Do you have a trophy case? If not, you should think about getting one. Trophies are a great way to show off your accomplishments and let everyone know that you’re the best at what you do. However, if you don’t want to spend the money on a trophy case, there are plenty of other alternatives that you can use. Discussed below are some of the best trophy alternatives you should use.
1. Gold-Plated Belt Buckle
Belt buckles are a lot cheaper than trophies, and they’re also a lot more versatile. You can wear your belt buckle anywhere – to work, on a date, at the gym – and no one will have any idea that it’s a trophy. Plus, a gold-plated belt buckle looks classy and professional – especially if you pair it with a nice suit or sports jacket. You can find a great gold-plated belt buckle at many novelty stores, but if for some reason you don’t want to purchase one from there, you can always make your belt buckle out of gold paper. Just print off an image of your choosing on some golden-colored paper, and then glue the printout onto the front of the belt buckle.
2. Medals
If you’re going to participate in any competition, some medals made up beforehand can serve as an excellent trophy alternative. Medals are cheap, easy to create, and require almost no effort on your part. All you have to do is design the medal yourself with a word processor or graphics program, print it off on some nice-looking paper, attach a ribbon to the back of the medal using tape or glue, and presto – you’ve got an award that anyone can be proud of. Just make sure that if you’re giving out medals in someone else’s name, they’re aware of what you’re doing. For example, during employee service awards, you can make medals for the best employees of the year in different departments.
3. Ribbons
Ribbons serve as a cheap trophy alternative that you can use for just about anything. You can place ribbons on your dog or cat to reward it for being a good boy, put them on your door whenever you sell something at a garage sale, and even pin them onto your backpack if you’re going through P.E. The possibilities are endless.
4. Professional Portrait
If you’re set on giving out some trophy, why not consider a professional portrait? A professionally done photo of yourself makes an excellent gift that anyone would be proud to display in their home or place of business. To find photographers near you who can take this kind of picture, try searching Google for “photographer” and the name of your city/state/country. Not only will the recipient love receiving this gift, but they’ll also want to thank you for your generosity personally.
5. Customized Coffee Mug
Coffee mugs are another great trophy alternative that you should take into consideration. They’re universally loved items, and everyone has at least one mug in their kitchen cabinet. If you don’t want to purchase a coffee mug, though, you can always make your own by gluing or taping on some paper onto the front of an ordinary mug. This is also a great way to personalize the trophy even more if you’re giving it out in someone else’s name.
6. Customized T-Shirt
Everyone loves wearing t-shirts that are personalized with funny or heartwarming messages on them. A customized t-shirt makes an excellent alternative for anyone who doesn’t feel like spending money on some trophy. All you have to do is design some nice text onto a blank shirt using Adobe Photoshop or a similar program. Print off that text onto a T-shirt transfer sheet, iron the shirt onto an ordinary white t-shirt, and you’ve got an award that anyone would be proud of.
7. Digital Photo Frame
Another great alternative for trophies is a digital photo frame. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have much money because nowadays you can find these kinds of frames at practically any department or electronics store for reasonable prices. Just print off some nice photos of the recipient onto photo paper, insert them into the digital frame, and you’ve got an award that everyone will admire.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to find a trophy alternative, any of the items mentioned above will serve as good alternatives. If none of them suit your taste and you still want an award, you can always make one yourself by purchasing a nice-looking plaque or trophy at your local arts and crafts store. Make sure that if you’re giving out these alternative gifts in someone else’s name, they’re aware.
