Choosing the Right Urn to Honor Your Late Mother

There are many different options when choosing a beautiful, unique, and pretty urn for your beloved mom. Cremation urns come in so many different materials, shapes, sizes, patterns, and colors. Sometimes the choice can get a little overwhelming, but that is why we’re here to help take the stress off your shoulders.

What to Consider When Choosing an Urn

1. Size

Urns come in many diverse shapes and sizes: small, mini, medium, large, and extra-large urns. Your beloved mother’s stature will determine what size urn you need. Knowing which size to get can be confusing, but a general rule is that you will need one cubic inch for every pound of body weight before cremation.

2. Cost

The next most important factor is cost and budget. Unlike caskets, urns are truly quite affordable, but the cost is dependent on design, material, and whether you opt for a personalized urn or a standard one. Finding a beautiful, memorable urn for $100 or less is possible if you are on a tight budget.

3. Materials

Ceramic, marble, stone, glass, steel, wood, and metal are a few of the most common materials used to manufacture an urn. The material plays a role in the urn’s appearance and durability. You need to ask yourself what you’re going to do with the urn. If you need to travel with, then more durable materials like metal or wood could withstand the voyage. If you want to display the urn in your home, a more beautiful material like ceramic or stone could be the best option. If you want to scatter or bury your mother’s ashes, you could consider a more affordable or even biodegradable material.

4. Style

The style of the urn is often dependent on the material, but in recent years, infusing the ashes into a decorative glass or crystal piece has gained popularity. Another interesting option is cremation jewelry, where you can purchase a necklace that contains a portion of your mom’s ashes to keep her close to your heart, literally and metaphorically.

5. Personalization

If you’ve already browsed through some different urns but haven’t felt like any of them are the one, it is also possible to have a personalized urn created. This is a pricier option, but it allows you to choose an urn that meets all of your criteria.

Types of Urns to Choose From

1. Individual Urn

Most cremation urns are made for one individual and generally hold around 200 cubic inches of cremated ashes. They come in various materials, and extra-large urns are also available for purchase.

2. Keepsake Urn

These urns are a lot smaller than standard urns and only hold a portion of the ashes. They generally hold anywhere from 20 to 100 cubic inches. Keepsake urns are a great option if you have a large family and would like to split the ashes up between everyone.

3. Eco-Friendly Urn

Eco-friendly urns are designed to be biodegradable and earth-friendly. They break down over some time, and vary in shape, style, and material according to their use. Some urns can be buried while others float in the ocean, dispersing the ashes. These urns can hold anywhere from 6 to 250 cubic inches of ashes.

4. Traditional Vase

The vase is the most established style of urn and comes in numerous styles, shapes, and materials. You also get flower vase urns which are created to hold flowers and will fit into your home, while allowing you to honor your mom with flowers.

5. Wallmount Urn

Wallmount urns look similar to the vase urn but are designed to be mounted to the wall. This style of urn is usually made out of wood.

6. Outdoor Urn

These urns are more sturdy, durable, and either made of granite or stone. Outdoor urns are more affordable than a traditional burial, and you can keep them in a graveyard, crematorium, or garden.

How to Personalize an Urn

Many urns can be personalized with your mother’s name, a beautiful quote, poem, verse, or design representing her personality and interests. Personalizing an urn can be done in a few ways, including laser engraving wood, metal, and stone urns or fired-on and glazed-over lettering for ceramic urns. Some urns can also be etched with a black and white photo of your mom.

Some tips for personalizing an urn are to keep it brief and simple. We know it will be hard to try and sum up your mother’s life, but often, fewer words are more timeless and meaningful. Don’t try and squeeze in too much. Remember that the urn has two sides and certain urns have a larger surface for engraving.

In Summary: How to Choose the Right Urn

There are multiple urns for moms, and the choice is never an easy one. An urn is so much more than just a vessel; it’s a reminder of the person you love and the light they brought to your life. Fortunately, with all the various styles and shapes out there, you can choose one that is the best representation of your mother. There are also some non-traditional keepsake urn options that you might prefer.

If your mom loved to read, you could get a book with a hollow compartment inside for the ashes and display it in your home. There are candle urns with little compartments for the ashes and a place to put a memorial candle. You could also have your mother’s ashes turned into a diamond which is a beautiful way to keep her close. Keepsake urns are a wonderful way for your mom’s ashes to be distributed to all family members, and they can all memorialize her in the way that resonates with them the most. There is no wrong or right way; you just need to choose what feels best.