They say that you only live as long as the last person remembers you.
Honoring the dead means extending their legacy for as long as possible. But when that person has chosen cremation, it’s not as simple as setting up a gravestone and leaving it at that.
Most Americans now choose cremation as their funeral of choice. While cremation ashes are a great way to remember someone, it mostly boils down to placing those remains in an urn. Fortunately, there are other cremation ideas to honor the departed.
If you’re looking for unique ideas to turn those cremation ashes into something special–and memorable–you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading as we discuss ten clever ideas for handling cremation ashes.
Many people turn to cremation for environmental reasons. Gravesites require a lot of maintenance and take up more and more land over time. The entire industry that makes caskets and gravestones requires natural resources to produce.
Further, embalming fluids are highly detrimental to the environment. Formaldehyde is a carcinogen and pollutes groundwater as it seeps deep into the earth.
In short, a standard burial is not as green as it may seem. While cremation isn’t exactly a net-zero process, it’s far more efficient–and improving every year.
Why not return your ancestor to nature? Planting them with a tree allows them to sustain new life–one that could potentially remain for upwards of 2,000 years. A tree breathes life into the environment and makes a funeral far less dim.
The cremation ashes provide a tree of your choice with nutrients as it grows. In a sense, it reincarnates your ancestor in a new form.
You can place a marker near the tree that states whose ashes it contains. Even if the marker eventually gets lost one day, the tree will remain. Everyone who rests in its shade will be in the comfort and protection of those who have passed on.
Your deceased loved one may have had some wanderlust. They may have seen the world, or at least wished to. There’s no better way to honor them than to take them on one final trip.
This could be your chance to spend some time with them that you never got. While they may not be there in person, they’ll certainly be there in spirit. Just make sure to research the rules on transporting human remains before you cross any borders.
If you desire, you could sprinkle some of their ashes in their favorite travel destination. Perhaps scatter them in multiple destinations until the ashes run out. They’ll be able to rest in peace in all their dream vacation spots across the world.
Take care to be sure you’re allowed to scatter the ashes where you plan to. In most locations, you should be able to find a designated area where you can scatter the ashes without legal penalty. Do this as much to obey the law as to respect the remains and the location.
Maybe your departed was a music lover. This may have been a special bond you shared with them through song and dance. Thanks to modern technology, you can immortalize them in the music they loved.
Some companies can compress the ashes into a vinyl record. Vinyl records do require some care, but they can last a long time.
Any time you are grieving, you can pull out the record and play the music. This may make the loss much easier to bear. You can share this vinyl with others so they can participate in the very same remembrance.
Or, you can use the vinyl to contain recordings of their voice. It may not be possible to turn the ash into a DVD or flash drive, but at least this way you can keep a record.
If you like body art or want to have your loved one with you at all times, you can get a tattoo. A tattoo artist will mix the ashes into the ink. Then they use the ink to make a normal tattoo.
This is a safe way to keep a relative’s ashes with you literally at all times. There’s no risk of losing the ashes or having the urn shatter. It allows their legacy to live on with you until you pass on as well.
You can have a tattoo with any design or color you choose. This could be a simple name and portrait, or something more intricate. With this option, you ensure that they live on with you in a beautiful piece of art.
Of course, you can’t put all the ashes into tattoo ink. You’ll have a standard urn as backup, giving you additional means of remembrance.
If the tattoo option is too permanent for your taste, you can make them into jewelry. This allows you to keep your loved ones with you at all times just the same.
This doesn’t need to be a depressing piece of jewelry. Don’t hesitate to turn them into a shiny locket or a ring. Some services can even compress the ashes to make and cut a gemstone.
Like with the tattoo option, you only need a small amount to make this. You can keep the rest in the urn for safekeeping.
Or, you can make multiple copies of the same piece of jewelry. Then family members can all carry a piece of their loved one with them. There’s no need for sharing one or multiple urns.
Loved ones who dreamed of the stars and space travel might still get that wish. Some companies offer the option to take your beloved’s remains to space.
This isn’t a rocket launch, mind, but rather a meteorological balloon. This specialized balloon rises high into the atmosphere, well up to the edge of space.
At this altitude, it then bursts. Companies design the payload to them scatter the remains far and wide across the earth.
There are seemingly limitless options for immortalizing your loved ones in art.
You can mix them into paint and have an artist paint a memorial painting. You can incorporate those ashes into bespoke glass memorial pieces. You can even compress the ash to make part of a sculpture.
Practically any art display you can dream of could incorporate their ashes. Unlike an urn, this makes for an invaluable reminder of their time on earth.
One of the hardest parts of loss is the inability to hold and touch the deceased. This dearth of physical contact only makes the reality that they are gone all the more cruel.
You can alleviate this suffering by turning them into a stuffed animal. Whether a bear or a dinosaur, you keep them in a soft and cuddly form. Any time you need to grieve, you can have the comfort of holding them in your arms.
This is an ideal option for any family that has lost a child. You could even use their stuffed animal of choice. Typically, you insert a packet of ashes into a flap on the backside for easy removal.
There’s no better way to go out with a bang than with fireworks.
Certain companies will allow you to attach cremation ashes to the payload of a firework. The conflagration burns and scatters the ashes, allowing them to go on their way in a truly spectacular fashion.
Imagine a funeral where instead of mourning clothes, there were fireworks to celebrate one’s lifetime. It’s guaranteed to give the funeral a lighter mood and an experience that guests will remember for the rest of their lives. Compared to some of the options on this list, this may actually be on the cheaper side.
Coral reefs are on the decline as a result of human pollution. These are a valuable part of the earth’s biodiversity, and thus are a tragedy when lost. Thanks to some companies, you can convert cremation ashes into part of an artificial reef.
Like with planting a tree, your deceased’s ashes go towards something positive. They can help to sustain the precious sea life that inhabits our marvelous oceans. In a way, they can continue to fight climate change well beyond the grave.
More and more people turn to cremation ashes as their funeral of choice. Many unique cremation ideas have sprung up for what to do with them in the time since. Find a solution that suits your loved one and make it so their passing is never forgotten.
Lone Star specializes in comprehensive, respectful cremation services. We are sorry for your loss and hope to assist you with cremating the remains. Take a look at our pricing and choose a package today.
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