Saying goodbye to a loved one is always difficult, but one of the best ways to find closure is to plan a memorial. A memorial takes place after the funeral and might include just a few close loved ones. If your loved one had a cremation, this is when you will decide what to do with the ashes.
You don’t have to rush your decision, and it can be beneficial to take your time. Once you have properly grieved your loss, you will be in a better position to decide what to do with the ashes. Don’t rush this decision, as you may find that grief clouds your judgement. Give it time, and the ideal option will soon become obvious to you.
These are a few suggestions for some creative ways to memorialise your loved ones using just their ashes.
Choose a plot in your local cemetery
You don’t have to be buried in a casket to find your final resting place in a cemetery. There are usually plots available for cremation urns with a small headstone. You can choose the stone type and the engraving to make it truly unique to you. Visitors can leave flowers and tend to the gravesite throughout the year.
A cemetery plot is ideal if you don’t want to keep the ashes in your home but don’t want to scatter them. You’ll always have a place to visit and remember your loved one in a peaceful and tranquil setting.
Scatter the ashes
Scattering the ashes can be a very moving act, particularly if you choose a spot that your loved one enjoyed. You could scatter ashes in a park, woodland, on a lake or even out at sea.
Pick a place that is meaningful to you, and you’ll always have a place to visit when you want to feel close to them again. Most public parks are happy for you to scatter ashes provided you don’t disturb other park users. If you have any doubts, always check with the owner or local authority.
Turn the ashes into an artwork
Ashes can be added to artistic materials and turned into stunning pieces of artwork. You could have a painter add the ashes to their paint and then create a portrait to hang in your home. You could also add the ashes to a fused glass artwork. Ashes can also be added to pottery to create a unique vase.
Add the ashes to jewellery
Ashes jewellery is growing in popularity around the world. Only a teaspoon of ashes is needed to create a beautiful piece of jewellery you can wear every day or on special occasions. You can choose from jewellery with a hidden compartment that stores the ashes and is permanently sealed. You can also add ashes to glass jewellery. These bright and bold statement pieces feature glass gemstones that contain your loved one’s ashes.
Plant the ashes with a tree
Returning the ashes to the ground is hugely significant for many people. Planting the ashes with a tree could be the perfect memorial to your loved one and will give you a place to visit and reflect in the future.
Specialist root ball urns will allow a tree to take nourishment from the ashes, turning old life into new. Plant a mighty oak tree to symbolise their strength and resilience, or pick something delicate like a fruit tree to bring joy to people every year.
Tending to the tree will also help with your grief, as it can be very helpful to turn your attention to something that relies on you. You could plant an entire garden for your loved one if you find gardening to be comforting.
Create coral reef from ashes
Perhaps the most outlandish option on this list. Did you know you can add ashes to a coral reef ball which provides an artificial foundation for new coral reefs to grow? This would be the ideal choice for anyone who wants to be laid to rest by the beach.
Helping to boost conditions for coral reefs to flourish is great for the environment and can help to restore marine wildlife. You’ll also have the perfect excuse to visit the beach where your coral reef is planted to reminisce about your loved one.
