Creative Ideas for Displaying Winning Fair Ribbons

If you or your children participate in county and state fair activities, 4-H events, horse shows, or even some school activities, you likely have countless red, white, and blue (as well as some gold or purple perhaps) fair ribbons lying around. These keepsakes and reminders of winning projects are too precious to trash, but aren't exactly easy to display, especially if you have dozens or even hundreds. If you have boxes of winning fair ribbons just taking up space in your home, try one of these ideas for creating a true keepsake out of your winning fair ribbons.

Create a quilt, pillow, or wreath. To make a functional piece out of your old fair ribbons, consider creating a quilt, pillow, or wreath. There are several companies and individuals out there that specialize in making these unique fabric pieces from your favorite fair ribbons. Check out some of the designs offered here and here. Or if you have some sewing skills (maybe some of those ribbons were won for sewing projects!) you can come up with your own pattern and create your own functional fabric keepsake out of your fair ribbons.

Scrapbook. Fair ribbons make a great background for a scrapbooking page. Use tacky glue or decoupage medium to adhere ribbons securely to cardstock scrapbooking pages. Cover the entire scrapbook page with the ribbons (you can use one color for a solid look or create a simple pattern using two or more colors) then add your photos as desired. This use for old fair ribbons allows you to create a keepsake of the ribbons along with photos of the events themselves, all in one neat item.

Decoupage. Since fair ribbons are created with a stiff fabric they work great for decoupage. To create this project using your old fair ribbons, first choose an item to decoupage: a wooden box, a table, a small wooden chair, etc. Arrange your ribbons on the item being sure to overlap them to cover the entire surface. Then use a strong decoupage medium (outdoor Mod Podge works great) to adhere the ribbons securely to the piece and sealing them in place. You may have to cut up a few ribbons to adequately fill in small spaces on the item. Your decoupage piece, created with old fair ribbons, is sure to become a conversation piece and will be a lovely keepsake of all those awards.

Fair ribbons are indicative of hard work and a job well done, but they aren't the easiest things to display. Use one of these unique ideas to make sure your fair ribbons, or your child's fair ribbons, are displayed proudly, and creatively.