How to make a trophy with a Styrofoam cup

Encourage kids to get crafty at home or in the classroom with this Styrofoam trophy craft. Children can celebrate their own achievements with these trophies or make them for parents on special occasions. Smaller children may need some assistance cutting and gluing materials; however, painting and assembling the trophy is easy and fun.

There's very little cost involved in this project. In fact, teachers or parents may have most or all of the supplies in their homes. For those who've been searching for a classroom project or family activity on a budget, this may be the winning craft that deserves its own trophy!

Materials
- 2 Styrofoam cups
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun
- Glue stick
- Scrap paper
- Small glass bowl
- Gold metallic acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
- Jute rope

Instructions
1. Cut a Styrofoam cup in half. Discard the top half of the cup.

2. Turn the bottom of the cup upside down on a flat surface.

3. Apply hot glue around the circumference of the bottom of the cup.

4. Adhere the bottom of an uncut Styrofoam cup to the glue on the cup from step 3. Press the cups together; allow the glue to dry.

5. Lay a sheet of scrap paper down on the work surface.

6. Place a small glass bowl on the scrap paper. Squeeze metallic gold paint into the bowl.

7. Dip the paintbrush into the paint and paint the interior of the top cup, then paint the exterior of both cups. Allow the paint to dry, then apply a second coat of paint.

8. Cut two 3-inch lengths of rope from a spool.

9. Apply two dots of hot glue to each side of the cup—one dot approximately one inch above the other.

10. Grab one piece of rope and attach it to the left side of the trophy cup. Place one end of the rope on the bottom dot of glue; place the other end of the rope on the top dot of glue. The rope serves as a handle for the trophy.

11. Grab the remaining piece of rope and attach it to the right side of the trophy cup. Place one end of the rope on the bottom dot of glue; place the other end of the rope on the top dot of glue.

12. Allow the glue to dry before handling the trophy.