The awards – trophy jackets, ribbons and buckles – that exhibitors bring home from shows serve as memorable keepsakes they can display forever. Some people are fortunate enough to have many years of successful shows, filling their homes with incredible mementos. One trend increasing in popularity over the last decade is repurposing awards to create décor or other usable items around the home.

Marsha Stigge, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, founded her business, Award Décor, based on this idea.

“After 20-plus years of showing horses within AQHYA, AQHA, and NSBA, my daughter had acquired many prizes including multiple world show and congress jackets,” Stigge said. “They took up an entire closet in my home. In 2014, we decided to make up a few samples out of her jackets and take them to Oklahoma City during the world show. The horse that was qualified to show ended up injured and unable to go, however, we still wanted to go to cheer on our friends. The samples we took were a hit and we took home a lot of jackets to repurpose. That is how it all started.”

Kim Woodall, founder of K & L Ribbon Wreaths in Irmo, South Carolina, came up with her business idea in a similar way. She wanted to find a purpose for her daughter’s ribbons in a creative and beautiful way.

“We were painting my daughter’s room and had taken down all the ribbons,” Woodall said. “We sent the tails to have a quilt made and had all of the rosettes leftover. This is how the idea was born. I tried multiple things, but the wreath seemed to be the best and prettiest. This was the beginning of K & L Ribbon Wreaths.”

Pillows are among the most common repurposed awards created today, but other items have come to the surface recently too. The customer’s imagination and vision is key to the creation of the perfect item for them.

“We often joke and say, ‘where there is a will, there is a way’ when we embark on these re-purposing projects,” Stigge said. “Customers often have an idea or a vision for how they are wanting to remember their special prize. Trophy jackets and horse blankets or coolers lend themselves to be easily transformed into pillows and throws. The colors included in the prizes often have a black or brown base, so they make a great accent item for a couch or chair. We tend to do mostly pillows out of prizes, however we have done other custom items over the years.”

Woodall focuses on wreaths.

“I have three styles. One is made from rosettes and the other two are made from the ribbon tails. I only use show ribbons at this point. I have seen ribbons from horses, dogs, rabbits, cattle, steer, goats, sheep, vegetables and flowers. As the business grows, I may add some other products.”

The pricing of these items depends on the person or business creating them. It also depends on the extent of what it being created and what awards are being used to make the décor.

“Our prices start at $125.00 per pillow and can be as high as $200 depending on options that customers choose,” Stigge said. “Shipping is always additional and is passed directly to the customer as the rates vary depending on what state they live in.”

The wreaths start at $65 for a 12″ rosette wreath and top out at $350 for a 24″ ribbon tail wreath.

“Prices reflect the time it takes me to complete the wreath. Most customers spend $100 to $150,” Woodall said.

The surplus of awards over the years is a big reason exhibitors have decided to turn select items into décor or other memorable pieces. Some have hired professionals, while others have used family members with sewing skills. Genny Miller has shown for years and decided to have her mother, Barbara Smith, try to turn her jackets into throw pillows. Katie Grossnickle hired Marsha Stigge to create her pillows and other décor.

“I have too many award jackets to wear so we (my mom and I) were trying to brainstorm ways to use awards and still keep them relevant,” Miller said. “We found these horse show pillows on Pinterest and loved the idea.”

Smith has been a quilter for over 20 years.

“I used to sew when I was 12 and made my own coats and such. I’ve always done it for my own pleasure, but I just started doing this for my daughter recently,” she said.  “I’ve only ever done this for my daughter, but I could potentially open it up to the public in the future.”

Grossnickle has had several pillows made from old jackets.

“The jackets that I chose all have special meanings,” she said. “I really like having those pillows around my house because every time I look at them different, special memories come up.”

Pinterest has been a great resource for exhibitors to use and base their ideas around. Most people have found a favorite item they like to create from their awards or important pieces.

“My favorite transformation is actually my latest one,” Grossnickle said. “My dad recently passed away, so I kept one of his sweatshirts and one of his ties that he wore and asked Marsha if she could make it into a pillow. She outdid herself on it, I love it. I have it sitting in my bedroom.”

And keepsakes are not limited to pillows.

“The pillow is probably my favorite concept however I’ve seen a really pretty large vase full of rosettes that I like,” Miller said.

Smith set out searching for other ideas.

“The only other thing I’ve done recently besides pillows is a wall hanging I made for my other daughter,” she said. It was like a quilt. It was flat and sewn with multiple ribbons together. It was 3 foot by 4 foot. The center was filled with pictures of her riding over the years, 4-H pins and special rosette ribbons.”

Many different types of awards can be used to create this type décor however some are better than others. Heavy duty fabrics tend to be easier to utilize and the products survive longer.

“While ribbons do make a lovely accent on a pillow, we prefer to work with sturdier fabrics, so jackets and horse clothing is ideal for what we do,” Stigge said. “We have also recently done some ‘memory pieces’ that are made from a favorite shirt or other clothing item.”

The demand for this award repurposing business will remain in the future for as long as shows continue to give away products capable of being transformed in a pleasing way. The memorable and meaningful décor will be popular for gifts in the future.

“It will remain an option for anyone with a closet full of stuff they have won and don’t know what to do with,” Stigge said. “The need may change as shows choose to give more usable awards such as buckets, hay bags, etc., however, there will already be an existing backlog of prizes for many who have been showing for a long time. Ultimately, everyone always wants to sport their ‘newest’ win. The question is, what do I do with last year’s jacket since I got a new one? The answer is, send them to us. We will make you something great.”

Most exhibitors say the sky is the limit.

“I think it’s a very successful business,” Grossnickle said. “There are always people wanting to remember their successes, especially in different ways. People are always coming up with new ways to display that.”

Both Stigge and Woodall say their favorite part of the process is getting to know the customers. They have had the opportunity to meet amazing people and create friendships across the entire industry.

“I love seeing the ribbons from all over the country,” Woodall said. “I also enjoy when my customers share how they acquired their ribbons. I have done a wreath for a scent work Labrador that was fourth in the world. I have many of these amazing stories. I love seeing the pictures of the animals that won the ribbons. My favorite thing about this business is that I make people happy. I never realized how rewarding it would be to see how much someone loves what I have done with their ribbons.”

Stigge agrees.

“The people are the best part,” she said. “We have gotten to meet so many people who we might not have ever really met otherwise. As horses have gotten so specialized, the disciplines do not cross paths very often. This business has allowed us to not only meet people, but also hear their special stories about their incredible horses and memorable wins.”