As Unique as Your Loved One: 7 Thoughtful DIY Memorial Keepsake Ideas
Learn about thoughtful DIY memorial keepsakes you can make to honor a loved one.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Ideas for Thoughtful DIY Memorial Keepsakes
- About Opal Cremation
- FAQs
- Additional Resources
Key Takeaways
- When a loved one passes away, you feel an extreme sense of loss. A thoughtful DIY memorial keepsake can keep their memory alive.
- There are several keepsake ideas to choose from, such as quilts, stuffed animals, pillowcases, and windchimes. You can even turn your loved one’s ashes into a cremation diamond or parting stone.
- Creating these items is a therapeutic process that can help you deal with your grief.
Introduction
When a loved one passes away, it can be devastating for family and friends. Often, those who are left behind experience feelings of sadness and a sense of emptiness for a period of time that can last anywhere from weeks to years. As part of the closure process, families in Los Angeles and Orange County may have to go through their loved one’s belongings, including clothing and other items they used.
Naturally, you can’t keep everything that a loved one used to own. So, how do you decide what to keep or how to repurpose some items so that they aren’t just taking up space in your house? Here are 7 thoughtful DIY memorial keepsakes to treasure, along with ideas for repurposing sentimental items.
Ideas for Thoughtful DIY Memorial Keepsakes
1. Create a quilt, pillowcase, or stuffed animal made of your loved one’s clothes.
Did your loved one collect concert T-shirts or have a particular flannel shirt for every day of the week? You can donate these clothes to Goodwill, or, if you feel sad about parting with something so integral to your loved one, you can sew all the shirts together to create a quilt or pillowcase. Then, when you fall asleep, you can wrap yourself in your loved one and keep a bit of them there with you.
Also, for children who’ve lost parents or grandparents, you can take pieces of these items and sew them onto a stuffed animal or create a stuffed animal out of favorite pieces of clothing.
“When they pick it up, it’s usually happy tears cause now they’re seeing this clothing item brought back to life.”
Colleen Higgins, a maker of memorial keepsakes, from the article Mentor Woman Transforms Items of Those Who Have Died Into Memorial Keepsakes
2. Take beloved knick-knacks from around their house and put them into a shadow box.
A shadow box is a deep picture frame with space between the glass and the backing, used to display keepsakes such as veterans’ medals, souvenirs, or other items. It’s a great way to bring your loved one’s spirit alive.
Maybe your loved one had a favorite deck of cards, a necklace or chain they wore all the time, or something else that was a part of their spirit and personality. You can collect their items and display them in a shadow box, which can even include a photo of your loved one.
3. Take a loved one’s baking items and recipes and combine them into a practical kitchen item.
If your loved one was an avid baker or chef, they probably have a lot of culinary items and recipes around their kitchen. One thing you can do is imprint their recipes on pie pans, cutting boards, mugs, napkins, and any other items to keep your loved one around your own kitchen. These even make great gifts for family members.
If there are too many recipes to choose just one, you can compile them and create a cookbook that you can then print and share with other family members or friends.
4. Make a holiday ornament made out of the deceased’s jewelry.
The holidays can be a challenging time of year when you’re mourning a loss. One way to repurpose a loved one’s jewelry or knick-knack is to make it into a holiday ornament that you can hang on the Christmas tree or on a holiday wreath.
Insert a hook or place the item in a setting with a hook, and hang it on your tree so you can feel their presence during the holiday season.
5. Turn a loved one’s ashes into diamonds or Parting Stones.
If you opt for cremation for a loved one, what do you do with the remains? They’re perfectly fine sitting on a mantle, but maybe you want to do something more with them. We have some ideas:
- Turn Your Loved One’s Ashes Into a Diamond: Get glamorous with your loved one’s ashes by transforming them into a diamond. Eterneva is the company to do it, offering transparent services and a range of personalized designs. Opal partners with Eterneva to get the process off to a great start and handle all the tedious details.
- Parting Stone: Another option is to have your loved one’s ashes processed into a lovely stone. Parting Stone offers unique designs, ensuring no two stones are alike. The stones can then be put on display or added to a memorial garden. Opal can help you connect with this company to ensure a smooth process.
As an affiliate for Parting Stone and Eterneva, we can walk you through any questions you may have. We can even start the arrangement process, ensuring you have all you need to get started. When we put our trust in a company, we mean it. You can count on these providers to offer transparent services.
6. Engrave an everyday object with your loved one’s name or a short phrase.
On the TV series Frasier, Frasier Crane’s dad had a favorite chair he always sat in (much to Frasier’s chagrin, who thought it was ugly). And yet that chair probably has sentimental value to Frasier since he loves his father so much. Family members and friends who inherit items that they don’t necessarily love but might not want to part with can decorate them with engravings or short phrases to repurpose them into something that honors their loved one.
