7 Ideas on What to Do with a Loved One’s Ashes

One of the benefits of opting for a cremation service in Scarborough, ME, is expanding the options of a final resting place. Unlike a burial, converting the body to ashes allows you to choose a range of unique and personal ways to say your final goodbye. 

Common options include storing the ashes in a columbarium, creating a memorial shrine in your family home, and scattering the ashes. But there’s more. 

Jewelry Urn 

Turning a portion of the ashes into jewelry allows you to keep a part of your loved one close to you always. You can have the ashes turned into jewelry forms like pendants, rings, bracelets, or necklaces. 

Services like Eterneva can transform the ashes into a diamond you can wear for years and pass on to subsequent generations. 

Commission a cremation portrait 

Have an artist mix your loved one’s ashes with paint and create a portrait of them. It could be a photo of them on a major milestone or your favorite image of them. 

And you can paint it yourself if you want to be hands-on. Whatever you choose, the portrait will be a living embodiment of your loved one’s essence. 

Transform the ashes into a tree 

Get a biodegradable urn and bury the ashes with the seed in it. The sprouting tree signifies new life and growth. And depending on the species, also serve as a source of comfort to those who visit. 

The beauty of this idea is it’s great, regardless of if the deceased was a nature lover. 

Conceal in a memorial toy 

Don’t want to convert the ashes into jewelry? Place some ashes into a container and conceal them in a toy. It could be a decorative toy or something you can play with. A memorial teddy bear works too. It’s an idea that fits anyone, but especially if the deceased was a child. 

Book Urn 

A book urn is an excellent idea if you want something intensely intimate. Because it’s easy to create yourself, you can design a book containing stories and favorite memories about your loved one from close friends and family members. It can also include pictures, poems, or drawings. 

The book will be designed in a way that when you hollow out the book to store the ashes in, the content will still be intact. Also, a perfect idea if you’re looking to create a family heirloom. 

Hourglass jewelry 

In this case, the ashes are embedded within the hourglass as a symbol of the passing of time. The hourglass can be regular size or small, depending on how you want to use it. 

It can also be decorative or functional. Services like IdaMemory help families create working hourglasses with cremated remains. 

Compress into vinyl records 

Create a bespoke vinyl record pressed with your loved one’s ashes. The content can be anything, including personal recordings or a playlist of their favorite music. It depends on how much content you want the vinyl record to carry. 

There are many more things you can do with your loved one’s ashes. The only limit is your imagination and what’s right for you. 

Whatever your idea, the process by ensuring you have the correct ashes. That means working with a reputable cremation service in Scarborough, ME. We have an on-site crematory, so your loved one will never leave our care. Call us now to get started with arrangements.