Today, more and more Americans are opting for cremation instead of burial when they pass. In fact, in 2016, 50.2 percent chose cremation, which is more than 43.5 percent that chose burial.
If your loved one has recently passed and opted for cremation, then you may be left wondering about things, such as where to put ashes from cremation and how to store them properly.
Considering you’re going through such as difficult time, you shouldn’t have to navigate it all on your own. We’re here to explain everything to make this time a little easier for you.
The Cremation Process
Before we explain where to put ashes from cremation and how to store them, let’s first explore the basics of the cremation process.
When you work with a funeral home, they’ll take care of everything from start to finish so you don’t have any added burdens. For example, they’ll deal with all the paperwork and permits on your behalf; you won’t have to deal with that headache.
After the paperwork is done, the funeral director will send you your loved one’s death certificate.
In the case of Green Cremation Texas, we are a 100 percent online funeral home. This means you won’t have to make a physical visit at all.
We will send our funeral director to where your loved one is and transfer the body to the funeral home. We’ll take care of the paperwork and permits. Once they’re in order, we proceed with the actual cremation.
We’ll place the remains of your loved one into an eco-friendly urn and send it securely to you.
How To Store Cremated Remains
Once you’ve received the urn and ashes from cremation, you may be at a loss as to where to place them.
The easiest and most beautiful option is to store cremated remains right there in the provided urn. This allows you to display the beautiful urn wherever you wish. It also gives you a secure storage space should your loved ones have wishes that you can’t currently fulfill, such as scattering their remains in one of their favorite places.
There are also plastic cremation bags you can store the ashes in. However, do note that not only is this plainer than an urn, but it’s also more harmful to the environment, as it uses plastic.
A creative way to store cremated remains is to purchase specialized jewelry. This allows you to keep your loved one’s remains close to you in a beautiful piece. You can also give these out as gifts to your family; everyone will have a little part of your loved one.
Where To Put Ashes From Cremation
If you’ve chosen to keep your loved one’s remains in an urn, then you have several options in your home to display it. Any place where you’d put something decorative is a potential place to put the urn.
For instance, you can put it on the mantlepiece, bookshelf, or a dedicated floating shelf. If you’re not concerned about displaying the urn and its remains, you can always put it in storage (such as in the basement or closet), as the urn will protect the ashes.
Here are a few other ideas of where to put your loved one’s remains.
In Plants
Whether it’s an indoor potted plant or an outdoor tree in the yard, it can be a creative idea to mix some of your loved one’s ashes in the soil to help grow some greenery.
That way, when the plant or tree’s fully grown, the deceased’s memory can live on in some new life. It can be a beautiful way of celebrating them.
In Works Of Art
Today’s technology enables you to incorporate ashes into either concrete or glass. You can then either create works of art on your own with that or commission someone to do so for you.
The end result is something you can put in your home that visitors can admire. It can certainly be a great conversation piece as well.
In A Columbarium Niche
In some situations, you may prefer not to have your loved one’s remains in your home. For example, you might have small children or pets that might break the urn and spill its contents everywhere.
In that case, a good alternative is to have the urn placed in a columbarium niche. Usually, cemeteries and churches will have these. They’ll allow you to store not just the urn, but also other mementos in the niche so you can personalize the space.
Scatter The Ashes
Maybe your loved one had a favorite place to go. Perhaps they’ve even requested to be put to rest there.
In that case, you can pack up the bag or urn and go on a small trip. Take a drive up to that family cabin and scatter your loved one’s remains on the land there. Or maybe take a drive out to a rural piece of land you’ve always loved spending time with them at.
This can be a very creative way to honor the memory of the deceased. However, make sure you don’t break any laws in the process and that you respect people’s private properties.
Honor Your Loved One
Now that you’ve read this article, now you know where to put ashes from cremation and how to store them properly. With this newfound knowledge, you’ll be able to have peace of mind knowing that not only are you storing the cremated remains properly but that you’re also honoring your loved one in the best way possible.
If you’re looking for a green funeral home to help with cremation and funeral planning, please get in touch with us today. We are the first environmentally-sustainable funeral home in Texas.
