Show Off Your Kids' Awards With Style

In this column we pick everyday household items and use them in new ways. Saving time and money creatively is the name of the game.

This week: Easy Award Stands

If you're a parent, by the time your child goes to college they'll have a ton of trophies and award plaques. There's the first t-ball plaque with an accompanying toothless photo. Then there's the science fair award and various art certificates--a trophy here, an award plaque there--and finally, the high school diploma. For your kids, it's a nonstop inflow of pats on the back; for you, it's a lifetime of memories and a lot of potential clutter.

The trophies come to you standing up and ready to be placed on a handy shelf. But what to do we do with all those plaques? 

Nail our walls full of holes? Buy plate and plaque holders at the craft store? A bunch of plaque holders bought for $2 to $3 each add up to some change. Here is a way to show off award plaques and framed works for free. With just two household items, you can stand everything up for pennies.

What You'll Need

• A paper or plastic cup, preferably a larger coffee-cup size, which are stronger and more stable. You can even recycle your coffee shop to-go cups.
• Clear shipping tape

Make Your Plaque Holders

• Pull off a piece of tape about one foot long and set it aside.
• Lay your plaque face-down on your working surface.
• Place the cup on its side with the open end lined up with the bottom of the award.
• Stick the tape around the middle of the cup and onto the back of the plaque.
• Trim off the extra lengths of tape along the back edges of the wood.
• Rub the attached tape against the cup and wood with your nail to make sure it's firmly attached.
• Turn the award over and place it on a shelf.

Your awards look great. They're all lined up and on display. The cups and tape are invisible when viewed from the front.  Laying back on the cups, the plaques look as though they're sitting on more expensive holders. And it didn't cost you anything.