After a cremation, families often discover a small, surprising truth: the hardest choices are not always the paperwork or the phone calls. Sometimes it’s the quiet moment when the temporary container is in your hands and you realize you need a plan—one that feels respectful, practical, and emotionally survivable. If you’re searching for things to put ashes in, you’re really asking what to do with ashes when there isn’t one “right” answer.
More families are facing these choices than ever. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected to reach 63.4% in 2025. The Cremation Association of North America reports a 61.8% U.S. cremation rate in 2024. That means more people are deciding, often in grief, how they want remembrance to look in real life—at home, outdoors, shared among family, or placed in a cemetery.
Start with the plan, not the container
Choosing cremation urns becomes much easier when you start with one practical question: will the ashes be kept, shared, scattered, buried, or some combination? A container meant to stay on a shelf is different from one meant for travel or a water burial. Funeral.com’s guide on how to choose a cremation urn that fits your plans walks through the most common scenarios—home, cemetery, scattering, and travel—so the container supports the plan, not the other way around.
If you just need a calm place to browse, begin with Funeral.com’s cremation urns for ashes collection, then narrow based on your needs: small cremation urns for sharing or travel, keepsake urns for multiple family members, and cremation jewelry when “carrying a little close” feels more comforting than displaying an urn.
How much does cremation cost and why choices differ
Families sometimes feel guilty that money enters the conversation, but cost is part of care. The NFDA reports the national median cost of a funeral with viewing and cremation in 2023 was $6,280 (not including cemetery costs). That reality is one reason many people choose a “blend” of memorials instead of one expensive centerpiece. If you’re comparing options and trying to understand how much does cremation cost in today’s market, Funeral.com’s 2025 cremation cost guide breaks down typical fees and what tends to change the total.
Keeping ashes at home feels common for a reason
Many people aren’t ready to “place” ashes anywhere right away. Keeping ashes at home can be comforting, and it’s also a common preference: NFDA reports that among people who prefer cremation, 37.1% would prefer their remains kept in an urn at home. NFDA Funeral.com’s article on keeping ashes at home covers practical safety (placement, sealing, household considerations) while also acknowledging the emotional side: sometimes “home” is where grief can breathe.
Home memorials are also where “small” choices become powerful. A primary urn can stay in a stable, private place, while keepsakes can travel with family members. If wearable remembrance feels right, cremation necklaces are designed to hold a very small amount—just enough to feel close, without changing what happens to the rest.
Scattering and water burial: choose the container that fits the moment
Scattering ceremonies can be beautiful, but they can also be surprisingly technical—wind, footing, and the shape of the container affect whether the moment feels calm or chaotic. Funeral.com’s guide to scattering urns and tubes explains why certain designs pour more smoothly outdoors, especially when you’re trying to move slowly and keep the moment focused on memory, not logistics.
For ocean ceremonies, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency describes the federal framework for burial at sea, including releasing cremated human remains at least three nautical miles from shore. For parks, beaches, lakes, private land, and other settings, rules depend on the place and who manages it, which is why Funeral.com’s guide on where you can scatter ashes is a helpful starting point. If your plan is a dissolving container for water burial or an earth-friendly burial, browse biodegradable urns and pair it with Funeral.com’s guide to ocean and water burial urns so the material matches the setting.
Pet urns for ashes deserve the same care as any memorial
Pet loss is real grief, and it often hurts because love was so daily. If you’re choosing pet urns for ashes, Funeral.com’s pet cremation urns collection is a gentle starting place. If you want a memorial that visually reflects your companion, browse pet figurine cremation urns. And if your family wants to share, pet keepsake urns can make that feel intentional instead of improvised.
57 things to put ashes in
Some families want one timeless urn. Others prefer urn alternatives, or they choose a blend: a primary urn, a few keepsakes, and a plan for scattering later. The ideas below range from traditional vessels to creative memorial forms, including options for people and pets. Many are meant for all the cremains; some are meant for a portion (like keepsake urns or cremation jewelry).
