DIY Pottery Urns: Ceramics Basics, Food-Safe vs. Ash-Safe Glazes, and What to Ask the Crematory

In the weeks after a loss—or in the quieter months when you’re planning ahead—many families find themselves drawn to something handmade. A ceramic urn shaped by someone who loved the person (or the pet) who died can feel less like “merchandise” and more like a final act of care. In a pottery studio, grief and love often show up in the same small gestures: smoothing a rim, carving a name, choosing a glaze that feels like a favorite place or a familiar color.

At the same time, an urn is not only a symbol. It has a job to do. It must hold and protect cremated remains, be manageable to carry, and close securely—sometimes for decades. And because cremation is now the majority choice in the U.S., more families are encountering these decisions and details firsthand. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected to reach 63.4% in 2025, with cremation projected to continue rising in coming decades. The Cremation Association of North America reports a U.S. cremation rate of 61.8% in 2024 and projects 67.9% by 2029. As cremation becomes more common, urn decisions—size, closure, placement, and long-term plan—are no longer niche questions. They are a central part of modern funeral planning.

If you’re exploring a DIY pottery urn or any kind of ceramic urn making, this guide is here to help you make a piece that is both beautiful and practical. We’ll walk through structural choices (capacity, lid design, durability), the real meaning behind “food-safe” versus “ash-safe” glaze conversations, and the specific questions that can make working with a crematory or cemetery smoother. We’ll also connect the pottery approach to broader options many families consider—like cremation urns for ashes, small cremation urns, keepsake urns, pet urns for ashes, and cremation jewelry—because a handmade urn often fits best when it’s part of a clear, gentle plan.

Why an urn’s “job” matters as much as its meaning

When you choose cremation, cremated remains are typically returned in a sealed inner bag, often inside a temporary container. That bag may later be placed into a permanent urn, kept temporarily while the family decides what to do with ashes, or divided into multiple keepsakes. The “job” of the urn is to hold that inner bag (or, in some cases, the remains directly), keep it secure, and make future steps—home display, burial, niche placement, scattering, or sharing—less stressful.

This is why families often find themselves looking beyond aesthetics toward function. If you’re comparing finished options, the broad category of cremation urns for ashes can be helpful because it shows how professionals design for closure types, capacity, and placement plans. A handmade urn can absolutely meet the same practical needs—but only if you design with those needs in mind from the beginning.

Designing a DIY pottery urn that feels calm to handle

A well-made ceramic urn should feel steady in the hands, predictable to open and close, and forgiving on the day the ashes are transferred. In pottery terms, this means thinking less like you’re throwing a vase and more like you’re building a durable container with a secure, repeatable closure.

Urn volume in cubic inches: the sizing detail that prevents heartbreak

Capacity is the detail that quietly determines whether a handmade urn for ashes will work in real life. When urn listings describe capacity, they usually mean interior volume—often listed as urn volume cubic inches. That same concept matters for pottery, even though you’re not shopping from a product page.

If you want a calm, plain-language explanation of how families translate weight into cubic inches, Funeral.com’s guide What Urn “Capacity” Means: Converting Weight to Cubic Inches is a helpful reference. The key practical takeaway is that capacity is about interior space, not exterior measurements. Thick walls, narrow shoulders, and a deep lid flange all reduce interior capacity—sometimes more than you expect when looking at the outside.

For pottery planning, it also helps to remember that many crematories return ashes in an inner bag that has its own dimensions. Even if your urn technically has enough cubic-inch capacity, a narrow opening or tight “shoulder” can make it difficult to place the bag inside without awkward folding. This is one of the most common avoidable regrets in crematory urn requirements: the urn “should” work, but the opening makes the transfer harder than it has to be.

Pottery urn lid fit: design for the day someone has to open it

In a studio, it’s tempting to chase a perfect gallery fit—tight, crisp, seamless. But in grief, tight can become stressful. A good pottery urn lid fit is secure without being finicky. It closes firmly, aligns easily, and does not require force.

From a functional standpoint, a wide mouth is kinder than a narrow neck. If the urn will hold an inner bag, plan an opening that allows the bag to sit naturally, without aggressive compression. If you’re planning a buried placement or niche placement, you may also need to consider how the urn will be labeled or identified (some families include an identification disk inside, while cemeteries may have their own procedures).

Think about the lid as a repeated action, not a one-time event: someone may open it to verify contents, divide ashes, add a note, or move the inner bag to a different vessel later. The goal is not “never open.” The goal is “if it needs to open, it can be done calmly.”

