We now have collected a few ABRSM certificates over the last few years - most of them are my daughter's, but I have got a few for myself, too! How do you file them at home? At the moment, all my daughter's certificates and the marksheets are in a cardboard backed envelope.

I keep meaning to get some frames for mine but never seem to get around to it!

I have a ring binder and have all sorts of things in individual A4 plastic pocket/sleeve things, so there's AB certs, music festivals, school exams, degrees, professional things etc.

Ours are in a large lever arch file with each certificate, with its mark sheet, in one of those transparent plastic sleeves designed for filing things.

I file all my certificates and mark sheets in a photo album that has slightly bigger than A4 clear peel back sheets.

Mine are in the frames.....but not yet on the wall......

I have a file for each child (well, they were children once) and am of the plastic pocket/sleeve organising mentality - for everything from music certificates to Alevel results and DofE certificates (but not the little badge)

I think display folders are slightly nicer than individual A4 packets in a ring binder, and cost about the same - you can get them from any stationer - the plastic pockets are stuck together like a book, open at the top for you to slip in your precious bits and pieces.

That's what we use. Though we also have a ring binder full of dance and other certificates somewhere.

I get them form the local £ shop

What's the little badge? Is that some sort of new innovation?

Wedged in a sling marked "education" in the filing cabinet. My two dips are on the wall, but everything else I've kept stowed away - once we do formal handing-over-of-junk from parents to offspring, they can have their certificates and decide what to do with them at that point. And meantime at least they've been kept clean and flat.

Each child has an old AB envelope with everything in, stored in the piano stool. Some of the envelopes are very over full, in fact I think I started a second envelope for one of them. I have to say, and it's probably unjustified, that I find it a bit creepy when people put all their certificates on the wall, but that's my modest Methodist upbringing coming out. My children are less reserved. They think it's down right weird to display all your certificates, and they've not had a Methodist upbringing, so who can I blame? (My husband always says he blames the parents...).

I seem to have lost all mine except for my ALCM Diploma which is in a frame on the wall above the piano.
I cant even find my Grade 8 Organ one . I do have the mark sheet for that though.

Not sure, but Sonny Jim waved his new cert and a little bronze badge at me this morning over breakfast. I vaguely remember seeing gold badges when I was at school, so maybe the bronze and silver achievers felt left out.

On this occasion I'm more than happy to be immodest: why shouldn't one celebrate achievement, if it really means a lot? Never spectacularly musical, I'd worked very hard for my dips, and was over the moon to get them. They are also a reminder to me of what I really need to try to live up to .

*creeps off again*

Goodness, if I had a diploma certificate I'd probably have it blown up to poster size and stuck in the window. But sadly that's never likely to happen.

I really meant I find it a bit odd when people frame and display rows and rows of exam certificates but, as I said, I was brought up to be very modest. I still find it very strange when people go on about their children's achievements. I tend to agonise about ever mentioning anything they've done. A young (22) friend was talking to me about this with another Methodist lady and the girl said, 'But how do people know what how good you are if you don't tell them?' I thought this was intresting as it had never occurred to me that people needed to know such a thing but maybe it reflects modern culture, that things only count if other people know about them. It's a bit like children needing a reward for every single thing they do. The joy of just knowing you did it right has been stolen from them. Not that that has anything to do with certificates. Clearly you should be proud of every one of them, and I am, I just wouldn't display that, I suppose.

We do have one grade eight certificate framed and on display but that's because the teacher in question had it framed and it seemed a bit mean not to put it up.

I promised my children that if they ever attained grade 8 they should have the framed certificate displayed on our dining room wall. My daughter didn't pursue her music that far, but my son seems pleased that I have his DipABRSM clarinet and grade 8 piano certificates displayed as promised. I put a lot of my earnings (and so my effort) into helping him achieve those certificates, and he put in a lot of time and effort too. It gives me great pleasure to look at them now, and I see no reason why I should be deprived of that pleasure!

Oh that sounds nice, we use just a ring binder in the plastic wallets for ours, but maybe I should get a couple of the display folders - Staples? or do Tesco sell them too?



My son used to get, bronze, silver and gold badges when he was in primary school. You had to earn so many merits for each one and we had to pay 50p for the badge. You could get the badge for free if you swapped your last badge, but we liked to keep them all.

I have (so far) a modest collection of ABRSM certificates. I have laminated them, with the mark sheet "back to back" and stuck them in my music carrier.