Containers you can keep at home or place in a niche
- Full-size metal urn (brass, aluminum, stainless steel)
- Full-size wooden urn (walnut, cherry, mahogany)
- Ceramic urn with a glazed finish
- Porcelain urn with hand-painted details
- Stone or marble urn
- Glass urn with swirled color or pattern
- Photo frame urn
- Book-style “library” urn that looks like a hardbound book
- Minimalist cube or box urn
- Companion urn designed for two people’s remains
- Engravable urn for names, dates, or a short message
- Flag-case urn (for a military-style display)
- Urn with a candle holder or memorial light
- Memorial keepsake box with a sealed inner container
- Shadow box memorial with a sealed inner container
- Columbarium niche urn sized for cemetery requirements
- Pet urns sized to your pet’s weight
- Pet figurine cremation urn (a sculptural pet memorial)
Small cremation urns and keepsakes for sharing or “later” plans
- Small urn designed for a portion of remains
- Keepsake urns (mini urns for sharing)
- Set of matching mini urns for siblings or close friends
- Heart-shaped keepsake urn
- Tealight keepsake urn (urn plus candle space)
- Token keepsake vial for a desk or bedside table (sealed)
- Keychain keepsake vial (sealed)
- Travel urn for carrying remains to a ceremony
- Temporary urn for short-term holding before final placement
- Scattering tube (paper or cardboard)
- Biodegradable scattering container designed for land ceremonies
- Biodegradable urn designed for earth burial
- Plantable tree-urn kit (where permitted)
- Memorial garden stone with a sealed compartment
- Pet keepsake urn for sharing among family
Cremation jewelry and wearable memorials
- Cremation necklaces (pendant urn)
- Bar pendant cremation necklace
- Heart pendant cremation necklace
- Cross or faith-symbol cremation necklace
- Bracelet urn (bangle or charm style)
- Ring urn with a tiny chamber
- Memorial locket with a sealed ash compartment
- Dog tag–style cremation pendant
- Discrete “capsule” pendant
Scattering, water burial, and nature-return options
- Water-soluble urn designed to float briefly, then dissolve
- Ocean biodegradable urn designed to sink and disperse
- Sea-scattering urn designed for controlled surface release
- Wildflower biodegradable scatter tube
- River or lake scattering container with a pour spout
- Biodegradable memorial wreath option (where offered and permitted)
- Memorial reef option (where offered and permitted)
- Biodegradable “ash pillow” style water urn
Art, transformation, and modern memorial forms
- Ashes to glass keepsake (orb, paperweight, or small keepsake)
- Ashes to diamond memorial
- Cremains-infused ceramic glaze artwork
- Memorial painting medium that incorporates ashes (where offered)
- Memorial vinyl record or audio keepsake (where offered)
- Memorial tattoo ink infusion (where offered, with medical caution)
- Fireworks-style memorial display (where legal and offered)
How to transfer ashes to an urn without turning it into a hard day
Learning how to transfer ashes to an urn can feel intimidating because you don’t want to “mess up” something sacred. Pick a calm time, work on a steady surface, and place a tray or large bowl underneath. Lay down clean paper so spills are easy to recover, and use a wide-mouth funnel if you have one. Test the urn closure first so you know how it seats. If you’re filling cremation jewelry, move slowly—most pieces hold only a tiny amount. Funeral.com’s cremation jewelry 101 guide includes filling tips that reduce stress and help you seal the piece securely.
If you’d rather not do this yourself, you can often ask the funeral home or crematory to place the remains into the urn you choose. That’s a normal request, and it can be a relief—especially if you’re dividing into multiple keepsakes or preparing a container for a ceremony.
Travel and timing: planning for the in-between
Sometimes “later” is the kindest plan: wait for siblings to arrive, postpone scattering until the season feels right, or transport ashes to a meaningful place. For air travel, the Transportation Security Administration explains that crematory remains are screened by X-ray and that officers will not open the container during screening. In practice, that means choosing an X-ray-friendly container, keeping paperwork with you, and leaving extra time for screening.
How this connects to funeral planning
Urn choices are part of funeral planning: deciding what matters, what feels respectful, and what is realistically manageable for your family. If you’re in the earliest days, Funeral.com’s guide on what to do when a loved one dies can steady the first steps. If you’re planning ahead, preplanning your own funeral can reduce future stress and help your family follow your wishes without guesswork, including what you’d want done with ashes.
In the end, you don’t have to find one perfect answer. You can choose a primary urn, share a few keepsakes, wear a small piece of remembrance, or plan a ceremony later. The goal is simple: a memorial that feels like love—steady, personal, and doable.
