I had a lot of people asking about Urn/memorial boxes for remains today. So here is a little bit of info regarding that. The urns/ memorial boxes I provide are for private keeping, meaning they have to be on your property. In some cases, they can be used for cemeteries, but you have to clear it with the cemetery since each has their own regulations. The boxes I usually do are not meant to be buried.
One question was “where are the urns”. Well, since most want them customized, I usually only have one or two for animals in stock. Unlike typical urns, my memorial boxes can be wildly customized. Starting from the wood you want to use, to an engraved design or objects of sentimental value encased in resin as part of the lid.
Price range was another question. The cheapest one I ever made was $30, which was just a simple pine box with no design or anything.
Now, regulations.
The box must be tight and needs to be permanently locked/ish. Basically, what it means is that instead of a normal lock, the lid must be either glued shut, screwed, nailed or otherwise secured. In most cases instead of a lock I provide four hinges, the last two to be installed by the purchaser once the ashes are placed inside.
You will also need a permit for handling cremated remains, which is obtained when filing the Medical Certificate of Death and Registration of Death Form through the vital statistics agency. So you can do with the ashes as you please within these regulations.
Another question was what size do you need? Well, that depends on the size/weight of the person being cremated. General rule is 1 pound of body weight = 1 cubic inch of urn capacity. So, if you have person that weights 80 pounds the box needs to be 80 cubic inches in the inside. Easiest for me when you order, give me an estimate of the persons weight and I do the rest. I always make it a little bit bigger, not only to account for a wrong estimation but also because sometimes loved ones want to add a keepsake or picture or something to the ashes.
Now, about the look. There are too many options to list them all. I usually ask people to start with giving me a budget. That will already eliminate some of the woods that are out of the price range. Same with resin inlays, they are quite expensive depending on the size.
Now, I offer laser engraving or CNC engraving, either can also be hand painted, stained or both. Some people want a keepsake, like wedding rings, military medals or a strand of hair incorporated into the lid. These are considered resin inlays.
If you have a specific kind of wood in mind, that I do not carry in stock I will do my best to obtain it but ask you for patience since there aren’t that many suppliers for woods other then spruce, pine or birch around. I generally carry pine, aromatic cedar, cedar, oak, ash and maple. Often, I also have exotic woods, and sometimes walnut in stock, feel free to ask for them. Not just for urns.
The easiest way to contact me is always messaging me through Facebook, e-mail or texting. That way information won’t get lost. You can phone me, but I might phone you back x-amount of times because I forgot to ask or offer something.