Wood cremation urns all use durable hardwoods, so the "best" wood for urns is simply a matter of personal taste and style. Different kinds of wood offer unique grain patterns and colors, and cherry, walnut, and oak are all popular picks.
There is no mention of scattering ashes in the Bible, but the Catholic Church prohibits scattering because it teaches that a person's body should be interred in a sacred resting place (i.e., graveyard, which is a cemetery located on church grounds). Cremation is permitted under the basis that cremated remains are treated as if they were a whole body, and the act of scattering goes against this practice.
Cremation urns made from metal and stone are best for burying ashes, because these materials are strong enough to resist collapsing under the weight and pressure of soil. Urns made of wood may still be buried if the urn is enclosed in an urn vault designed for burial, but metal and stone urns are preferable because wooden urns may degrade over time from moisture. Biodegradable urns are also ideal for burial, because they are designed to break down in soil and water in an eco-friendly manner. You should decide if you prefer to bury an urn that will last for decades or centuries, or an urn that will break down and leave no environmental impact.
Anyone can fill a cremation urn with ashes or other sentimental items, and there are no special qualifications or training needed. However, if you are uncomfortable with handling your loved one's cremated remains, you can ask your funeral home or cremation provider to fill the urn for you.
Urns are typically used to hold the cremated remains or "ashes" of a person that has passed away, but urns, especially keepsake urns or jewelry urns, can hold other items as well. Other items that can be placed inside keepsake urns or jewelry urns include soil or sand from a burial site, dried flower petals, sentimental notes and other paper, fabric from a meaningful blanket or piece of clothing, locks of hair or fur, or anything else you can think of.
Cremation jewelry typically has a small compartment where a tiny amount of ashes can be placed, often sealed with a screw or other closure method. For your convenience, we include a filling kit with each jewelry order, which contains a detailed instruction pamphlet, a funnel, a pipette, a toothpick, and sealing glue.
Showering with cremation jewelry isn't a good idea, because you risk damaging the jewelry piece or introducing water into the ashes compartment. To protect your cremation jewelry, you should set it in a dry place before performing routine hygiene tasks.
If a cremation urn has not been permanently sealed with glue, it can be opened again by unscrewing the threaded closure or removing any screws holding a lid in place. An urn may be opened to transfer the remains into a new urn, perhaps because the current urn is a temporary container or a new urn has been chosen for the ashes. An urn may also be opened to remove the remains for other final disposition, such as scattering. However, a cremation urn does not need to be opened for maintenance or cleaning, and does not need to be replaced unless the urn is damaged. Opening an urn can introduce moisture to cremated remains, so it shouldn't be opened unless necessary.
Cremation is not universally forbidden in Christianity, and it is becoming increasingly accepted among many denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church. A respectful Christian cremation must bury the deceased's cremated remains intact, and prohibits dividing the ashes or scattering them. Some traditional branches, like Eastern Orthodoxy and certain conservative Protestant groups, discourage cremation because they believe that the body must be intact in order for resurrection to occur.
The Bible does not explicitly forbid cremation. In the Old Testament, 1 Samuel 31:12 mentions that Saul and his sons were cremated and buried, although this cremation occurs as a response to their bodies being dismembered post-mortem by the warring Philistines. On the other hand, Amos 2:1 describes God punishing the people of Moab for sins which include burning the bones of Edom's king. Burial is depicted much more frequently in the Bible, which implies that burial is the preferred method of final disposition according to the Bible. It is important to note that views on cremation are changing within Christianity, and many denominations today permit it.
At In the Light Urns, urns are engraved using one of several different methods, depending on the type of urn. We engrave our urns using laser engraving, diamond drag engraving, and sand blast engraving. Laser engraving uses a focused laser beam to etch designs or text onto a surface, and is appropriate for wooden urns. Diamond drag engraving uses a diamond tip to physically carve designs into our metal urns. If a metal urn features a wrapped design, like our Winter Wolf Moon urns, we use sand blast engraving to blow sand across the stenciled surface of the urn and wear away the top layer of the design. Our urns are all stocked and engraved within one warehouse.
