4 Unique Things To Do With Your Cremains

If you choose cremation for a recently departed loved one, the funeral home will return the cremains (ashes) of the body to you. You must then decide what to do with them. Some people inter them into a grave after a brief graveside service. Others choose to scatter them over a favorite spot or into the sea. While those are excellent choices, there are also many unique ways to create the final destination for the cremains. Here are a few. 

1. Exploded In Fireworks

Did the dearly departed love a fireworks show, or was their personality larger than life? If so, the funeral home can help you send your loved ones off with a bang. A few cremains are loaded into firework shells and launched during a brief fireworks display.

Some companies offer professional firework shows, while others provide a self-fired kit you and your family can do at home. This practice is widespread in the UK and is being seen more in the US, although you may have to contact a fireworks company to find one that offers this type of funeral service.

2. Tattooed Onto You

You can keep your loved one's ashes with you wherever you go by having the ashes tattooed onto your skin. Specialized tattooed artists will take a small portion of the cremains and grind them to an even finer consistency to mix with the tattoo ink. The artist then uses this ash-infused ink to create a ritual or commemorative tattoo. 

Ash-infused ink is just as safe as any other ink, and the tattoo artist will follow the standard sanitation procedures. You may have to call around to find a tattoo artist willing to perform this practice, as only some artists do. 

3. Displayed As A Diamond

You can wear your cremains for generations as a beautiful piece of jewelry. Some companies will take the carbon within your cremains and turn it into laboratory-created diamonds. 

Once created, memorial diamonds have the same chemical and physical properties as authentic diamonds. The stones are graded based on the four C's of cut, clarity, color, and carat size. Each stone is certified and comes with a certificate of guarantee. You can then use the stone or stones in beautiful jewelry. These pieces are guaranteed to become family heirlooms for generations to come. 

4. Planted As A Tree

Does the thought of returning the cremains to the earth and being rewarded with a beautiful plant or tree appeal to you? If so, you can plant the cremains in a biodegradable urn with soil and a living tree. The tree will grow and become a living memorial to the deceased.

Contact a local funeral home to learn more about cremains.