Wall thickness, firing temperature, and fired-clay durability

When families choose ceramic, they often choose it because it feels like art. But a ceramic urn is also an object that may be carried, moved, and placed on a shelf in everyday life. That’s where fired clay urn durability matters. In general, a higher-fired, more vitrified clay body tends to be less porous and more durable than low-fire earthenware. A sturdy base, consistent wall thickness, and a lid design that doesn’t chip easily all help the urn stay intact over time.

Durability is also practical in the home. Many families choose keeping ashes at home at least temporarily, simply because it gives them time to grieve before making permanent decisions. Funeral.com’s guide Keeping Ashes at Home: How to Do It Safely, Respectfully, and Legally is a thoughtful resource on placement, household safety, and the reality of living with an urn day to day. If you have children or pets in the home, the pottery design choice becomes even clearer: stable, low center of gravity, and a closure that won’t loosen if bumped.

Handles, bases, and the “drop risk” most people don’t think about

Handles can be meaningful—especially on a vessel that is intended to be carried—but they also introduce risk if they catch on fabric or feel fragile in the hand. If you include handles, build them to feel solid and comfortable, and test them. If you skip handles, consider how the urn will be lifted. A subtle foot ring, a slightly wider base, or a gentle indentation where hands naturally go can make the urn feel much safer to move.

In the real world, a ceramic urn often travels from a funeral home or crematory to a car, then to a home, then perhaps to a cemetery. A design that feels steady through those transitions supports the family’s sense of control when everything else may feel unstable.

Food-safe vs. ash-safe: what glaze “safety” really means for an urn

The phrase “food-safe” has a specific meaning in ceramics: it usually refers to whether a glaze is stable enough for a surface that will regularly contact food and liquids. But an urn is not a dinner plate. When families ask about ash safe ceramic glaze, they’re typically asking a different, more practical question: Will this surface hold up over time, resist moisture, and stay easy to clean if there is dust or accidental contact?

For many families, ashes remain inside a sealed inner bag, meaning the glaze is less about chemical contact and more about durability and cleanliness. In that scenario, “ash-safe” is largely a matter of choosing a sound clay body and firing schedule, avoiding fragile or highly porous finishes, and ensuring the interior is easy to keep clean if the bag ever needs to be moved.

If you plan to place ashes directly into the urn (rather than keeping them in an inner bag), it becomes more important that the interior surface is stable and not prone to flaking, excessive crazing, or absorption. You don’t need a “food-safe” label to do this well, but you do want an interior that is durable, smooth enough to manage gently, and consistent with long-term storage. If you are uncertain about a specific glaze recipe’s stability, it is appropriate to consult your studio technician, ceramic supplier, or an experienced kiln operator—especially if you are using a specialty glaze or a non-standard firing process.

What to ask the crematory (and cemetery) before you finalize your design

A handmade urn becomes much easier to use when you design it around real-world constraints: how the remains will be returned, how the urn will be filled, and where it may ultimately be placed. A simple call to the crematory or funeral home can prevent the most common surprises. If burial or niche placement is part of your plan, the cemetery matters too, because “rules” are often cemetery-by-cemetery policies rather than universal standards. Funeral.com’s guide Choosing an Urn for Cemetery Burial: Materials, Vaults, and Rules walks through how to ask for requirements in writing and why vault policies vary.

Here are a few practical questions that clarify crematory urn requirements without overwhelming the conversation:

• Will the ashes be returned in an inner bag, and what are the typical dimensions of that bag?
• Is there a recommended minimum opening diameter for the urn you bring?
• Do you require a specific closure type (threaded lid, sealed lid, or something that can be secured for transport)?
• If the urn is for a cemetery or columbarium, do you want it sealed, and if so, who seals it (family, funeral home, or cemetery staff)?
• Do you have labeling or identification requirements for an urn a family provides?
• If the plan includes burial or a niche, what exterior dimensions must the urn fit within (and is an urn vault or liner required)?

These questions also shape your approach to ceramic urn sealing. Some families prefer a lid that closes securely but can be reopened later. Others prefer a seal once the final placement is complete, especially for cemetery burial. If you anticipate needing a seal, design a lid and rim that can accept a soft gasket or a discreet, reversible sealant—so “secure” doesn’t become “impossible to open without damage.”

When a handmade urn is one piece of a bigger memorial plan

One of the gentlest truths families learn is that you do not have to decide everything immediately. Many people start with a stable “for now” plan—often a home urn—then later choose a permanent action like burial, scattering, or sharing. Funeral.com’s article What to Do With Cremation Ashes: 25 Meaningful Ideas can be reassuring if you’re weighing options and want a clear sense of what “next steps” can look like.

