes around the border for the string to pass through or you can swing the award at the bottom under the tubes. Attach the completed wind chime to a hook outside on a front porch or even a birdhouse and let the wind play some music. 

A cool way to hold coats, bags, and other items is to turn your trophy tops into a hanging rack with hooks. This project will require you to unscrew the top of the award. In most cases, it will be a figurine of some sort, making the perfect hook. Take the topper and screw it on a flat piece of wood. Make a row of about four or five. Once done, add hooks on the back of the board and then hang it up in a kids room, man cave, or by your front door.

Never forget about your big wins by either displaying them in a lighted display case or by adding name and achievement plaques and medals into a shadow box. A lighted display case is a fast, elegant way to create a large statement piece in your home. On the other hand, a medal and plaque shadow box is a great way to visualize the achievement when you add photos and other decorative items. This is a creative method to use all those extra sporting and competition photos and ribbons you have stored in a box in your closet.  

Did you only pop off the plaque of your trophy to use for another DIY? There's no need to toss the rest, because you can create a stunning bookend on a budget by repurposing your old awards. Simply remove the front plaque and spray paint the trophy a color that matches your home's aesthetic. Once dried, you can then set it against your books, keeping them upright and organized. You could even keep it in its original gold finish, making it look like an elegant sculpture on your bookshelf.

An easy way to always cherish your family's achievements is by turning your old medals into Christmas tree ornaments. For this hack, all you need to do is remove the attached ribbon with pliers or scissors and then add a ribbon or ornament hook for it to gracefully hang on your tree. If you don't have twine or hooks, cut and shorten the medal's ribbon and then tie it back together.

Make someone feel extra special by taking your old trophies and making them a personalized gift. This is an amazingly thoughtful idea for Mother's Day, Father's Day, or even a loved one's birthday. For this project, you'll take apart multiple trophies, remove plaques, gather the other supplies you want for the trophy, and paint it. With your supplies in hand, you will then create a one-of-a-kind trophy, showing how much you appreciate that person. 

Calling all wine lovers, this is a DIY that you'll love. Keep your opened bottles fresh with a wine bottle topper made from the tops of your trophies. For this project, you'll want to unscrew the top section from the base or column. Then, take an unused cork and drill a hole in the center. With your trophy topper, you will twist it into the hole until it is all the way in. That's all it takes to create a DIY bottle topper that works swimmingly as unique presents or even for your bar.

Hold all the items on your refrigerator with a simple medal magnet DIY. To create a photo and paper holder out of your medallions, you need to find magnets that are strong enough to hold the weight of your award. Since you may have multiple different sized and weighted medals, it is best to have various sized magnets on hand. Once you have the right materials, you'll need to glue them to the back of the medal and let it dry. After drying, it is good to go on the refrigerator.

Big open trophies are the perfect example of common household items you can turn into beautiful planters. There are two ways to achieve this: either by adding drainage holes or keeping the trophy as it is. To transform your trophy into a plant pot with holes, you'll need to drill a few spots in the bottom to help drain excess water. You also can use the trophy as it is and just plant directly inside it for clean indoor planting; however, it is important to keep up your plant maintenance so you have thriving greenery. 

Create cool, DIY coasters to protect your wood furniture out of old medals. This is another quick project that you can easily accomplish with all your old flat awards. First, you'll need to purchase cork mats that will go under your medallion. Take your medal and remove the attached ribbon. Then, adhere the cork to the bottom of the achievement. Wait for it to dry and then cut away any cork sections that are sticking out. 

Elevate the way you display snacks at parties by creating a serving tray out of trophies. There are a couple of ways to achieve this project. First, if you have a trophy cup, you can glue on a serving tray on top. The second way you can complete this task is by unscrewing the topper. With the flat piece on the trophy exposed, you will glue the dinnerware on top. Either keep it this way or adhere the head piece in the middle of the tray, creating a cool decoration piece, especially for a sports-themed party.

Create beautiful dining table centerpieces that will look good all year long by repurposing your old trophies. This is a great budget-friendly vase replacement if you ever find yourself in a pinch. For this hack, take out your bowl-shaped trophy and give it a good clean. You can either place a fake floral arrangement inside, or add water and set in fresh flowers. Once you have the centerpiece completed, place it on a table in a dining room or on a coffee table.

Never lose your keys again by turning your old medals into keychains. To make this trick simple, all you need to do is get a small key ring and put your house or car keys on it. Then you'll attach that ring into the top hole section of your medal where the ribbon usually sits. You can then throw it in your purse and bag or hang it on a wall hook, making it easy to find your keys every time. You can also remove the existing ribbon and replace with whatever ribbon or twine you prefer.

Remember all your family's achievements by creating the perfect gallery wall out of your awards. For this project, it is best done when you have a large wall space you need filled up. Start by creating any shadow boxes or picture frames that you want to display. Then, you should get some kind of shelf or rod that perfectly displays your trophies and medals. After some meticulous measuring and careful straightening, you'll have an amazing gallery wall showing off your successes.