If a traditional urn doesn’t feel like the right fit, you have more options than most people realize. Families choose things to put ashes in for all kinds of reasons: they want something more personal, they want to share small portions, they’re planning a scattering or eco ceremony, or they simply want a memorial that blends into daily life instead of standing apart from it.
This guide is a curated set of urn alternatives and tasteful memorial objects that can hold cremated remains in a practical way. Some options are classic urn styles in a more modern form. Others are alternative containers for cremation ashes like keepsakes, jewelry, art objects, or eco urns designed for burial or water placement. The key is choosing something that matches your plan and keeps the remains secure.
Before You Choose Any Urn Alternative
Most cremated remains are returned in a sealed inner bag inside a temporary container, which gives you time to choose calmly. If you plan to use a non-traditional container, the simplest safety standard is “double containment”: keep the ashes in the sealed inner bag (or a second sealed bag) whenever the container allows it, and choose a closure that won’t loosen with normal handling. If you want a step-by-step, low-mess walkthrough for transfers, start here: How to Transfer Ashes into an Urn.
Also, consider where the memorial will ultimately live. If there’s any chance of a columbarium niche or cemetery placement, confirm size and policy requirements first. If you are keeping ashes at home long-term, moisture control and closure security matter more than almost anything else. This guide can help you think through safe storage and display: Keeping Cremation Ashes at Home in the U.S..
Classic Containers That Still Feel Personal
A Full-Size Cremation Urn for Ashes
If your plan is to keep everything together, a full-size urn is still the simplest “it just works” option, even if you choose a more modern style. You can browse a wide range here: Cremation Urns for Ashes.
A Modern Minimalist Urn
Clean lines and neutral finishes can feel calmer for families who want the memorial to blend into a contemporary home without feeling like a display piece.
A Handmade Ceramic Urn
A ceramic urn can feel like a piece of art rather than a product, especially if you’re drawn to glazes, soft shapes, and artisan textures.
A Warm Wood Memory-Box Urn
Wood urns often feel like furniture or a keepsake chest, which can make the memorial feel more “at home” in a living space.
A Durable Metal Urn with a Threaded Lid
If you want a secure, reassuring closure for long-term home storage, a threaded metal urn is one of the most dependable choices.
A Glass Cremation Urn That Looks Like Art
Glass urns can be luminous and distinctive while still serving as a true container. For art-forward options, see: Glass Cremation Urns for Ashes.
An Engravable Urn Designed for Personalization
If names, dates, or a short message matter, it helps to choose an urn built for clean personalization rather than trying to force engraving onto an awkward surface. Start here: Engravable Cremation Urns for Ashes.
A Companion Urn for Two Adults
If the memorial is meant to hold two people together, companion urns can be built as one shared interior or two compartments. Browse: Companion Cremation Urns for Ashes.
A Medium Urn for a Partial Hold
Medium urns can be a practical middle ground when you’re keeping a portion at home while planning burial or scattering later. See: Medium Cremation Urns for Ashes.
A Pet Urn for Ashes
Pet urns are often designed with scale, symbolism, and personalization in mind, which can make them feel more emotionally “right” than repurposing a generic container. Browse: Pet Cremation Urns for Ashes.
A Unique, Artistic Urn Style
If you want unique cremation urns that don’t look mass-produced, it can help to shop by “artistic style” first. This overview is a good starting point: Unique & Artistic Cremation Urns.
Sharing and Keepsake Containers
A Keepsake Urn for a Symbolic Portion
When families share, keepsakes are designed for small portions that feel meaningful without being “a second full urn.” Browse: Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes.
A Small Cremation Urn for a Meaningful Share
Small urns are often chosen when the plan is a real “home base” portion, not just a token amount. Browse: Small Cremation Urns for Ashes.
A Keepsake Urn Set for Siblings
Matching sets can reduce friction when multiple relatives want the same kind of keepsake, and they keep the sharing plan visually consistent.
