Cremation Urn Decorating Ideas For Your Home

When you bring your cremation urn home for the first time, you might be wondering about the best way to display it in your home. There are so many options available to you, and there is no reason you have to stick to one idea. 

You can change your display with the seasons, making sure your loved one remains part of the changing calendar. Or you might change the display around special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries.

Whatever you choose, remember that an urn decoration is deeply personal and should be something that makes you feel warm and comforted every time you look at it.

If you have chosen to keep all or part of the ashes in your home instead of scattering or burying the ashes, then you clearly have an emotional connection to the physical ashes. For this reason, it makes sense to create a space in your home to memorialise your loved one. Here are some of our favourite cremation urn decorating ideas for your home.

What makes a good cremation urn decorating idea?

It should be deeply personal to you and give you a space in your home for a moment of quiet reflection. If the display brings you pain or discomfort from the sense of loss, then it might be time to scale it back until you have had time to process your grief. When you are ready to reflect fondly, you can create your cremation urn display that evokes warm and happy memories.

Surrounded by pictures

There are few keepsakes more treasured than photographs. Creating a photo display around the urn is a beautiful way to keep your loved one in your thoughts. You could display the photos on the wall behind the urn, or you could group mismatched frames together on a mantelpiece to create a small memorial. The photographs will help you to feel more connected to your loved one and the memories you shared together.

Floral display

Floral display

Real or artificial flowers can make a stunning display for your urn. Placing the urn at the centre of a floral display doesn’t have to be difficult, and most people can create a beautiful display without spending a fortune. Choosing artificial flowers will allow you to keep the display year-round, while real blooms might be ideal for a special occasion. Many people assume that floral tributes are only appropriate for the service or the wake, but this isn’t the case. Keeping flowers in your home is the perfect way to mark special occasions and to keep your loved one in your thoughts.

Carved wooden urn

Choosing a wooden urn opens up a world of possibilities for carving a design into the box. You could choose a memorial poem, significant dates and even add a photograph to the urn. Some people also like ornate carvings with patterns, animals and other decorative features. If you are skilled at carving, you might like to try this yourself, otherwise, you might want to commission a professional to bring your vision to life.

Children’s decorations

Giving young children free rein to decorate the urn can be an excellent way to help everyone involved to find closure. The best option to allow a child to decorate the urn would be a plain, unfinished aluminium urn. You will then need paint that is suitable for use on metal. You could also use decoupage materials to create a collage on the urn. You could also add flowers, photographs and other memorial keepsakes to help create something deeply personal to your family.

Glass artwork

Displaying the urn alongside a glass artwork containing the ashes of your loved one will create a modern and contemporary look for your interior. You could choose artwork designed to hang on the wall, or you could select a smaller piece like a pebble or small hanging decoration. We offer a wide selection of glass art pieces and memorial keepsakes that would be beautiful when displayed alongside a simple urn. If you decide to scatter the ashes at a later date, you will always have the memorial ashes keepsake to spark beautiful memories.

Scented candles

Scented candles

Placing the urn alongside a simple scented candle display is a beautiful way to evoke the senses in your memorial. Scent has a way of bringing back powerful memories, so you could choose a scented candle that takes you back to a time or a place. When you need a lift, light the candle and you’ll have the sense that your loved one is close to you again. Popular scents include sandalwood to evoke the seaside and lavender to help promote relaxation. If the person you are mourning had a favourite scent, this is the ideal way to honour their memory.

Plants and indoor gardens

Placing the urn at the base of a plant pot is the perfect way to create a discreet memorial display for your home. Choose a hardy plant that requires very little maintenance so that you won’t have to feel guilty if the plant looks neglected. If the person you are mourning was a plant person, choose a display of their favourite plants and flowers, or create a small indoor garden that will allow you to keep the memory of your loved one close. If you aren’t confident you can keep plants alive, choosing artificial plants could be a better option. They will look just as beautiful, but you won’t have to worry about their leaves turning brown.

Family tree

If you have more than one urn in your home, you could create a display of the living and the deceased in the style of a family tree. This could be a shelf or wall in your home that is dedicated to memories of those who have departed and a celebration of those who are still here. This type of memorial display is unique because it allows you to continue to add to it as your family evolves and changes. You’ll always have a place for those who have left us, but the living will also feel they are a part of the celebration of life.