First, the deceased's body will be prepared for cremation. This includes removing items that can’t be cremated such as jewelry or certain medical implants, identifying the person with a unique number stamped onto a small metal disk, and placing the body into a casket or combustible container (optional).
Then, when it is time for cremation, an operator will load the casket into a cremation chamber, where intense heat will reduce the body to bone fragments over the course of a few hours. The identifying metal disk will be hung on the outside of the cremation chamber during this time.
After the cremation has finished, the remaining fragments will be processed into a fine, sand-like consistency, finally being returned to the family as cremated remains or "ashes." The identifying metal disk will be included in the bag of cremated remains to confirm the person's identity.
You do not always have to wait to cremate a deceased person, but most funeral homes and crematoriums in the United States will wait three days before proceeding with either cremation or burial. This waiting period allows grieving family and friends to make arrangements for a memorial service or funeral, and provides time for transportation and the service itself. Additionally, the extra time allows the funeral home and crematorium to obtain a death certificate and the immediate family's permission to cremate. If your loved one has pre-planned for a direct cremation without a memorial service, you may be able to have your loved one cremated immediately, depending on your cremation provider.
A wood urn, metal urn, or any type of urn should have a size that corresponds with its intended use. If a person's complete ashes will be stored within one urn, the size of the urn should be large enough to accommodate the full volume. A general guideline is to assume that at least one cubic inch of volume will be necessary per pound of body weight. For example, a person who weighed 125 pounds would need an urn with a volume of over 125 cubic inches. Wood urns also come in keepsake and medium sizes for holding a portion of ashes, and extra-large and companion sizes for holding more than 200 cubic inches of remains.
Selecting the right urn size is important to ensure you have an urn that can accommodate your loved one's remains. It can be distressing to discover that an urn you picked is too small for your loved one. Fortunately, a standard-sized urn is properly sized to hold the full volume of ashes from most adults, which can take some of the guesswork out of choosing urn sizes. Use our urn size calculator to estimate the approximate volume you will need for your loved one's ashes, and when in doubt, always size up.
When filling an urn, you can choose between placing the entire bag of ashes into the urn (bag transfer), or pouring the ashes from the bag into the urn (direct transfer). Both methods are acceptable, and if you feel uncomfortable directly touching cremated remains, it's perfectly fine to keep your loved one's ashes inside the bag they came in.
A good starting estimate is to assume one pound of a person's weight while alive will produce one cubic inch of cremated remains. Therefore, if a person weighed 100 pounds, you can expect to receive about 100 cubic inches of ashes. A suitable urn for a 100lb person should be able to hold a bit over 100 cubic inches of ashes, leaving some room at the top to avoid the ashes overflowing or spilling over the lip of the urn. All standard adult urns will be appropriate, although you may also be able to use a medium-sized urn if it has a volume of over 100 cubic inches.
When scattering ashes, you might say a few words that honor the memory and life of the deceased, sharing a personal story or a meaningful quote. It's also common to take a moment of silence for reflection, and if appropriate, invite others to share their thoughts or feelings before gently releasing the ashes into the chosen location.
Generally, one pound of a person's weight when alive will correspond to one cubic inch of cremated remains. For example, if a person weighed 150 pounds while alive, their loved ones can expect to receive 150 cubic inches of cremated remains, and should look for an urn with a volume of at least 150 cubic inches. A standard adult urn, which has a volume of at least 200 cubic inches, would be appropriate for this person. For a detailed estimation on the volume of ashes you may expect to receive after cremation, please visit our Urn Calculator. To read more about urn sizes, visit our detailed urn size guide.
You can use any container you find appropriate to hold your loved one's ashes or your future ashes, and if you feel that no cremation urns you find are suitable, you can make your own urn for ashes. However, depending on the materials you use to create a DIY urn, the urn may not be as durable and long-lasting as an urn that was professionally manufactured. At In the Light Urns, we create custom cremation urns for ashes and can help you make a personalized urn for your needs. Our 3D-printed custom urns are excellent choices for an urn that you can design to be printed in any shape or style imaginable.