10 Questions to Ask When Buying A Cremation Urn

1. What size is the urn? Urns vary widely in size, due to shape and design features. If you are placing the urn in a niche in a columbarium, you will definitely need to make sure the urn will fit into the niche. If you plan on displaying the urn in your home, think about where you would like the urn to be placed and pay attention to the measurements accordingly. If you are going to bury the urn, check with your local funeral home for their specific policies and size limitations.

2. How much does the urn hold? Cremation urns vary in the volume of cremains (cremated remains) they can hold, depending on the purpose and style of the urn. For an average adult urn, Continue reading →

Cremation Urns with Horse Themes

At Urns Northwest, we have a nice selection of horse-themed cremation urns, including a gorgeous horse bust keepsake, wood urns with a horse bust attached, and wood cremation urns featuring a variety of horse scenes (mother horse and foal, cowboy and horse in desert, horse riding towards the setting sun, and more).

Urns for Horse Enthusiasts

VIEW CREMATION URNS WITH HORSE THEMES

How to Write a Good Sympathy Card

It’s hard to know what to say in a sympathy card to someone who has recently suffered a great loss. Recently we came across this from Paul Tautges’ Counseling One Another blog:

PERMISSION: Give them permission to grieve or be shocked. Use words that communicate freedom to experience and release pain.

The pain of your loss is greater when your heart has been touched deeply and your life affected more profoundly by the one you have loved.

We are never prepared for the loss of a loved one, but God’s grace and mercy are new every morning. He is faithful in times of grief and He, with His Word and His children, will strengthen you in the days of head.

HONESTY: If you don’t know what to say then admit it. Don’t feel pressured to come up with some profound word that does not represent the real you. Include brief Scripture quotations of comfort. (Remember, the one thing Job’s “comforters” did right is they sat with him for one week w/o saying a word. Your unspoken presence will also mean the world to those who grieve)

If we knew what to say, we would not know how to say it. We are asking God to give grace running over as you and your family deal with this difficult hour.

EMPATHY: Show them you understand without actually saying, “I understand what you are going through.”

I was deeply saddened to hear of your mother’s death. I lost my own mother in a similarly unexpected way and I well remember the sense of shock. I pray the comfort of the Spirit of Christ will be with you and your family, especially your little ones who will be without their grandmother at Christmas.

ASSISTANCE: Open your ears to listen to them and your heart to serve them.

My deepest sympathy to you in the passing of your mom. Having gone through this just two years ago I understand and share your pain. I always thought the passing of an elderly parent would not be that hard. But I found out I was wrong; it is. Waves of emotions or memories wash over often when least expected. Trust me. It does get better with time. If you ever need a brother just to listen, feel free to call me any time. I am here for you.

You can read the whole thing here. If you’re looking for ideas for an epitaph or engraved memorial, try here.

Memorial Service Keepsakes | Pewter Pocket Charms

A memorial service is a time to remember, to share stories of fun and laughter and of tough times endured and gracious acts of love, all of which will be treasured in the hearts and minds of those who gather together to honor the life of a loved one.

Our minds store our memories in long- and short-term; and many people find that a particular location or object aids the retention of a memory into our long-term memory. That is why we offer keepsakes for memorial service, such as our Angel Pocket Charm. These sorts of items can be passed out to all who attend a service, not only as a token of appreciation for attending the service, but also as a mnemonic device for remembering the departed loved one.

The charm features an image of an angel with flowing hair and robes, which can be kept in a pocket or special place, and when a friend or family member comes across it they will reflect on how special their loved one was. Each pewter heart-shaped charm comes in a beautiful 3″x 4″ ivory organza pouch with a card, which reads,

“May you find comfort in the arms of an angel”

These memorial service keepsakes are only $3 apiece, and sold in lots of 25, 30, 50, 75, 100, and more, with discounts for orders of over 100 pieces. Share a treasure with your friends and family in honor of your loved one.

Also available as a Pewter Heart Charm and Pewter Shamrock Charm.

Flying With An Urn

Flying with an urn need not be a major hassle. There are a few basic considerations and one restriction with which you must comply, and with the information provided here you should be able take the necessary steps for quick and easy airline travel.

1. Your urn must be able to pass through x-ray screening. Out of respect for the decedent, under no circumstances, even at your request, will the cremation container be opened. Thus, the container must be x-rayed. The plastic or cardboard temporary urns provided by most funeral homes will pass through screening, as will wood urns and our lovely, lightweight yet durable fabric urns.

2. Checked baggage or carry-on: check with your airline. You may transport an urn with you as a carry-on once it has passed through the screening process. Some airlines will not allow cremation urns as checked baggage, so it is best to check with the air carrier to determine the best method beforehand.

3. Other restrictions: check with your airline. While asking about checked vs. carry-on, be sure to inquire about any other restrictions your air carrier may have concerning the transportation of cremated remains.

That’s it! Here is the link to the standards for Transporting the Deceased straight from the TSA’s website.

Here are some of our most popular urns that are compatible with airline travel:

Journey Earthurn Biodegradable Urn

$69.00

Tribute Scattering Urn Tubes

$89.00

Silk Fabric Cremation Urn in Sage Green

$89.00

Silk Fabric Cremation Urn in Maroon

$89.00

Fabric Cremation Urn with Personalized Embroidery

$119.00

Silk Fabric Military Cremation Urn in Khaki

$119.00

Cedar Urn

$159.00

Lighthouse Urn

$365.00

Cremation Urn Applique FAQ

We get many inquiries about the appliqués we offer for customers to personalize our cremation urns. These appliqués are gorgeous and come in many themes, including religious (crosses, doves, praying hands) military (Army, Navy, etc), hobby (hunting, fishing), and more.