Small cremation urns and keepsake urns: sharing without conflict

A handmade urn often becomes the primary vessel—where most or all of the remains are kept. But sometimes the most healing plan includes sharing a portion among multiple loved ones. That’s where small cremation urns and keepsake urns come in. Keepsakes are intentionally small; they are meant for a symbolic portion, not the full amount. If you’d like to see how families commonly structure “one main urn plus a few small shares,” browse small cremation urns and keepsake urns on Funeral.com.

This approach is especially helpful if the handmade urn will live in one household, but other family members want a meaningful connection too. The plan can reduce tension by making sharing intentional rather than improvised.

Pet urns for ashes: when the love is just as real

Families who are making a pottery urn for a pet often describe the same feeling: “This loss is smaller to other people, but not to us.” In practical terms, the design principles remain the same—capacity, closure, stability—but the aesthetics may shift toward something that reflects personality. If you’re exploring alternatives or want to see how pet urn design varies, Funeral.com’s pet urns for ashes collection is a helpful overview, including traditional shapes and modern memorial designs.

Some families prefer sculptural memorials that look like a resting animal or a figurine. If that resonates, you can explore pet figurine cremation urns. And if the family wants to share ashes among multiple people, pet keepsake cremation urns can make that plan manageable. Funeral.com also offers a practical guide to pet keepsakes and sharing in Pet Keepsake Urns and Small Pet Memorials.

Cremation jewelry and cremation necklaces: closeness you can carry

For many families, the most emotionally practical solution is both/and: a stable urn at home plus something small that can move with them. That is where cremation jewelry—including cremation necklaces—fits. Jewelry typically holds a very small portion, not the full remains. It can be especially meaningful for adult children, long-distance siblings, or partners who feel comforted by a private reminder they don’t have to explain to anyone.

If you want a gentle introduction to how these pieces work (including filling tips and closure considerations), Funeral.com’s guide Cremation Jewelry 101 is a strong starting point. To browse options, you can explore cremation jewelry and cremation necklaces.

Keeping ashes at home, water burial, and other decisions that shape the “right” urn

A handmade ceramic urn is often best suited for home memorial use: it can be placed in a quiet corner, paired with a photo, and become a steady point of remembrance. If home placement is your plan—especially for a time—revisit the practical guidance in keeping ashes at home, including how to prevent accidents and how to choose placement that respects everyone in the household.

But not every family’s plan ends at home. Some families choose burial in a cemetery or a niche, and some choose scattering or water burial. If your long-term plan is water-based, ceramic is usually not the best “release” vessel. Water burial often involves biodegradable designs intended to dissolve, and burial-at-sea has specific rules. Funeral.com’s guide water burial and burial at sea explains the practical differences, and the U.S. EPA provides the authoritative federal framework for burial at sea in U.S. ocean waters.

If you’re unsure which direction you’ll choose, it may help to give yourself permission to start with a stable, respectful “for now” plan. A strong home urn—handmade or purchased—can buy time without disrespecting the moment. The key is to choose an urn that fits the realities of your likely next steps.

Funeral planning: why writing down the urn plan matters more than people expect

In families, the hardest urn decisions are rarely about aesthetics. They’re about uncertainty: who decides, what the long-term plan is, and how much everything will cost. Planning doesn’t remove grief, but it does reduce avoidable stress. Funeral.com’s guide funeral planning for cremation is built around a simple idea: put the plan in writing so the people you love are not forced to guess.

Cost is part of that clarity too. When families ask how much does cremation cost, they’re often trying to understand what is included, what is optional, and what choices will affect the total. Funeral.com’s guide How Much Does Cremation Cost? Average Prices and Budget-Friendly Options breaks down real-world pricing and how urns and keepsakes fit into the overall picture. For national context, the NFDA statistics page reports a national median cost of $6,280 for a funeral with cremation in 2023, compared with $8,300 for a funeral with viewing and burial.

A handmade urn can be part of a budget-conscious plan, but it’s also part of a love story. The most sustainable approach is to treat it as one intentional choice inside a larger plan: decide the likely placement, confirm the basic requirements, size it correctly, and choose whether you want keepsakes or jewelry now or later. When those decisions are made calmly—before anyone is under pressure—the handmade urn can do what you want it to do: hold the remains with dignity, and hold the memory with tenderness.

FAQs