When one urn is not enough — because the ashes are being scattered, buried, or shared among family — a keepsake urn lets each person keep a small portion close. Ours are handmade in Michigan from solid hardwood and engraved with a photograph, not stamped out of imported metal.
A keepsake urn — sometimes called a mini urn or a sharing urn — holds a small portion of cremated remains rather than all of them. Families use them when the ashes are being scattered somewhere meaningful, interred in a cemetery or columbarium, or divided so that several children, siblings, or grandchildren can each keep something. Capacity in this category typically runs from 1 to 50 cubic inches, and most hold well under 15. They are not a substitute for a full urn. They are a way for more than one person to have somewhere to put their hands.
The decision rarely comes up at the funeral. It comes up weeks later, when the ashes are sitting on a shelf and four siblings live in four states, or when the scattering has been planned for the lake but somebody quietly does not want to let go of all of it. Splitting a portion is ordinary, it is legal, and no one has to justify wanting it. A keepsake gives each person their own place for it — on a shelf, in a drawer, or hanging where they will see it.
A solid hardwood disc that opens like a locket. A photograph is laser-engraved into the front face, and names and dates into the back. Inside, a sealed capsule holds the portion of ashes, so nothing is ever in direct contact with the wood and nothing can spill if the piece is handled or moved. It closes on a concealed barrel hinge, so there is no visible hardware on the outside — just wood, grain, and the engraving. A ribbon at the top lets it hang; without the ribbon it sits flat on a shelf.
Available in the same hardwoods as our full-size urns — walnut, cherry, and maple — so a keepsake can match the urn it was divided from.
Keepsakes are built one at a time to the photograph and wording you send, so they are not stocked on the shelf like our full-size urns. Tell us who it is for, how many you need, and send the photograph you want engraved. We will confirm the size, the wood, and the engraving layout with you before anything is cut, and you approve the design before we build.
Ordering several at once for a family is the common case, and matching pieces cost less per piece than ordering them one at a time months apart.
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A keepsake urn, also called a mini urn or sharing urn, holds a small portion of cremated remains rather than all of them. Families use them when the ashes are being scattered or interred elsewhere, or when several relatives each want to keep something. Capacity in this category typically runs from 1 to 50 cubic inches, and most hold well under 15.
Yes, and that is the most common reason people order them. Matching keepsakes can be made for each person from the same photograph and wording, so the set stays consistent. Ordering them together costs less per piece than ordering them one at a time.
No. The portion of ashes goes into a sealed capsule that sits inside the hardwood case. Nothing is in direct contact with the wood, and nothing can spill if the piece is picked up, moved, or handled.
Either. A ribbon at the top lets it hang where you will see it. Without the ribbon it sits flat on a shelf, a mantel, or a nightstand.
Yes. A photograph is laser-engraved into the front face and names and dates into the back. Send the photograph you want used and we will confirm the layout with you before anything is cut.
The crematory or funeral home can divide the ashes for you, and most will do it at no charge if you ask when you make arrangements. If the ashes are already in your possession, you can divide a portion yourself. The capsule is filled and sealed, then set into the case.
Yes. There is no federal law against dividing cremated remains, and families do it routinely. If some of the ashes are being buried, interred in a columbarium, or scattered on public land, check the rules for that specific location, since those vary by cemetery and by state.