We have folders with plastic pockets for our two. Although we don't have many certificates we have gots lots of programmes from any concerts they've played in in the same file. These were invaluable lately when son no 1 applied for a music course abroad as we needed to write him a musical biolagraphy. All the concert dates and repertoire were there. We wouldn't have remembered half of what he'd done otherwise.

Most music certificates and crit sheets are tucked into the copy of Roundabout that elder son used for his prep test - elder son's stuff in the front, younger son's in the back . And that's in a general 'boys' box file. Current certificate gets magentised to the fridge until I think it's been there long enough

Mine are altogether in an AB envelope in my music shelf

That's a good idea! Most of ours are kept in a home file, with just the highest attainment of our sons' in each instrument on their bedroom walls. I don't display my own.

I have every certificate I have ever received since childhood in a file drawer, every O and A level, every swimming and skiing certificate. In the case of the music exams the feedback sheets that came with them. It would never occur to me to frame them or display them. I know I have them, but they are only of interest to me. I don't imagine anyone else would particularly care, and certainly I don't imagine they want to look at them.

In general, people decorate their houses to suit their tastes, not to appeal to those who might visit, surely?

*snort* you haven't met my mother! (who, to clarify, would decorate her house entirely with visitors in mind)

But beyond that, yes, I agree, what I put up on my walls is my choice and for my enjoyment, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

One on display in photo frame (in daughter's bedroom) and that is first one - a grade 1 distinction. She was so proud of that. Otherwise all in a display folder with a cover made by daughter. Really there for practical purposes of keeping them together. I like the idea of putting concert programmes in the folder as there have been one or two i'd like to keep, but have never known where to put them and eventually they're put in the recyling bin. I have an image of myself as an old lady looking through things like concert programmes and photos remembering some good times. I've also kept local newspapers when my children have been mentioned in them - nothing spectacular but memories.

Given the work that goes into achieving them, certificates deserve to be looked after/displayed/enjoyed. If you are not too worried about their long-term condition almost any file or frame will do, but if you may ever need them to help you get a job, for example, PLEASE don't laminate them.

Over time the laminating pouch will discolour and break down causing your certificate to deteriorate with it. Sometimes the initial heat process involved will cause some glossy embossed titles or crests to melt and smudge on the paper or parchment, and if any employer wants to verify the authenticity of your certificates it is very hard to do through a plastic coating - no "feel" to the paper, flattened embossing marks, etc.

Just my two penn'orth - I'll leave you all in peace again now.

in which case surely she is doomed to failure, as it is impossible to please all comers (see rest of thread )
I have a hard enough time trying to get furniture I like which the kids don't slate utterly as 'orrible, and which still will also match my husband's more traditional tastes - if I also had to try to please The World Out There, I'd be utterly lost...

When I got my first ABRSM certificate a few weeks ago, my husband said I should put it in a frame to decorate a wall with it.
First I thought, I wouldn't like this, but now I bought a frame an put it in with a black background and it realy looks great. I think I will always have the newest certificate in this frame and keep the others in plastic pockets in an ring binder.

I have a lever arch folder with concert programmes in plastic inserts. One of my No 1 daughter's teachers told me to keep programmes as they are a useful aide memoire to list repertoire on application forms. Over the years, they have also provided a wonderful trip down memory lane.

I also keep the children's certificates and mark sheets in a similar lever arch folder with plastic inserts. Only Grade 8 ones are framed .

My children's certificates are all framed in IKEA finest quality 1.99 brightly coloured picture frames, on the wall outside their bedrooms, the "landing of achievement" where we put all their certificates and finest artistic efforts. This gets round the issue of everyone thinking we are showing off, as they aren't for general viewing, whist the family can enjoy seeing them en masse.

The mark sheets I put in each child's folder with all their academic stuff.

when I gained grade 4 several years ago I just gave it to my Mum to store away. She keeps it in a folder along with my GCSE certificates.

I laminate mine, to make sure they don't perish. I then keep them with my CV in a record of achievement. The other option would be to hang them on the wall framed.

I would suggest that achieving any grade in Music is worth being proud of, It also says a little about who you are when they are displayed and can be a motivation to achieve more.
My daughters have picture frames in their bed room and every time a new grade is achieved it is placed in this frame with the old one behind it. This way they are all kept together and enjoy looking at the certificate.

I've got all mine in a folder - *in front* of all my SQA certificates.

One is supposed to frame ones music certificates on the wall in a prominent place where one's guests can view them, in order for them to pass positive comment on one's musical achievements.

Mine too is in a display folder with dancing certificates, show programmes, school certificates etc. I like looking through them this way.