5 Unique and Avant-Garde Ways to Help You Preserve Your Loved One’s Ashes

It is not easy to mourn over the loss of a family member or close friend. Grief is a long and arduous process that takes time. In fact, even if one year has elapsed since the burial or cremation services, you can still feel bouts of sadness and longing. And rightfully so because the heart never ceases loving or missing the deceased. Though the body is not physically present, the memories live on in your heart forever. 

Thus, even if funeral songs and poems have long been heard, it is normal to still feel pain.

You may find it difficult to cope and move on. One way to ease the loss is by having a keepsake to help you remember the person. When the final disposition method for the body is cremation, you are often left with the remains or ashes. Some choose to keep the urn in a niche or buried in a traditional gravestone. Others may keep the urn at home as a memento. Meanwhile, others release the ashes into a favorite outdoor sport, especially if it is the final wish of the deceased. However, some people explore other personal alternatives. If you are in search of a unique way to store the ashes, take note of these creative suggestions. 

Incorporate in Vinyl Records

Thanks to technology, you can now opt to memorialize the ashes by asking a specialty company to incorporate them when creating a vinyl record. You can have the record play your loved one’s favorite song. Apart from that, you can opt to have the vinyl sticker cover show the image of the deceased. Alternatively, you can ask them to transform an old letter handwritten by the deceased as the cover. This method is a very unique yet highly personalized way to use the ashes and pay tribute to your lost loved one. 

Blend It With Ink in a Tattoo

A lot of people get tattoos to immortalize the significant changes in their lives, especially death. In fact, getting a tattoo to remember your deceased loved one is not an uncommon practice. However, what’s new and trendy these days is mixing the ink with the ashes to deepen the colors. Apart from tattooing the portrait of the dead, you can opt for your loved one’s favorite symbol or quote. You may even find solace with just inking the initials of the person. But definitely, getting a tattoo made using a part of the ashes will foster that feeling of closeness and proximity you desire to hold onto with your deceased loved one. 

Mix it In With a Beautiful Ceramic

Other specialty companies give you a chance to transform the ashes into beautiful figurines or sculptures. Just pick a design that the deceased fancied in the past. For example, she loves gardening, you can have forever flowers or mini-garden statues made. It will serve as a special token to remind you of your happy times with each other. You can also ask them to make several custom-made decorative ceramics with the ashes for your house or office. Having this nearby will comfort your beleaguered spirit and make you smile as you think of the memories you shared.  

Use as Material for Specialized Jewelry

What could be closer than wearing a part of the ashes with you daily? For many people, having the ashes encased in a pendant is comforting. You can choose whatever shape you want, from a heart to the classic circle. Other people invest in hand-blown glass to ensconce the ashes. You can use this as a topper for a ring or for charm bracelets. The ashes can also be transformed into remembrance beads. When you wear this specialty cremation jewelry, it’s as if you carry a part of your loved one with you. Somehow, that notion is calming and comforting to many people.  

Plant in a Garden to Bring New Life

If your dearly departed loved one enjoyed gardening, you could plant their ashes in a stylish garden that’s designed to reflect their personality. This is perfect, especially if you don’t feel like visiting a columbarium or urn garden faraway. Ask your funeral director about a living urn, which certain companies sell. They combine the cremation remains with soil, making it even more nutritious and conducive to growing plants. Eventually, whatever you bury in the ground will grow into a pretty flower, bush, or tree. This eco-friendly alternative gives you an opportunity to watch the ashes spring to a new life. 

As the closest person to the deceased, you get to determine what happens to the ashes if your loved one has no final will or specific wishes. It would help to think about your loved one’s personality while alive. Then, choose an option that you and the deceased will both be happy with. And if you ever have any questions about cremation or what to do with the ashes, don’t be afraid to consult with your trusted funeral director for insight and advice.