So many people in every part of our lives deserve to be told they’re doing a good job every once in a while. Whether you send to your doctor (or bring to your next appointment, with plenty for the nurses, receptionists and everyone else, too!), leave out for your mail carrier, send to a teacher, or hand over with a tip to the person delivering your food, it’s a small and easy way to show that you care–and that you appreciate them.

This paper award is great for families, too. You can award your kids for doing homework every day of the week, getting the chores done without being asked, or for simply being awesome.

Remember the day when the best motivation for doing well on a test was a sticker from the teacher (even better when that sticker was scratch ‘n sniff)? Or even a smiley face and a “Good Job!” could turn your day around? Give your kid that sense of satisfaction at home with these easy printable, customizable award ribbons.

Whether you give one for every day of the week for your child to collect, or hand them out for an especially appreciated achievement, these ribbons are a great way to DIT (Do-It-Together) and celebrate the little things.

The ribbons come already colored in if you want an easy read-to-go option, but there are black and white versions, too. Go with our pre-printed sayings, or print out blank and fill in your own note or prizewinning phrase.

And, feel free to get creative here!

Use as a cake topper on a special birthday
Tape it to the back page of a book your son or daughter is reading for them to find when they finish
Leave it on the table with your kids’ after school snack
Put it on a notebook your child uses for school
Tape to the bathroom mirror as a morning surprise when they brush their teeth
Leave on a pillow before bedtime
Keep a set on a family bulletin board, and award each kid in the family at the end of each week
Send with your child to camp
Glue to a plain magnet and stick on the fridge

You can just print and cut out the ribbons, using the designs provided, or customize by coloring yourself. Adding a photo or a drawing also makes these ribbons extra special.

By simply attaching a safety pin or a piece of tape to the back of the ribbon, you can make it into a wearable pin for kids to wear or attach to backpacks.

By attaching the ribbon to a plain folded card you can create a custom greeting card.

 What you’ll need:

  • Award ribbon templates
  • Scissors
  • Safety pin
  • Tape
  • Plain folded card and envelope (5×7” recommended, but use whatever you have)
  • Markers (or anything you like to color with!)

Step One: Download, print and cut out Award Ribbon templates.

Step Two: Attach a safety pin to the back using tape through the non-pointy side of the safety pin so it can be worn throughout the day or pinned to a bag. Or you can tape the ribbon to a folded card to send as a greeting card. If you’re personalizing the ribbon by coloring it in, or adding a photo, make sure to do all of that before attaching the pin!

photo credits