7. Make wind chimes with items from a gardener’s or a craftsperson’s workroom.
Southern California families can repurpose some of their loved one’s most cherished items, such as gardening tools, old wine bottles, and scraps of metal from workrooms, into wind chimes, creating a sonic remembrance. Here’s how the process might look:
- Choose items that can hang, like keys, shells, small tools, charms, and beads
- Find a top sturdy ring like an embroidery hoop, an old strainer, driftwood, a stick, or a small wire hanger
- Mark 4-8 evenly spaced points where you will hang the strands
- Drill small holes into each point
- Cut several lengths of line or thread, ensuring you have enough length for the item to hang after the thread is knotted onto the hanger
- Knot the thread to the hanger and use the other end to attach the objects
- Attach a wire to the top of the hanger and hang it where you please
When creating wind chimes, ensure your items balance well so the decoration hangs evenly. Look for items that are not only easy to hang but also have a pleasing sound upon impact. Remember, they are supposed to ring out when the wind hits them.
Choosing the Right DIY Memorial Keepsake for Your Loved One
| Keepsake Idea | Best For | Emotional Benefit | Practical Tips |
| Quilt, Pillowcase, Stuffed Animal from Clothing | Someone who wore signature outfits | Creates a comfortable, tactile reminder you can hold or sleep with | Start with a few pieces instead of the whole closet, if you’re not a sewer cut the pieces and hire a professional to assemble them |
| Shadow Box of Knick-Knacks | Loved ones who had a lot of small, meaningful objects | Provides a memory of your loved one that’s on display, eliminating the need to dig through boxes for memorabilia | Choose a theme for the box that aligns with your loved one’s personality, use removable mounting so you can access items if you want to rearrange them |
| Kitchen Items & Recipe Keepsakes | Avid bakers | Recipes evoke strong memories and make their presence felt during gatherings | Choose famous favorites, copy originals before imprinting to ensure you have backup |
| Holiday Ornaments from Jewelry or Trinkets | Someone who enjoyed holiday traditions | Creates a ritual of remembering them every holiday season | Use lightweight pieces that won’t make branches sag, if the item is fragile, put it in a clear ornament ball instead of hanging it directly on the tree |
| Ashes into Diamonds or Parting Stones | Families who want lasting, portable memorial items | Offers a sense of closeness, can be worn or displayed in a fashionable manner | Set a budget, choose a trusted provider, determine if any other family members want to be involved |
| Engraved Everyday Objects | Inherited items that are meaningful but not your style | Helps transform clutter into a tribute with a story and place in your home | Engrave a short phrase, nickname or quote; if you can’t engrave the object, attach a small, engraved metal tag or plaque |
| Windchimes from Tools and Workrooms | People who enjoyed being crafty | Creates a gentle hello when the wind blows, connects the person’s memory to nature | Mix light and medium-weight items for better sound; test how pieces chime together before final assembly, hang somewhere sheltered but breezy |
About Opal Cremation
Opal Cremation knows that losing a loved one can be an emotionally difficult time, and helps Los Angeles and Orange County families navigate this confusing period. As part of an all-inclusive package, we offer direct cremation services throughout Southern California and can customize packages to accommodate each family and individual. Instead of coming in for an in-person appointment, Opal is happy to organize the entire cremation process over the phone so that you can spend time with family and friends during this challenging time.
Opal Cremation is with you every step of the way, with a dedicated care team available to offer communication and support 24 hours a day. Contact us today to arrange direct cremation in Los Angeles or Orange County. For more information, visit our support center, which includes answers to your questions about cremation and other relevant resources.
Choose one of our Southern California cremation locations to get started:
Los Angeles Cremation • San Diego Cremation • Orange County Cremation
FAQs
What are some simple memorial keepsake ideas I can start with?
Simple memorial keepsake ideas to start with include a framed photo collage, a memory box or shadow box with small memorabilia, a candle with a custom label or etched glass, or a printed quote in their handwriting turned into wall art.
Can DIY memorials be part of a funeral or celebration of life?
Yes, DIY memorials can absolutely be part of a funeral or celebration of life. You can use the items as decorations for your celebration or ceremony, or make the creation of the keepsake its own event.
How do I choose the right keepsake idea for my loved one?
Determine the right keepsake idea by thinking about what represents them. These could be their hobbies and passions, a favorite color, place, or saying, or an item they wore or used.
How can I involve friends and family in making memorial keepsakes?
You can involve friends and family in making memorial keepsakes by hosting a memory craft gathering, asking each person to contribute a note, photo, or small object, or making small keepsakes to share with others who are grieving.
How do I make a memorial keepsake without feeling emotionally flooded?
You can prevent your emotions from overwhelming you when making a memorial keepsake by working in short sessions and taking plenty of breaks, keeping tissues and water nearby, playing calming music, lighting a candle, or inviting a friend or family member to work with you.
Additional Resources:
5 Ideas for a Unique Memorial Celebration After Cremation
How to Plan and Plant a Memorial Garden
Going Out With a Bang: Cremation Fireworks
Before You Send Flowers, Here Are 5 Unique Sympathy Gift Ideas
