14 Ways to Memorialize Deceased Loved Ones in the Home

Before he passed away, one thoughtful grandfather had this pillow made and left instructions it be given to his grandchild after he was gone, with a touching note sewn in: “This is a shirt I used to wear. Whenever you hold it, know that I am there. -Love Grandad.”

A similar idea involves creating a teddy bear from a departed loved one’s clothing, giving you something to hug tight in moments of grief. Numerous crafters on Etsy can create these bears, which can become a treasured memento or family heirloom in years to come.

If the dearly departed was a wine enthusiast, use an article of his or her clothing to create an attractive wine bottle cozy, which will fill you with fond memories every time you fill your glass.

If the deceased left behind a collection of neckties, a wonderful way to honour his memory is through a quilt such as this one. It can also serve a therapeutic purpose: to gather items while cleaning out closets can provide something of an emotional catharsis – to say nothing of the feeling of wrapping yourself up in a blanket made of memories.

If there are any leftover neckties, using them to make a throw pillow or cushion is another excellent idea.

One more way to memorialize neckties – by using them to create a holiday tree skirt. This way, each year the Christmas tree goes up will open the floodgates for holiday memories to pour in.

If you have a piece of wood furniture that was left to you by a departed friend of family member, keep that person’s memory alive by engraving his or her name, or perhaps a favourite saying or message, right into the furniture. It’s like having a memorial bench in a park, but far more personal.

Most places that frame photos will also frame a cherished item of clothing, such as a beloved sports jersey or wedding dress, which can be hung on the wall as a memorial tribute. In many ways, it’s more personal and meaningful than a framed portrait or photo.

If there are other mementos that hold cherished memories, you can have them framed and transform the keepsakes into wall-hanging memorial tributes.

If you have the cremated ashes of a loved one, the Poetree is a ceramic cremation urn that is designed to be used as a backyard planter, with the deceased’s ashes finding a permanent resting place in the roots of an ever-growing tree you can plant in that person’s honour. The base can even be personalized with the departed’s name. The process is described as “custom cremation cultivation.”

Another way to utilize a loved one’s ashes is by having them compressed and transformed into a diamond or gemstone. In fact, a company called LifeGem specializes in this process, with the end result worn as a piece of jewelry or kept in a place of honour in your home as a constant reminder.

One of the most unorthodox uses for a loved one’s ashes is to utilize them in a hand-painted portrait of that person. Raven J. Collins, a visual artist based in Tampa, Florida, specializes in creating portraits of deceased loved ones with their cremated remains mixed into the paint.

If storing the departed’s ashes in an urn seems too impersonal, a company called Cremation Solutions will create a life-sized sculpture of the person’s head, which doubles as an urn in which the ashes are stored. “With advances in facial analysis and the advent of state-of-the-art 3D imaging, these high-tech urns can be made to look like anyone,” says the company’s website, adding that the full-sized urns are 11 inches tall and cost $2,600.

If the late loved one had a tattoo and the idea isn’t too ghoulish for you, some companies have the means to remove the tattooed skin and preserve it in a special frame so the inked patch of skin can be hung on the wall for you to enjoy for years after its bearer’s passing. Despite what you may think, this is actually for real.