How can I figure out if an appliqué will fit onto the urn I want?

Because our cremation urn appliqués are sold and shipped separately, it is important to determine in advance if the chosen appliqué will fit. All of our product pages display the dimensions of the product towards the bottom of the product description, so take note of the dimensions of the appliqué and then compare that to the dimensions of the urn you’ve selected. If there is any doubt, please feel free to contact us and we will measure the available space to ensure that if will fit.

How do I attach an appliqué to a cremation urn?

Our urn appliqués are designed to be attached to wood and metal urns, by a 3M industrial-grade double-stick tape. Make sure that the surface area is clean, dry, and free of dust, then simply remove the layer of plastic from the back of the appliqué and affix it directly to the place on the urn you would like it to go. Once you place it, it will not be removable so be careful!

How can I figure out if an appliqué will fit onto the urn I want?

How do I attach an appliqué to a cremation urn?

Ordering Cremation Urns Online | Free Shipping & More

In the ever-expanding and often-confusing world of online retail, knowing a little bit about the process of how the cremation urn that you’re interested in purchasing gets made, shipped, and delivered to your door will help you make an informed decision and avoid unwanted headaches.

1. Our Urns Are Shipped Within 1-5 Business Days

Most of our urns are made to order within 1-5 business days after your purchase. Sometimes the urns are already in stock, in which case the cremation urn is shipped immediately, but most of the time (especially with our extremely popular wood urns), the urn is built specifically for you. The crafting process usually takes around 1-5 days depending on how busy we are.

2. Our Urns Can Be Personalized

If you wish to personalize the urn with a brief engraved inscription, this can usually be done in about 1 additional business day. Expedited orders can be arranged.

3. Our Urns Can Ship Free

We offer free ground shipping on all orders over $100. If you choose this option, on average it will usually take 3-5 days for the urn to be built and custom engraved, and then an additional 3-5 business days to ship to your door. This results in a total time of about two weeks (and sometimes less) from the day you order to the day you receive the cremation urn.

4. Our Urns Can Ship Expedited

Some of our cremation urns, such as our clock urns or most of our companion urns, almost always need to be made to order. Many of the rest can ship on the same day or the day after you order, via Overnight or Next-Day Air, 2nd Day Air, 3rd Day Air, or even (for some cities) Next Day Air Early AM. Be sure to check out our shipping policies page for more info.

If you need an urn immediately, please contact us to see what arrangements can be made. We’ll do all that we can to get the exact cremation urn you want delivered to you when you need it. Often, we can even have an urn engraved and shipped out to you on the same day for next day delivery.

5. Exception: Custom Urns

If you would like an urn built to custom specifications, or if you are ordering a custom ceramic art urn, these often take longer (sometimes up to 3 weeks) to create. For more info, please feel free to contact us.

Hummingbird Cremation Urns

Hummingbirds, according to Ted Andrews, author of Animal-Speak, in Native American culture represent “timless joy and the Nectar of Life. It’s a symbol for accomplishing that which seems impossible and will teach you how to find the miracle of joyful living from your own life circumstances.”

Whether because of the symbolic meaning of hummingbirds or because a departed loved one had always found them irresistably intriguing and beautiful, the hummingbird is a wonderful subject for memorial cremation urns.

At Urns Northwest, we offer a variety of wood urns, ceramic urns, small keepsake urns, and even wood clock urns which feature lovely hummingbird scenes. These urns are made by the finest woodworkers and ceramic artists to create a beautiful memorial as a stirring keepsake for your loved one. View a simplified version of this list here via RSS feed, which will include the latest products, prices, and sales.

Hummingbird Urn – $365.00

Ambassador Hummingbird Urn – $365.00

Astoria Clock Urn – Hummingbird – $389.00

Legacy Clock Urn - $399.00
(choose Hummingbird scene)

Hummingbird Scene Cherry Urn – $269.00

Humming Bird Cremation Urn – $359.00

Dimensional Keepsake Urn – Hummingbird – $109.00

Hummingbird Ceramic Urn – $399.00

Hummingbird Love Ceramic Urn – $399.00

Companion Urn with 3 Dimensional Scene – $399.00
(choose Hummingbird scene)

Ceramic Hummingbird Urn - $399.00

Cremation Urn Wood Types – Walnut

There are several varieties of walnut wood from which our walnut urns are made, depending on the manufacturer. Walnut is a dark wood, and most American walnut grows with either a straight grain or a very distinctive and highly figured grain. Both grain types result in a beautiful finished product, and you can see whether a particular wood urn is made with straight-grain walnut or variable-grain walnut by zooming in on a photo on an urn’s product page.

Walnut wood’s hardness, strength, stability, and heaviness are the result of walnut being one of the largest hardwood trees grown in the United States, and our most popular type of wood for our funeral urns. Here is a selection of just a few of our walnut urns. The images below will give you a good idea of the variety of shades and grain textures available, as well as the number of different wood urn designs that we sell.

Walnut Scattering Urn – $139.00

Hand Turned Walnut Urn – $539.00

Cross Cremation Urn – $239.00

Seascape Cremation Urn -$359.00

Lighthouse Urn – $365.00

Cremation Urn Wood Types – Purpleheart Wood

Or, occasionally, Purple Heart. Used for decorative touches on a few of our cremation urns, Purpleheart wood is hard, heavy and finely textured, with a grain that is usually straight, often with a fine, curly figure. Takes a glossy, lustrous finish.

Here we use Purpleheart wood to give an attractive top to some of our pet urns: