Declutter Trophies and Medals The Easy Way

This post is all about how to declutter trophies and medals.

If you’re here, it’s likely because you, like me, are grappling with the challenge of too many trophies and medals in your life. You’re probably seeking simple ways to declutter them, right? I can relate! With two kids who’ve been active in sports since they were 5, and now at 14 and 15, our home is overflowing with trophies and medals!

Let’s be honest: while we all want to preserve these memories for our children, the truth is that these items often become a burden. How many of you have actually kept all the items your parents passed on to you from your childhood? These trophies and medals hold memories but also space and weight in our lives. But there’s hope in decluttering, a sense of relief that comes with freeing up space and lightening the load.

That’s why I made a decision some time ago. If I were to keep these keepsakes for my kids to enjoy when they grow up, I would find ways to organize and store them best. This way, we could truly appreciate and enjoy these items throughout the years. It’s important to preserve these memories, but it’s also crucial to do so in a way that doesn’t overwhelm us. And when the time comes to pass on the keepsakes to my kids, it will be something they can cherish and share with their kids, not a burden to deal with.

With that said, here is what I did to declutter trophies and medals in our home, how we keep the clutter under control moving forward, and suggestions on what to do with old, unwanted trophies and medals. 

How To Declutter Trophies And Medals

Here is the gist of what I did:

I removed the engraved parts of all the trophies and donated the actual trophy. Then, I removed the ribbon from the medals, kept only the medal part, and donated the ribbons. Last, I used glue dots to glue the plaques and medals to the sports photos it belonged to.

Declutter Trophies And Medals | The Steps

Step 1: Gather Supplies (supplies I used)

You will also need a chisel and a donation box.

Step 2: Create a Photo Album (if you don’t have one)

Step 3: Consolidate all trophies and medals in one area

Step 4: Purge

Decide which trophies and medals you want to keep intact and which ones you’re okay with holding, just the plaques and medals. Once you have sorted them, separate the ones you’ll keep intact (if any) from those you’ll remove plaques and medals from.

My kids wanted to keep only these intact. We kept only the plaque and medals for the rest.

Step 5: Remove Plaques and/or Ribbons

Use the chisel safely to remove the engraved plaques from each trophy. For the medals, just cut off the ribbon.

Some trophies didn’t need the chisel; I removed the plaque with my fingers. 

Step 6: How to glue the Plaques and medals

Once you have removed all the plaques from the trophies and cut off the ribbon from all the medals, line them all up on a table in order by year.

Then, I used the glue dots to apply the medals and plaques to their designated picture. (as shown in the photos below)

Initially, I added only one glue dot per medal, but later, I added two per medal, and that worked best.

Step 7: Insert into a sheet protector 

Gluing the plaques and medals to the photos should look like the picture below. Then, insert the finished product into a sheet protector. (as shown below)

And that is it! Repeat steps 6 & 7 until done.

This helped me eliminate several boxes of trophies and medals and a lot of clutter! However, we were still able to keep the parts that matter from each trophy and medal. They are also nicely displayed and organized so that we can enjoy them for many years!

Don’t Have A Photo Album? Here Are Some Ideas

1. If you have the sports photos handy, create a photo album with your child’s sports photos. Here, I show you how I made my kids’ photo albums.
2. If you don’t have a picture that pertains to the trophy and medals, take a picture of your child holding each trophy and medal and use that picture in place of their team photo for the year the trophy/medal belongs to.
3. Don’t want to take pictures? You can use cardstock paper instead. Use glue dots to secure the plaque and medal to the cardstock paper in order by year.

How To Decide What Is Worth Keeping

I had my kids pick their favorite trophies, which we displayed in their bedrooms. I was surprised to see them pick only a couple, and they were okay with letting go of the rest.

So, what is worth keeping is up to you and your kiddo. But keep in mind that if you keep everything, then nothing is actually special. Give it some thought and keep only the very best!

Suggestions for What To Do With New Awards

This system is relatively new to us. However, we plan to have a designated space in our kids’ bedrooms to display their trophies and medals for a year. After a year, we’ll reconsider keeping the trophies intact or just the plaques and medals. This thoughtful decision will significantly reduce the clutter, allowing us to maintain a clean and organized space while cherishing the memories associated with the trophies and medals. Every so often, we will revisit the trophy and/or medal they kept intact and make sure they still want to keep them. We will remove the plaques/medals and add them to their photo albums if they don’t. Otherwise, they’ll remain in their room. This flexible plan can be adjusted based on the children’s preferences and our evolving needs.

Suggestions For Where To Donate

Once you decide what trophies, medals, etc., you’re getting rid of, you will have to determine what you’re doing with them all. I do not recommend just throwing them in the trash. Here are a few ideas on ensuring they don’t end up in a landfill somewhere.

• Check your local trophy shops and see if any will take them or if they know where you can recycle them near your area. Many trophy shops will take these items as donations. They refurbish and resell them. To ensure privacy, remove your information from medals, trophies, etc., before donating them.
• Consider donating them to awardsmall.com. This website, which I discovered online, charges a $20.00 flat recycling fee, which includes 25 trophies. They accept gently used trophies, awards, and medals, which are then recycled, reused, and regifted to non-profits nationwide. By donating to awardsmall.com, you’re disposing of your trophies responsibly and contributing to a good cause. Visit their website to see if this is a suitable option for you.
• Call your local recycling facilities and check if they accept them for recycling. 

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This post was all about how to declutter trophies and medals.

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