How to Hang Your Medals

Co-authored by Hunter Rising

Last Updated: March 7, 2023 References

Whether you’ve earned them for achievements or completing service, medals make great decorations and talking pieces in your home. If you want to display your medals on your walls, there are many ways you can hang them up. Sports medals tend to have longer ribbons, so putting them on hooks can give your room a striking appearance. For a smaller military medal or if you want additional protection, securing the medal in a shadow box frame can give it a clean and professional look.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Displaying Medals on Hooks or Racks

1
Use nails if you want a quick and easy solution. Drive the nail into the wall stud with a hammer so about 1 inch (2.5 cm) extends out from the wall. Hang the medal directly from the nail by its ribbon. If you want to clearly display all your medals, try putting nails in a long row with 3 inches (7.6 cm) between them. Otherwise, you can hang multiple medals on a single nail if you don’t have the wall space.
- If you want more support, use a stud finder to locate the studs in your wall. Drive the nails into the studs so they’re less likely to come loose.
- Heavier medals may pull nails out of drywall and cause damage to your wall.
- Nails should be able to support your medals, but if you notice the nail sagging or if it falls out, try using drywall anchors instead.
2
Drape medals over adhesive wall hooks if you don’t want to damage the walls. Peel the backing off of the hook and press it onto the wall and let it sit for 30 minutes. After that, hang your medal on it by the ribbon. To prominently display all of your medals, make a straight line of hooks with about 2 inches (5.1 cm) between them. If you want a different arrangement, try offsetting every other hook in the row vertically by 3–4 inches (7.6–10.2 cm) so the medals hang at different heights.^{[1]
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- You can buy adhesive hooks from your local hardware store.
- Put multiple medals on the same hook if you want to save space.
- Adhesive hooks work great if you can’t use nails or you want a temporary solution for holding your medals.
Warning: Adhesive hooks can usually only hold 3–5 pounds (1.4–2.3 kg) each, so you may need to use a different method if your medal weighs heavier.

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3
Buy a hanging rack with hooks or pegs for an organized look. Look for a rack that has the same number of pegs as the number of medals you have if possible. Mount the rack to the studs in your walls at a height where you can easily reach it. Hang each medal over a hook by its ribbon. Smooth out the ribbons so the medals all hang the same direction. Try arranging medals with similar ribbon colors next to one another so to help enhance your design.^{[2]
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- Opt for a rack that has a shelf if you also want to display certificates, trophies, or pictures on the rack.
- If the rack doesn’t have enough hooks for all of your medals, hang multiple medals from a single hook.
- If you’re unable to find a rack with the number of pegs you want, try making your own rack. Drill holes every 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) along a 1 in × 4 in (2.5 cm × 10.2 cm) board. Screw wall hooks or hammer in wood pegs to each hole for your ribbons.
4
Tie the ribbons to a curtain rod if you want to hang them in a line. Mount a curtain rod on your wall so it’s level to prevent the medals from sliding around. Drape the closed end of the ribbon over the rod so it forms a loop. Feed the medal through the loop and pull it down to tighten the ribbon the curtain rod. Continue adding the rest of your ribbons to the rod in the same way. Try arranging the medals by their colors or sizes so they aren’t in a random order, which can make them look cluttered.
- Try to organize your medals by the colors of their ribbons to help make them more visually pleasing to look at.
- Ribbon lengths may vary so the medals may not line up perfectly after you hang them.
5
Hang the ribbons on a medal display rack to create a multilayered look. Secure the display rack to your wall with nails or screws on wall studs. Start on the lowest section of the rack and the longest ribbons. Slide the ribbon through the slot on the side of the rack to hang your medal. Add more medals that have similar colors or lengths to the section you’re working on until you can’t fit anymore. Continue adding medals to the next highest rack section, ensuring the medals don’t overlap. Work your way toward the top of the rack, putting the smallest or shortest medals on the highest section so they don’t block your view of others.^{[3]
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- You can buy ribbon display racks online or from a sporting goods store.
- Avoid starting on the top section of the rack since you will have to move ribbons and medals out of the way when you want to add more.
- If you want to ensure the medals hang at the same length, fold the ribbons by about a third before hanging it. Use clear plastic clips from home good stores to secure the ribbon in place.
6
Try putting medals on sports equipment if you want to create an athletic display. If you have medals from sporting events, try mounting a straight piece of sports equipment, such as a baseball bat or tennis racquet, on your wall. Slide the medals onto the equipment’s handle and let them hang. Leave about 2 inches (5.1 cm) between the medals so they don’t overlap one another.^{[4]
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- Other equipment you can try to hang medals from include golf clubs, hockey sticks, or ice skate blades.
- If you can’t use a piece of sporting equipment as a rack, simply display it next to your medals as a decoration.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Mounting a Medal in a Frame

