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25 Fun and Creative Paper Plate Award Ideas!

Everyone loves receiving awards! The recognition of doing great work makes us feel good. However, awards don’t have to be in the form of expensive trophies or medals. A simple and fun paper plate award ideas are more than enough to show someone you recognize their efforts and support them!

What Are Paper Plate Awards?

Paper plate awards are homemade awards drawn on a paper plate. You can get really creative with colored markers and drawing skills to make a unique award to give out! It might seem odd at first, but these awards are a special, unique, and affordable way of recognizing each teen’s unique contribution to a group.

Paper plate awards are common in school graduation parties, summer camps, and even some workplaces. Regarding teens, you can give out paper plate awards for athletic groups, musical groups, drama groups, sleepovers, and really any other teen group you can think of.

How to Make Paper Plate Awards

Start with choosing what you want the award to be. We have a large list of ideas below that you can use for inspiration! Once you’ve chosen an award idea it is time to get creative. Grab markers and write the name of the award on the plate, and then continue to decorate the plate to make it extra special! You can draw pictures, add glitter, stickers, or anything else you have handy. Paper plate awards are affordable and easily customizable.

Best Paper Plate Award Ideas

If you need help coming up with paper plate awards to give out, check out this list of ideas!

1.  Most Likely to Save the Planet

Environmentalist Paper Plate Award

This one is for the environmentalist teen who has a passion for recycling, going green, and saving the earth. For this paper plate award, you can draw a picture of the earth, or a picture of a stick figure picking up trash.

2. Everybody’s Friend

If there is someone who is friendly with everyone, this could be the award for them! Regardless of any smaller groups or cliques that exist, this teen can be friends with everyone.

3. King of Kindness/Queen of Kindness

Slogans about kindness are popular, but this person truly lives it. Without needing a reason, he or she is genuinely nice to other people.

4. Future Social Media Star

This is for the teen who is constantly promoting something on social media or has a strong passion for it. Although they may not have a massive following on tiktok yet, it wouldn’t surprise you if they became the next big influencer!

5. Most Likely to Rule the World

Teens with amazing leadership skills and an ability to organize their peers around a cause will want this award. To decorate this award, you could draw a picture of the earth, with a crown on its head.

6. Karaoke King/Karaoke Queen

Pop Star Paper Plate Award Idea

For those who pour their hearts out in song when it’s open mic night, this award has their name on it. Decorate this paper plate with a drawing of a microphone or lyrics to their favorite song!

7. Most Likely to be on TV

Got a future anchorman in your midst? This one’s for the teen that you’re almost certain is going to be hosting the news one day.

8. Most Likely to Write a Book

This award is for the one that wants to be Stephen King someday. Maybe they even read King’s book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, too.

9. Most Likely to be on Broadway

The teen who is constantly singing, dancing, and practicing for their next audition? Yeah, you know which award to give him. Make sure to get them to sign your yearbook, as their signature might be worth something some day!

10. Most Athletic Award

Most Athletic Paper Plate Award Idea

Is there someone in the group who is great at sports? This paper plate award is perfect for the person always likely gets picked first whenever team captains are choosing their teams.

11. The Trendsetter Award

Got a trendsetter in your midst? He or she not only keeps up with what’s in style, but may even predict what’s coming next. Hair, clothes, accessories – this person’s always runway ready.

12. The Prankster

Always playing innocent pranks or practical jokes, the prankster just wants to have a little fun. This award is perfect for the person at school who coordinated an epic senior prank.

13. The Bookworm

For the one who’s always reading books. Fiction, non-fiction, e-books, it really doesn’t matter to The Bookworm. This person loves the library and is probably in a handful of book clubs! Decorating this paper plate award is really easy, just draw a book!

14. Most Artistic – Paper Plate Award

Is there someone in your group who is always drawing, painting, or doing something artistic? Then award them with the paper plate for “Most Artistic!” Make sure this paper plate award is extra artsy!

15. Most Entertaining

This is for the one who loves to juggle, do magic tricks, or entertain just to make other people happy. This paper plate award idea is perfect for the person who always does great things at the talent show!

16. The Optimist

In the worst of circumstances, some people can still find the silver lining. Bus broke down in hot weather, but she can still find something good about it? Yup, that’s The Optimist.

17. Top Chef 

Is someone in your group always cooking or baking for others? Consider dubbing him the Top Chef with this paper plate award! Maybe someday they will compete in Iron Chef or the Great British Bake Off.

18. Rookie of the Year

Has a new member joined your group and made an amazing impression? This award is for the new person who joined and changed things for the better. This award is great for sports teams to recognize new talent!

19. Don’t Underestimate Me

This one’s for a quiet teen who should not be underestimated. This award goes to someone with great strength, smarts, or talent – or even all of the above! 

20. MVP Award

Whether it’s athletics, choir, or another group, every club has someone who performs above the rest. The MVP Award is perfect for that person.

21. Most Improved

This one is perfect for a teen who was new to a group, learned a skill, and blew everyone away with how much she contributed to the group. Recognize their impressive progress by giving them the most improved award.

22. Best Handwriting

This paper plate award idea is perfect for the person who has the best handwriting you’ve ever seen in your life. This ward is great for someone who is always in charge of writing on the whiteboard because of their beautiful handwriting.

23. Most Studious

For the person who can tutor anyone and can ace even the toughest of subjects. This paper plate award idea is perfect for that student who always gets good grades on tests and homework!

24. Drama Queen

This teen always brings drama! The drama king or queen always has tea to spill! To decorate this award, you can draw a crown and have a caption like “I love drama”

25. Most Likely to Succeed

You can tell that this teen will be successful in life regardless of what he or she chooses to pursue. If you could buy stock in their future, you would.

Teen Paper Plate Awards Are Memorable

Paper plate awards are a fun, memorable way to recognize teens and celebrate their individuality. Whether for athletic awards, music awards, academic awards, camp ceremonies, or anything else, they’re an easy, affordable way to celebrate each teen’s uniqueness. Some paper and marker will go a long way to create an award that a teen will remember for a long time.