If your shelf is large and somewhat heavy, you may consider using screws and plastic drywall anchors to hang it instead of nails. Consider how you’d like to display your medals that can’t be hung from the hooks. Framing your medals or purchasing display stands could be a good option. Construct your own hanging shelf by screwing small hooks into the bottom of a wooden shelf. These hooks are small and can be attached by hand.
You can either hang the medals directly from wooden objects like baseball bats, or you can purchase small hooks that screw easily into wood by hand. These hooks can be found at most hardware stores. Cycling medals can even be displayed by hanging them from a tire rim that has been affixed to a wooden plank and hung from the wall! Tie medal ribbons to the blades of ice skates and hang them on the wall by the laces from a picture hook.
To add extra visual interest, consider painting the crib railing or hanging your medals at varying heights to create a unique pattern. Convert a tie rack to a medal hanger. The small hooks attached to the wood double perfectly as hooks from which to hang medals! Replace your Christmas tree ornaments with medals during the holidays. This can be a fun and creative way to display medals in an unexpected way!
Avoid using glue or staples, which can damage valuable military medals. Shadow boxes are also a great way to physically protect and preserve your medals. Consider following military protocol when arranging military medals in your shadow box. Medals that denote the highest honors are typically placed in the top left corner. [1] X Research source
This is a great option if you’d prefer not to hang your medals. The jar can be conveniently placed on a table or bookshelf. Consider adding a string of battery operated LED lights to your jar to light up your display! You can purchase these lights at stores such as Target in the home décor section.
If your medals are attached to ribbons, you can remove them or simply tuck them behind the medals. Coin cases are covered by glass and will protect your medals from dust! Consider arranging your medals by color or size in order to create an organized display.
Consider removing plaques from trophies with a flathead screwdriver to include in your collage. This is a nice way to display trophies in a compact way that doesn’t require shelf space. Only include medals that you don’t mind altering. You may not want to remove ribbons or pins from military medals that have historical value.
You can also repurpose an old frame that you may have lying around the house. You won’t need the glass front of the frame, so you can discard it. Consider painting your frame to match your medals or the walls in your house. After the frame backing has been covered with fabric, reattach it to the frame.
Be very careful when using the hot glue gun, as it can get very hot! You can accidentally burn yourself if you touch the tip of the gun or the glue. Place a paper plate or sheet of newspaper under the glue gun to protect your table while you are working. Once you’ve finished attaching your medals, allow the glue to dry and set completely, then hang your new medal collage in a special spot!
