What to Do with Cremation Ashes

When a loved one has been cremated, you must then make a decision about what you will do with the ashes. Will you display them in a cremation urn in a special place in your home? Will you scatter them in a place that was meaningful to your loved one during a memorial service? There are many options for what you can do with cremation ashes to memorialize your loved one in a way that brings your family peace and closure after their passing.

Choosing a Cremation Urn

Undoubtedly one of the most common options families choose after a cremation is to display the cremains in a cremation urn that they have chosen to represent their loved one. Cremation urns may be crafted from marble, metal, wood, or other materials and can be displayed almost anywhere in the home, such as on a bookshelf with some of your loved one’s favorite possessions.

Cremation Jewelry

Cremation ashes can also be split and placed into cremation jewelry. In fact, it’s possible to have both a cremation urn and cremation jewelry, because very little of the ashes go into the jewelry. Necklaces and pendants that hold a loved one’s ashes can be a meaningful way to keep them close and can be a great way to split ashes between survivors.

Scattering Ashes

Another popular thing that survivors do with cremation ashes after a loved one passes away is to scatter them in a place that meant something to the deceased. Since ashes pose no threat to the environment, they can generally be scattered anywhere, provided you’ve contacted local authorities for permission beforehand. Ashes can be scattered at sea three miles from the shore and is a great way to honor a loved one in Massachusetts who enjoyed the ocean.

Ashes into Paintings

Some artists will take cremains and mix them into paint, creating a work of art with the ashes in right on the canvas. This can be commissioned by someone else or on your own if you’re handy with a paintbrush. Many people display these paintings near an urn, because like with cremation jewelry, very little of the ashes are actually used in the painting process.

Ashes into Glass

Another way to create a keepsake with a loved one’s cremation ashes is to have a glassblower mix the ashes into the glass as a display piece or pendant is being made. This art glass looks almost like it has a galaxy inside and the ashes can be seen as swirling sand if you look very closely.

At Boston Cremation, we want to help you find the right way to display or wear your loved one’s cremation ashes. Contact Boston Cremation today by calling 781.322.0909.

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