What to Do with Old Trophies: 8 Clever DIY Upcycling Ideas

1. Bottle Toppers

Wine is already a very cheerful creation, but with an added trophy topper, you will make the beverage presentation even more amazing. To upcycle trophies this way, you will need the top figurine parts of the trophy and standard corks. You will also need a drill to create a small hole in your cork tops so that you can securely attach the trophy parts. If you love functional table accessories, you might also enjoy turning trophy cups into vintage flower vases.

Tutorial

2. Coat Rack

Here is one clever way to upcycle trophies into practical wall decor. For this particular DIY project, you will need trophies with "human" or action figurine tops. You will also require a long wooden board, drill, clamp, nuts, washers, sandpaper, rags, and shellac finish. The basic idea is to make use of the trophy tops as sturdy hooks for your coat rack. Check out the link for the complete step-by-step how-to.

Here are the essential supplies you will need for this coat rack project:

Tutorial

3. Vintage Centerpieces

One cute way to upcycle trophies is to use them for storing or displaying other items around your home. Here, classic cup trophies serve as gorgeous flower vases or rustic wedding centerpieces. You will need the cup types of trophies for this particular DIY idea. The more vintage or tarnished the trophy cups look, the better they fit a vintage aesthetic.

Inspiration

4. Paper Maché Vase

This idea is basically similar to the previous DIY mentioned above, but instead of displaying the tarnished trophy cup in all its vintage glory, you will be covering it with pretty decorative paper or decoupage. You can do this if the trophy cup is not tarnished or vintage-y enough. This technique is especially useful if you can only find plastic trophies at your local thrift store.

Inspiration

5. Cupcake Stand

From trophy to cupcake stand? Why not? The best types of trophies for this dessert stand DIY project are the ones that are tall and substantial. If you can find trophy styles that feature wooden or metallic pillars, even better. For a matching party setup, pair this stand with trophy bottle toppers on your drink table.

Tutorial

6. Candle Holder

Here is another easy way to upcycle trophies for ambient lighting. To make this candle holder, you will need to remove the top figures of your trophies and attach the remaining base or columns upside down or right-side up to a sturdy foundation (such as a round wooden block or metal disc). Easy and elegant!

Inspiration

7. New Trophies

A no-brainer way to use old trophies: turn them into fresh, customized new awards! You can achieve this by embellishing them with paper, glitter, colorful spray paint, and custom labels. If you are organizing a game night, birthday party, or family competition where games are played, repurposing vintage trophies this way adds tons of fun and nostalgia.

Tutorial

8. Painted Modern Art

Last but not least is this easy idea to recycle trophies into modern decor objects. What you do is spray paint them in solid monochromatic shades—like matte black, crisp white, or bright gold—and then display them on a bookshelf or mantel. Easy, right? This is great if you love home decor accents that are bold and uniform in color.

Quick tips for modern painted trophy art:

Tutorial

I'm sure you have even more ideas for repurposing old trophies. If you cannot upcycle them all, consider inquiring whether you can donate trophies to special olympics local chapters or community centers. Don't hesitate to share your favorite project ideas with us! We'd love to learn about other ways to upcycle trophies here on All Women Stalk.