A Complete Guide to Cremation Urns

A simple cardboard scattering tube may make the most sense if your mother wanted her ashes scattered in the forest. If your brother wanted a sea burial, a biodegradable urn that will dissolve in water is ideal. If your sister wished to become a tree, a Living Urn allows your family to grow her memory. If you want to give your dad’s ashes pride of place on a living room shelf, investing in a wooden memento chest can provide comfort and a sense of closeness.

Some families commission nontraditional urns, such as sculptures with spaces inside for ashes, from an artist or creative friend. Other nontraditional urns may take the form of a growler for a craft beer lover, a tackle box for a fisherman or a pearlized butterfly for a gardener. We've even seen someone run a half-marathon with a loved one's ashes sealed in a cookie jar shaped like a duck, though we don’t recommend it.

When you’re ready to choose an urn, your Dignity Memorial^® planning advisor can help. (Urns offered by Dignity Memorial providers vary by location.)

In this article you will learn about:

• Types of urns
• What to consider before purchasing an urn
• Where to buy an urn
• How to care for an urn

Types of urns

Cremation urns come in many shapes, colors, sizes and materials, and selecting an urn is a highly personal experience. An urn may reflect the personality of the person being honored. How you wish or your loved one wished to be remembered may also inform the type of urn you choose.

Here’s what to consider if you plan to:

Display ashes at home

Decorative urns are limited only by the imagination and offer countless possibilities for personalization. Whether crafted from porcelain, ceramic, bronze, brass, wood or any other sturdy material, display urns can be designed in virtually any style, ensuring a unique and meaningful tribute to your loved one. From cloisonné to intricate engravings and handpainted designs to elegant simplicity, the possibilities for displaying ashes at home are endless.

Divide ashes among family members

Families often divide a loved one's ashes among miniature urns. Also called keepsake urns, they allow several members to have ashes to hold onto. These urns can be personalized and are available in various materials and styles. Some are tabletop items that fit in the palm of your hand; others are so small they can be worn as jewelry.

Scatter ashes on land or at sea

Scattering a loved one's ashes may seem like a straightforward endeavor. Many families are surprised to find out that's not always so. A windy day can make scattering difficult and potentially uncomfortable. No family envisions a scattering ceremony where they find themselves unexpectedly covered in Dad's ashes. Checking the wind direction and using a specially designed scattering urn is often the best option.

Scattering urns are usually made of wood or paper, though some are metal. We've seen wooden boxes with sliding tops, sleek aluminum capsules and paper cylinders printed with sunsets or butterflies. Size may be a consideration. A large scattering urn can hold all of a loved one's ashes. Families who plan to scatter ashes in several places may purchase several small urns and divide the ashes among them.

For water scattering, ashes may be released right into the water or they may be placed in a biodegradable urn that releases ashes over time. A family who purchases a sustainable urn made of salt or sand from a Dignity Memorial provider may opt to memorialize their loved one with the Ecorial^® app, which lets them create an interactive digital memorial with the time, date and GPS coordinates of their loved one’s final resting place.

Bury ashes in the ground

Many cemeteries accommodate urn burials, offering families the chance to memorialize loved ones together, even when some choose burial and others choose cremation. Similar to casket burials, most cemeteries require urns to be placed in a vault to prevent the ground from sinking. The dimensions of an urn vault are typically 12 inches cubed, so it’s important to choose an urn that fits. Urns intended for burial are often bronze, wood or metal. They range from simple to decorative. The choice is a matter of personal preference.

A green burial requires a biodegradable urn. Some families choose sweet urns made from paper embedded with wildflower seeds, which may grow and bloom into beautiful flowers at the gravesite.

Place ashes in a cremation niche

When selecting an urn for placement in a cremation niche, similar considerations apply as with burial urns: size and material. A family who wishes to display a loved one's urn in a glass-front niche may also prioritize the urn's aesthetic, ensuring it reflects the loved one's personal style.

