If you want to remember and celebrate a loved one who has passed, you may want to store their ashes in a displayed urn – but the standard urns on the market may not be a good fit.
One option is to customize your own urn, leveraging your creativity to produce something beautiful and meaningful. But how do you do it?
The Infinite Possibilities of Urn Customization
Not long ago, if you wanted an urn to house the remains of your loved one, you would have to choose something off the shelf, and your options would be relatively limited – not to mention exorbitantly expensive. Thanks to the arrival of 3D printing technology, as well as breakthroughs in design and production, it’s easier than ever to fully customize an urn from scratch.
You can choose to modify a model that already exists, making it bigger, more creative, or truer to the personality of your loved one. You can also choose simple customizations, like engraving a portrait of your loved one or a thoughtful message. However, it’s possible to create urn models that are much more innovative and unique.
According to Rick Fraser, owner of In The Light Urns, “We’ve helped customers create a dynamic range of different 3D printed urns. One of the most interesting pieces we’ve created has been an ‘X-Wing’ Rebel Alliance starfighter from the Star Wars franchise. This customer wanted the X-Wing urn to honor her husband, and in order to contain all his ashes, the model ended up having a wingspan of 34 inches. It was the largest 3D print we’ve done. The only real limit is your imagination, assuming your model is physically possible to create.”
Why Choose to Customize an Urn?
Why should you choose to customize an urn, rather than choosing something off the shelf?
- A perfect representation. Even simple urns can be beautiful pieces of art, capable of displaying your loved one’s ashes in a captivating and aesthetically pleasing way. But these urns may not perfectly capture the personality or spirit of your loved one. When you open the door to customization, you gain the potential to create something that perfectly, or close to perfectly represents the person you want to remember.
- A creative vision. Some people appreciate being able to flex their creative muscles and bring an abstract vision to life. Artists and other creative types are especially likely to find value in this approach.
- A totally unique piece. Most customers appreciate the customization process for its ability to create a piece that’s truly unique. If you design and build something entirely from scratch, you can rest assured that no one else in the world will have a piece quite like this. You can’t say the same if you’re purchasing a piece of common stock.
- A memory that will last a lifetime (and beyond). Customized urns are designed to embody a memory of a person that will last a lifetime, if not several lifetimes. It’s a permanent piece of art that can stay with you forever.
- Involvement in the process. The grieving process is often long, complicated, and unique to the individual going through it. Some people go through this process passively, while others try to work through it more actively. The very act of contemplating your loved one’s memory for the sake of developing an emblematic piece of art to remember them can help you process your feelings and get through that grieving phase more easily.
How to Get Started
So how do you get started with customizing an urn?
- Explore your options. Take your time. This isn’t a decision you have to rush, nor should you rush through it. Explore both static urns available for sale and customized urns as a source of inspiration.
- Start brainstorming. Once you decide to move forward with a customized piece, you can start brainstorming. What kind of shapes, objects, or ideas do you have in mind? What did this person love? What did you love most about them? How would you like to remember them? How are you going to see and appreciate this piece?
- Work with a professional designer. While it’s possible to create and submit your own designs, it’s often better to work with an experienced designer. 3D urn designers have significant experience and knowledge to help you come up with the perfect design.
From there, the process will look like this:
- Brainstorming and initial designs. Together with your designer, you’ll work through various ideas and fine-tune the concept until it’s ready to be formally designed. Depending on the scope and complexity of the project, there may be a few rounds of initial sketches and designs to work through.
- Proofs and prototypes. Designers typically submit proofs and/or prototypes long before the finished product is printed or assembled. This is your opportunity to review what the piece will look like and how it will function before finalizing the details and submitting it to the printing process.
- The finished product. Once you’ve signed off on the final approval, the piece will be 3D printed and, most commonly, shipped directly to you.
There are no right or wrong ways to remember your loved one. What’s important is that you find a path to remembrance that’s meaningful to you and your family members. Customizable, 3D printed urns have opened the doors to infinite possibilities, and they’re well worth considering if you want to create something that will keep your loved one’s memory alive for years to come.
