10 Unusual Items People Have Turned into Memorial Keepsakes

When people we love leave us, it’s natural to want to find a way to commemorate their presence. This could mean taking items that they used in life and repurposing them to become memorial keepsakes that can bring a lot of comfort.

This can be an effective way to keep the memory of a loved one alive while also bringing comfort and reassurance. These items might be something that you keep with you every day to bring strength and comfort to everyday moments, or they might be kept in a safe place where you can bring them out when you want to find comfort. For inspiration, explore our memorial keepsakes collection.

These are some of the most popular and some more unusual items people often turn into memorial keepsakes. If you’re clearing a property and aren’t sure what to do with certain items, this list might help you to make some difficult decisions.

Type	Description	Shop at AWA
Jewellery	Memorial keepsake jewellery using ashes or engravings.	Ashes Jewellery
Clothing	Create memory bears or quilts from loved one's clothing.	N/A
Handwriting	Engraved onto jewellery or used for tattoo designs.	N/A
Fingerprints	Used in pendants or engraved on urn decorations.	N/A
Music (Vinyl)	Ashes pressed into vinyl with a song or voice note.	N/A
Tattoo	Tattoo ink infused with ashes for a lasting tribute.	N/A
Glass Art	Ashes rolled into molten glass for ornaments or keepsakes.	Glass Memorials
Diamonds	Real diamonds created from ashes, used in fine jewellery.	Ashes to Diamonds
Paintings	Portrait or abstract artwork made with ashes in the paint.	N/A
Voice Notes	Recordings embedded in toys or custom gifts for children.	N/A

Jewellery

The most popular item we see created as a memorial keepsake is jewellery. From special occasion jewellery to everyday pieces, this can be a great source of support during the grieving process.

Memorial jewellery might simply have an inscription, or it could be a locket containing a small picture of the loved one. It could also contain a small amount of the person’s ashes. You can view our full range of ashes jewellery to see what's possible.

Designing ashes jewellery is also very therapeutic and can be an important part of the grieving process. It’s a creative and mindful task that can focus your attention in a positive way.

Clothing

Items of clothing can be transformed into a memorial item with a bit of imagination. Popular keepsakes include teddy bears made from items of clothing including shirts, ties and dressing gowns. These bears might also be decorated with items of jewellery that are meaningful and special.

Another popular idea is to turn t-shirts and shirts into a quilt. The items of clothing are cut up into squares and then sewn together with wadding and backing. The result is a beautiful quilt that can bring comfort to those left grieving.

Handwriting

A person’s handwriting can be a touching keepsake. You could have the text engraved onto a pendant necklace, or even have this turned into a tattoo. Handwriting is a beautiful tribute as it is so uniquely personal to you.

You might choose to memorialise the last note they left for you, or a message from a birthday card or similar.

Finger prints

Like handwriting, fingerprints are also incredibly personal. Taking fingerprints from the deceased can allow you to create jewellery or tattoo designs containing the finger prints. You can also have the fingerprints set in a precious metal medallion to be added to the top of the urn.

Music

Perhaps one of the most unique ways to memorialise your loved one is with music. You can have the ashes of a loved one set into a vinyl record, allowing you to create a truly unique pressing. There will only be one of its kind in existence, and it will allow you to remember things like their favourite songs or even a recording of their voice.

Tattoos

Did you know that ashes are sterile and can therefore be added to tattoo ink? It’s important to choose a reputable tattoo artist with experience of doing this to make sure that it’s safe, but it is possible to have a loved one’s ashes tattooed onto your skin. You could combine this with an idea from above, such as creating a tattoo of their finger print or handwriting.

Glass Artwork

Ashes can also be rolled into molten glass and suspended forever in a piece of art. Stained glass is a popular option, but you can also design sculptures made from glass that are designed to hang on a wall.

Glass artworks are uplifting, colourful and invite light into your home. This can be a beautiful tribute to a loved one. You can also design glass gemstones that can be set into jewellery, or turned into ornaments for the Christmas tree, or a placeholder for the dining table. If you’re looking for a simple way to keep your loved one included in special occasions, this is a great way to achieve this. Read more in our article about turning ashes into glass art.

Diamonds

Did you know ashes can be transformed into a real diamond? The process takes a small portion of the ashes and subjects them to the same pressure and heat that forms diamonds in the centre of the earth. The finished result is a real diamond that can be placed into jewellery or set in a watch. This is a very expensive process, and the resulting diamond might not have the same colour and clarity as a mined diamond, but the result is still very impressive.

Paintings

There are plenty of portrait artists who will add the ashes of a loved one into their paint before they start work on a portrait. And if you don’t want a portrait hanging in your home, you could also commission a landscape of their favourite place or something else of significance. Abstract paintings are also an excellent choice if you are looking for something more versatile to hang up in your home.

Voice notes

Perhaps one of the blessings of the modern age is the chance to hold on to voice notes sent by loved ones. You can also transform these into touching memorial keepsakes with a bit of imagination.

For example, you could add a voice note to a teddy bear, or you can have it added to a customised children’s book. This is a great choice for creating keepsakes for younger children. Just be sure to keep hold of the original recording so that you never lose it.

Final thoughts on memorial keepsakes

As you can see, there’s plenty of room to think outside of the box with memorial keepsakes. You don’t have to choose something conventional or something that you find boring. There’s lots of room to personalise the keepsake and create something that holds a lot of meaning for you.

Getting creative with cremation ashes is one method for making hugely meaningful keepsake items that can bring you comfort through your grief.

The great thing about these items is that you can keep them close when you need them, but then put them to one side and in a safe place if you feel you don’t want to be reminded as much. Eventually, your grief will reach its conclusion of acceptance and you’ll find comfort in the memory again.

Keepsakes are simply a way to support yourself until you find that the memory brings more joy than discomfort. This is why unique and personalised memorial keepsakes are so effective.