Deciding what do with items left behind by passed loved ones can be tough.
As much as you cherish those items, it’s sometimes difficult to find room to display them -- so often times, the end result is simply placing them in storage.
Take trophies and various other types awards, for example. If they aren’t especially sentimental to you, a local thrift shop may opt to take them off your hands. Or, depending on the material of the trophies, you could also turn them into scrap metal.
But if you do decide to keep them, fear not! You don’t need to box these away or simply place them on a shelf that’s already packed full; rather, you can simultaneously enhance your space in a meaningful way.
Here are some creative ways to display trophies and awards in your home – and they all start with one concept: Thinking outside the box.
Trophies
*note: These ideas will work for loving cup trophies rather than more contemporary-style ones.
- Use them as vases or planters
You can use that cool, old-school trophy as a unique vase or planter and give it purpose again. Pick out a pretty floral arrangement to pack in there for a statement piece guests are sure to notice.
If you’ve got a handful of trophies, mix it up and place a few next to each other. Mix different types of house plants and flowers – if the trophy's owner has passed, perhaps go with his or her favorite floral arrangement.
- Restore the trophy-sport connection
Is it a sports trophy your grandfather left behind? If it's a baseball trophy, go ahead and pile some baseballs inside (if there's enough room, of course).
You can do the same thing with tennis balls, for example, or perhaps even a football.
Get creative! Place them on a shelf or simply a side table in your living room. These would also make for great decor in a home office.
- Use them to hold your utensils.
Kitchen utensils, writing utensils, painting utensils … you name it.
Forget the generic utensil crocks from your local retail store. A nice trophy can fit right in with a kitchen, a home office or craft area and be a neat display for anything that fits inside.
Medals
- Make a collage
Fashion together a creative display by taking a few medals and fitting them inside a frame or glass display, alongside other relevant items like ribbons or plaques.
If the medals belong to a loved one who has since passed, try to work in a photo of that person doing what they loved.
- Hang them on a drying rack
This provides a more unique way to display medals than simply lining them up next to one another, while also bringing a rustic feel into the space.
Substituting the drying rack with crib railing also works out nicely.
