How to make a DIY medal hanger

If you have never built anything, start with the board and hooks or a towel bar. Both need only a drill and a screwdriver.

• A board: pine or poplar, about 2 feet (60 cm) long, 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) tall and 3/4 inch (about 2 cm) thick.
• Six to eight hooks: cup hooks or small screw-in hooks, all the same.
• Sandpaper, medium and fine.
• Paint, stain or clear finish, and a brush.
• A pencil, a ruler or tape measure, and a level.
• A drill with small bits for pilot holes.
• Two screws for the wall, plus anchors if you cannot reach a stud.
• Optional: letters, a vinyl decal or wood-burnt text for the top.

Most medal ribbons are about 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 4 cm) wide, and the medals themselves often hang wider than the ribbon. Allow 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) per hook so medals hang side by side without touching. Several ribbons can share a hook later, but start with one each.

1. Sand the board smooth, edges first, finishing with fine paper.
2. Paint or stain it and let it dry fully, usually overnight.
3. Draw a line about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the bottom edge and mark the hook positions along it, starting half a space in from each end.
4. Drill a small pilot hole at each mark so the wood does not split.
5. Screw in the hooks by hand so they all face the same way.
6. Drill two holes near the top corners for the wall screws.
7. Hold it on the wall, check it is level, and mark the holes.
8. Fix it to the wall and hang the medals.

If you do not want to cut or paint anything, a towel bar or a short curtain rod makes a clean medal rail. Ribbons loop over the bar, and you can slide medals along to make room for new ones. Choose one with a solid metal bar rather than a hollow plastic tube, and brackets that screw into the wall.

1. Mark the bracket positions with a level line between them.
2. Find a stud for at least one bracket if you can, and use rated anchors for the other.
3. Fix the brackets, fit the bar, and loop each ribbon over it.
4. Space the medals evenly, leaving room at one end for the next.

A pegboard suits a large collection that keeps changing. Mount it on spacers so the hooks can pass through the holes, and use pegboard hooks for the medals. You can move every medal in seconds, add a small shelf for a stand, and hang a photo or a bib beside a set. Paint the board before you mount it. A dark colour makes bronze and enamel stand out.

Die-cast medals are heavy, and ten of them on one board add up. Screw into a wall stud where you can. A stud finder will show you where they are. If the board has to go between studs, use anchors whose rated load on the package is well above the weight of the board plus all the medals you plan to hang.

Before drilling, check for wires and pipes. They often run straight up and down from outlets and switches. If you rent, ask your landlord, or use a freestanding option such as a shelf or a stand.

Weigh your heaviest medal on a kitchen scale and multiply by the number of hooks, then add the board. That is the load the wall fixings carry, and it grows every time you add a medal. Pick fixings rated for well over that number, since a ribbon tugged as you lift a medal off adds a sudden pull. Two screws into a stud will hold far more than any medal board needs. Two plastic plugs in drywall may not.

Hooks matter too. Small cup hooks are fine for one or two ribbons each. If you plan to hang several medals on one hook, use a larger hook or a screw-in peg.

• Add a line along the top: a name, a motto, or the distance you have run this year.
• Group by set. Three hooks for a three-medal set, four for a four-medal set, each with its own label.
• Leave empty hooks for medals you plan to earn. It keeps the next goal in sight.
• Add a small shelf above for a stand, a photo or a medal with a designed back.

If you collect by set, plan the board around it. Legends Of Asgard is three medals and The Four Holy Beasts is four. A 24-inch board with seven hooks holds both, with nothing left over.

A dark stain or a deep paint colour behind bronze medals makes the relief stand out, and a pale wood suits colourful enamel. Let each coat dry fully before you add hooks, or the paint can crack around the holes. A clear matte finish on top keeps the board from marking when ribbons rub against it.

• Hooks too close together, so medals overlap and scratch.
• Hooks too near the edge of the board, where the wood can split.
• One screw in the middle, so the board tilts as you add medals.
• Anchors chosen by guess rather than by their rated load.
• Hanging it in direct sun, which fades ribbons over time.

• How long should a medal hanger be? About 2 feet (60 cm) holds six to eight medals with room to breathe.
• What hooks work best? Cup hooks or small screw-in hooks, all the same size and facing the same way.
• Can I hang it without drilling? Use a freestanding shelf or a stand, since adhesive hooks are rarely rated for heavy medals.
• How do I show the back of a medal? Hang it so it can turn, or give it a stand on a shelf above.

For more ways to show medals, see medal display ideas.