Keep family members together

Companion urns keep loved ones together even after death. Designed to hold the ashes of two people, companion urns may be cast bronze, cultured marble, hardwood, resin or another durable material. They come in many shapes and styles for burial, niche placement or display at home.

Relocate the ashes by plane

If you're flying with a loved one's ashes to another state or country from the United States, you'll want to be sure you choose a TSA-approved urn. To guard against breakage or spillage and allow for X-ray scanning, the TSA recommends a wood, plastic or non-lead-lined container. Your Dignity Memorial funeral director can show you a selection of urns approved by the TSA, so you don't have to guess. We also suggest contacting the airline on which you are flying and the TSA to review requirements prior to arriving at the airport with your loved one’s urn.

What to consider before purchasing an urn

Dignity Memorial professionals know the benefits and features of the urns available in our funeral homes. They can guide you to a meaningful selection and help you avoid mistakes. Here are a few things to consider when shopping for an urn.

Size

Urns come in various sizes for different needs and preferences. The size you choose depends on how you will use the urn and the amount of ashes. Most families opt for a full-size urn, which are designed to hold all the ashes of a single loved one.

Sharing urns are medium-size urns that allow multiple family members or friends to have a substantial portion of the ashes. Keepsake urns are smaller and meant for those who wish to keep a small amount of ashes as a cherished memento.

Design

When selecting a cremation urn, form and function are key considerations. If you plan to display the urn at home or in a glass-front niche, the look of the urn may be important to you. If you intend to travel with the urn, opting for a material that won't break is essential. If you plan for the urn to be only a temporary container before a scattering, you may choose a simple tube or box.

Personalization

Personalization is an important part of memorialization. Until an urn is personalized, it's simply a container. There are several meaningful ways to personalize an urn. You can think of it like personalizing a headstone: name, birth and dates, a shortepitaph, a symbol that reflects an aspect of a loved one’s personality or passion. If an urn can’t be engraved, a decorative charm can be placed around the lid.

Cost

Urns are available at price points to fit almost any budget. The National Funeral Directors Association reports the median cost of an urn in 2024 as $295, though some urns cost thousands.

The most economical options are cardboard or plastic urns. Wood veneer is less costly than solid hardwood. More expensive options may be made of bronze, marble or an exotic wood inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

Where to buy an urn

After cremation, the crematory places a loved one's ashes in a cardboard box or plastic bag. Some families don't mind this presentation, but others wish to honor their loved ones with something nicer.

Decorative urns are sold at funeral homes and various online retailers. Purchasing an urn directly from a funeral home is usually the easiest thing to do, especially in time-sensitive situations. Some online urn retailers take up to six weeks to deliver an urn. In addition, if you purchase an urn online, you’ll need to manage timing and track the delivery, return it if you don't like it, and replace it if it arrives damaged—and you’ll need to do this while grieving.

Your funeral director can help you find the right urn or urns for your needs and reduce the stress of purchasing a product you're not familiar with from a company you don’t know.

How to care for a loved one’s urn

Many families choose to keep a loved one’s ashes at home. Here are some tips for taking care of the urn or other container:

• Place your loved one’s urn on a stable, solid surface.
• Choose a safe place away from foot traffic, pets and small children.
• Gently clean the urn with a soft, dry cloth when it seems dusty.
• Avoid using chemical cleaners on the urn.
• Take care not to scratch a metal urn.
• Use furniture polish to give a wooden urn a luster.
• Protect wood or metal urns from direct sunlight.

You may wish to open your loved one's urn. Urns open a few different ways, typically from the bottom. Take great care whenever you're opening the urn, and if you need help, don't hesitate to contact your funeral director.

Choosing the right urn for your needs takes thought, care and foresight. Dignity Memorial associates have the experience and compassion to help you make the best choice. An urn may be just one detail involved in planning a cremation, but for us, the details aren’t just the little things—they’re everything.