A Pet Keepsake Urn for Shared Remembrance
Pet keepsakes are designed for families who want one main pet urn plus small shares for people who were especially bonded to that pet. See: Pet Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes.
A Heart-Shaped Keepsake Urn
Heart keepsakes are one of the most common keepsake urn ideas because the symbolism is immediate and the portion is intentionally small.
A Tealight or Candle-Holder Keepsake Urn
Some keepsakes combine a candle feature with a small compartment, which can create a gentle daily ritual without needing to handle the ashes often.
A Photo Frame Urn
Photo frame urns are popular because the memorial “reads” as a tribute right away, especially for visitors who don’t know the story.
A Book-Shaped Memorial Urn
Book-style urns can feel subtle and dignified, especially for readers, writers, teachers, or anyone who loved a quiet home library.
A Keepsake Box with a Hidden Ashes Compartment
This works well when you want a memory box for letters and small belongings, plus a discreet, secure place for a tiny portion.
A Small Metal Keepsake Capsule
Capsules are made for pocket carry or travel and are often chosen when you want “close, but not visible,” especially during anniversaries or trips.
A Mini Urn for Travel Portions
If you’re bringing a portion to a ceremony in another place, a mini urn can be easier than transporting the entire remains, especially when multiple family members are traveling.
A “Main Urn Plus Keepsakes” Sharing Plan
Many families feel calmer when there is one central memorial and then personal shares. If your plan is to buy keepsake urn options for relatives, choose the main urn first, then decide how many keepsakes you need.
Wearable and Pocket-Size Options
Cremation Jewelry
Cremation jewelry options are designed for a tiny, symbolic amount and usually work best alongside a primary urn. Browse: Cremation Jewelry.
Cremation Necklaces
Cremation necklaces are one of the most common wearable keepsakes because they’re easy to wear daily and typically have a secure screw closure. Browse: Cremation Necklaces.
Cremation Bracelets
Bracelets can feel less “visible” than a pendant while still staying close. Browse: Cremation Bracelets.
Cremation Charms and Pendants
Charms are a flexible choice when someone already wears a bracelet or wants a smaller pendant style. Browse: Cremation Charms & Pendants.
A Cremation Ring
Rings are often chosen when someone wants the memorial to feel private and “always with you,” especially for spouses and partners.
A Cremation Keychain
Keychains are practical for everyday carry, but they work best when the closure is secure and the piece won’t be banged around constantly.
A Dog Tag Pendant
Dog tag styles often appeal to people who prefer a simple, understated look or want a memorial that feels more “everyday” than formal.
A Bar Pendant
Bar styles can be engraved cleanly, which makes them a strong option when names, dates, or coordinates are part of the memorial story.
A Tiny Vial Necklace
Minimalist vial styles are chosen when the goal is “very small amount, very subtle,” often paired with a primary urn at home.
A Bead Keepsake for a Bracelet
Bead-style keepsakes can be a gentle way to integrate a memorial into jewelry that already feels like the wearer’s personal style.
A Locket-Style Pendant with a Small Compartment
Lockets can combine a photo and a tiny amount of ashes, which makes them a meaningful hybrid for people who want both image and closeness.
A Pocket Compass Keepsake
Compass keepsakes are often chosen for travelers, veterans, outdoorsy families, or anyone whose life story involved “finding the way.”
Memorial Art That Holds Ashes
A Glass Orb with Ashes Suspended Inside
Glass orbs and spheres can be a form of memorial art with ashes that sits naturally on a shelf without looking like an urn.
A Glass Paperweight
Paperweights are practical and discreet, and they can work well when the memorial will live in an office or reading area.
A Blown Glass Heart Sculpture
Heart sculptures are often chosen when families want the symbolism to be visible, but still expressed as art rather than “an urn.”
A Resin Keepsake Heart or “Pocket Stone”
Resin keepsakes are typically designed for tiny amounts, with the benefit of durability if the item is handled carefully.
