Wrestling Shoe Keepsake Display Case (DIY Build)
These are my son Seth's wrestling shoes. He went 7th place at state in the 2025 season. Rather than let them sit in the closet, collect dust, and eventually get thrown away or worn out in practice next season, I figured there was a better way to commemorate the whole thing.
So I built a keepsake case for them. It's made from cherry wood with a glass front, and his name is engraved on the CNC along with a Florida outline marking the state placement. The full build, start to finish, is in the video below.
Watch the Full Build
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How It Went Together
Everything on this build is cherry. I cut the boards to size, glued up where I needed the extra width, and got everything down to the actual dimensions for the case.
The name board is where the CNC came in. I engraved his name, "2025," "7th Place," and the Florida outline, then painted it to make the engraving stand out. That's really the piece that makes the whole thing personal instead of just being a box.
The rest of it is pretty standard shop work. I used pocket holes for the joinery, cut a groove for the glass to slide into, glued everything up, and finished it with a few coats of polycrylic. I brushed that on to protect the wood without changing the color of the cherry underneath.
I also hit a snag partway through. I didn't love how one of the glue lines looked once it dried, so I went back, trimmed it, and redid that piece. That part's in the video too. Sometimes the fix ends up being just as much a part of the build as anything else.
Why I Wanted to Get This One Right
Most of what I build ends up as plans or gets sold. This one wasn't going anywhere, because it was for Seth. I wanted to actually catch the moment he saw it for the first time, so I mic'd him up and let the camera roll. There was no script and no second take on that part. What's in the video is exactly how it happened.
If You Want to Build One
The same idea works for any sport and any pair of shoes — it doesn't have to be wrestling. If you end up building one for your own kid, I'd like to see it, so drop a comment on the video and let me know.
You can find more builds like this over on Stone and Timber Shop Class, or come hang out in The Stone & Timber Community — it's free to join.