1
Choose a shadow box frame large enough for your medal. You can display a single medal or multiple inside a frame depending on their sizes. Try to pick a shadow box that’s about 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) taller than the medal and ribbon and has a frame that matches the rest of your home’s decor so it doesn’t clash. Make sure the shadow box is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep so you can hang the medal without it touching the glass. Avoid using standard picture frames as displays since you won’t be able to fit a medal inside of it.^{[5]
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- You can buy shadow boxes online or from home goods stores.
- Avoid getting a shadow box any deeper than 1 inch (2.5 cm) since it could be difficult to see or read the medal when you look at it.
2
Remove the backing board from the frame. Flip the shadow box over so the glass is face-down. Locate the tabs around the outer edge of the backing board and bend them up by hand. After bending back all of the tabs, carefully flip the frame over so the backing board falls out into your hands.^{[6]
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- If you have difficulty bending the tabs back by hand, try using a flathead screwdriver to pry them up.
- Some shadow boxes may have screws holding the backing board in place. Check any instructions that came with your shadow box to be sure.
3
Set your medal on the front of the backing board so it’s in the center. Lay the backing board on a flat surface so the display side is face-up. Lay your medal flat on the backing board so the ribbon is flat. Try to position your medal so it has equal distances from the top and bottom of the backing board so it’s in the middle of the shadow box.^{[7]
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- If the medal doesn’t have a ribbon, then position it as close to the center of the frame as you’re able to.
- If the ribbon on your medal has wrinkles, carefully use an iron on a low heat setting to flatten it.
4
Draw a line on the backing board at the top of the medal’s ribbon. Hold the medal in place with your nondominant hand so it doesn’t move around while you work. Draw a line across the top edge of the ribbon with a pencil so you know where to hang the medal. Only use light pressure so your line doesn’t get too dark, or else it may be visible after you hang your medal.^{[8]
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- For medals without ribbons, mark a dot on the top, bottom, left, and right sides of your medal so you have multiple reference points. Press a mounting square firmly on the back of the medal. Remove the backing on the other side of the mounting square and attach the medal with the marks you drew on the backing board.
5
Cut a slit in the backing board along the line using a utility knife. Lay a straightedge on top of the backing board so it aligns with the guide line you just drew. Put the blade at the start of your line on the backing board and carefully push it down. Apply light pressure as you drag the knife along the line, and keep the blade flush against the straightedge. When you reach the end of the line, check if you cut through to the other side of the backing board. If not, continue cutting along the line until you do.^{[9]
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- Work slowly to keep your cuts precise and prevent the backing board from getting damaged.
- Always cut away from your body so you don’t injure yourself if the blade slips.
Tip: If you can see any pencil marks after you make your cut, use an eraser to get rid of them.
6
Make 1 in (2.5 cm) cuts down from each end of the slit. Lay your straightedge vertically so it’s perpendicular to the end of your first cut. Push the blade into the backing board and pull it down from the end of your first cut toward the middle of the frame. Stop cutting after about 1 inch (2.5 cm). Place your straightedge on the other end of the first line and make another vertical slit so the cuts look like an upside-down U-shape.^{[10]
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- You can draw guide lines with a pencil if you have trouble determining how long to make your cuts.
- Avoid making your cuts any longer, or else they may be visible once you put your medal inside.
7
Push in the flap you just cut to open it slightly. Put your thumb on the front of the backing board just underneath the horizontal line you cut. Lightly push the backing board in so the flap bends backward and creates a small opening. Stop pushing the flap in when there’s about a ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm) gap between the top of the flap and the rest of the backing board. That way, you can fit the ribbon through the opening.^{[11]
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- Avoid pushing on the flap too hard, or else it could break or it may be more difficult to bend the flap back to the original position.
8
Slide the medal’s ribbon through the flap until the medal is in position. Flatten the ribbon as best as you can so it easily fits through the hole in the backing board. Feed the end of the ribbon through the front side of the backing board, making sure to smooth out any wrinkles as you go. Pull about ¹⁄₂–³⁄₄ inch (1.3–1.9 cm) of the ribbon through to the back side. Check the position of the medal on the front of the backing board to make sure it’s centered.^{[12]
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- Be sure to smooth out any wrinkles in the ribbon as you feed it through the flap, or else it may look sloppy when you secure it in place.
- If the medal’s ribbon looks wrinkled, use a low-heat setting on an iron to flatten it.
9
Tape the flap flush against the backing board to secure your medal. Flip the backing board over and push on the flap so the ribbon pinches in place. Hold the flap flush against the backing board, or else the medal could slip out and drop inside the frame. Place a strip of clear tape on the back side of the flap so it holds tightly against the board.^{[13]
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- If you want to tape the back edge of the ribbon down, use a second piece of tape. If you try to secure it with the first piece, the flap may come undone more easily.
10
Reattach the backing board to display your medal. Stand the shadow box vertically so the medal doesn’t fall or slip out when you reattach the backing board. Press the backing board into the shadow box so your medal is inside of it. Bend the tabs on the shadow box by hand or with pliers so they press against the backing board tightly. Hang the shadow box on your wall or set it on a shelf for a simple display.^{[14]
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- If you notice the ribbon or medal twisted around while you were reattaching the backing board, carefully remove the backing board and straighten the medal out again.

Warnings

Always cut away from your body when using a utility knife so you don’t injure yourself in case the blade slips.

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