A Resin Plaque or Desktop Memorial
These are often chosen for workplaces or shared family spaces, especially when the memorial needs to be stable and easy to display.
A Memorial Diamond Made from Ashes
This is a “transformation” option rather than a container, but families often include it alongside a primary urn when they want a lasting, wearable legacy.
A Memorial Glass Bead
Glass beads can be worn or displayed, and they’re often chosen when the family wants multiple matching keepsakes for children or siblings.
A Small Pottery Piece with Ashes Incorporated
Some families commission a small vessel or sculpture where ashes are incorporated into the piece in a controlled way, creating a one-of-a-kind tribute.
A Painting Where Ashes Are Mixed into the Medium
For artists and art-loving families, this can be a powerful way to integrate remembrance into a visible, permanent object.
A Memorial Tile or Mosaic Piece
Tiles or small mosaics can be displayed on an easel or set into a shadow box, especially when the family wants a compact, visual memorial.
Eco, Scattering, and Ceremony-Focused Options
A Scattering Tube
A scattering tube is often the easiest option outdoors because it’s designed for control and reduced wind surprises, and it’s simple for family members to hold. For a practical overview, see: Scattering Urns and Tubes.
A Handled Scattering Urn
Handled scattering urns can feel more secure than a tube for families who want a steadier grip during the ceremony, especially near water.
A Biodegradable Urn for Land Burial
If your plan is green burial or earth placement, biodegradable urns are designed to break down naturally in soil. Browse: Biodegradable & Eco-Friendly Urns for Ashes.
A Water-Soluble Urn for a Sea Ceremony
Water-focused biodegradable urns are built to dissolve as part of the ceremony, which can feel gentler than direct scattering for some families.
A Plantable “Living Urn” Style
A biodegradable urn tree plan can be meaningful when the family wants a living memorial, but it works best when you follow the kit’s instructions and choose a location you can access long-term.
A Columbarium Niche Placement
Sometimes the best “container” is a plan: an urn that fits a niche gives the family a permanent place to visit, especially when multiple relatives want one shared location.
A Burial Plan with a Cemetery-Compatible Urn
If you plan to bury an urn, confirm cemetery requirements first, then choose a durable urn and closure that fits those rules, especially if an outer container is required.
Display-Forward Urn Alternatives
A Shadow Box Urn
A shadow box for ashes can combine a small compartment with photos, a nameplate, and a few meaningful items, creating a memorial that tells a story without feeling cluttered.
A Memorial Lantern Urn
Lantern-style urns are chosen when families want a warm, gentle display object that feels like home décor while still providing secure containment.
A Decorative Vase Urn with a Hidden Compartment
Some vase-style memorials hide the ashes compartment inside a decorative outer form, which can feel more natural in a living room or entryway.
A Snow Globe Keepsake
Snow globes are typically used for tiny portions and are most often chosen as a holiday or seasonal remembrance piece that can be displayed selectively.
An Hourglass Keepsake
An hourglass memorial can be symbolic and quiet, and it’s typically chosen for tiny amounts when the family wants a strong “time and memory” theme.
Choosing the Right Option from the List
If you’re deciding among these memorial keepsakes and containers, the simplest filter is to start with the amount you want to place. Full remains usually call for a full-size urn. Sharing plans usually work best as one primary urn plus keepsakes. Jewelry and art pieces typically use very small portions, which means they’re a complement, not a replacement.
Next, decide how permanent you want the container to be. If you might open it later to share or transfer, prioritize closures that are designed to be reopened. If you want the memorial to be final, a more secure seal can make sense. If you’re unsure about capacity, this guide can help you choose confidently by cubic inches: Urn Size Calculator.
If you’d like a shorter “starter set” of options, this Funeral.com guide overlaps with many of the ideas above and can help you narrow quickly: Urn Alternatives and Unique Memorials. Most importantly, give yourself permission to choose the option that fits your real life. The right container is the one that keeps the remains secure and helps the memorial feel doable, respectful, and true.
