How to Make an Awards Plaque

A rectangular wood frame makes a good base for a variety of awards.

Award plaques have a variety of uses for different types and sizes of awards. Many organizations give out paper awards printed on standard-size paper. If you have a paper award, you can create a wooden plaque to use as a prominent display for the award. You can also use a wooden award plaque as a base for engraved awards or metal plaque awards. A few woodworking tools and supplies are all that is necessary to make an award plaque.

Things You'll Need

• 1-inch-thick plywood
• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Table saw
• Rasp
• Sandpaper
• 2 ½-inch screws
• Power screwdriver
• Framing wire
• Wood stain
• Soft cloth
• Wood varnish
• Paint brush
• Four fancy push pins or double-sided tape
• Award paper

Instructions

1. Draw an 11-by-14-inch rectangle onto the surface of the wood. Cut out the wood with the table saw.

2. Round the edges of the board with a rasp. Sand the surface and sides of the board until smooth.

3. Place two screws on the back of the plaque. Screw the screws into the wood until less than 1/8-inch of each screw sticks out from the back of the plaque. Thread a piece of framing wire between the two screws to make a hanger for the plaque.

4. Stain the sides and top of the plaque with wood stain. Wipe off excess stain with a soft cloth and allow the stain to dry for two hours.

5. Paint a coat of varnish over the top and sides of the plaque. Allow the varnish to dry for 24 hours.

6. Center the award paper in the middle of the plaque. Tack the award to the plaque by placing a push pin in each corner of the paper. You can also stick the paper to the plaque with double-sided tape.

Tips & Warnings

• Another option for the award plaque is to hire a professional woodworking studio to engrave the award information on the front of the plaque. You can also burn the information onto the plaque with a wood burner, or glue a metal face over the plaque.

References

• "Making Wood Signs"; Patrick Spielman; 2003
• Woodworking Center: How to Make a Trophy Plaque