The decision of what to do with your loved one’s cremated remains shouldn’t be taken lightly. After all, once they are scattered, there are no do-overs. However, you may feel the need to do something if your loved one’s cremated remains are sitting in an urn on your mantle or bookshelf.
Before you make your decision, there are a few things to consider.
If you (or your deceased loved one) belong to the Catholic faith, the Vatican has decreed that cremated remains should be interred in a sacred place, such as a church cemetery, and that the remains should not be scattered.
You might also want to think about the other members of your family. If your deceased loved one didn’t leave behind instructions on what to do with the remains, you might want to talk with your children or the parents or siblings of the deceased to see if they have any input.
Finally, would you consider dividing the remains and using them for different projects or purposes? Many of the projects we suggest only take a small amount of ashes to complete, so if you are open to dividing the ashes you may be able to complete several different projects.
Here are a few ideas to consider.
Create a Parting Stone.
Ashes are messy and require a container, but if you want to keep your loved one’s remains with you in a “natural” state, what other options do you have?
Parting Stone will turn all of your loved one’s cremated remains into beautiful, natural-looking stones. The ashes of a 100-pound person would yield 25-40 solidified remains. The rocks can be easily distributed among family and close friends. They can be displayed attractively as a group, or they can be scattered. Most importantly, you can hold the stones in your hand when you wish to feel close to your departed loved one.
Scatter them at sea.
If your loved one was a lover of the ocean, you might consider scattering the ashes into the sea. There are guidelines for completing this process. The most important being that you must be at least three nautical miles from shore.
There are lots of charter boat companies that will assist you in making this a memorable event. Gather close family members and friends and say goodbye to your loved one again from the deck of a boat at sunset.
Press the remains into a vinyl record.
Yes, you read that correctly. And Vynly, a company in England will press one teaspoon of your loved one’s cremated remains into a vinyl record. You provide the audio files and choose the cover art, and you will receive a playable record in return.
This would be the perfect memorial item for a musician, poet, or someone known for their storytelling abilities. You will be able to preserve their music, voice, and ashes with the same product.
Purchase a piece of cremation jewelry.
There are two main types of cremation jewelry. The first type of jewelry has tiny receptacles to hold a bit of cremated remains. They are easy to find and typically inexpensive. Since they hold such a small amount, the rest of the cremated remains could be used for other purposes.
The other type of cremation jewelry involves using a tiny bit of ashes to grow a gem or a diamond. This process can be rather expensive, and it takes a long time to complete. The gemstone or diamond can be set in any style of jewelry you wish.
There are plenty of other ideas to consider, such as mixing a bit of remains in tattoo ink or putting them into a firecracker. If your loved ones’ cremains are sitting on a shelf, perhaps one of these suggestions will honor their memory while bringing you comfort and joy.
