After cremation, families often expect a clear “next step” and instead find a new kind of decision. The ashes are ready, but the plan may not be. One person wants a memorial at home. Another wants to scatter later, when everyone can travel. A sibling asks if it’s possible to keep a portion nearby. In that space between grief and logistics, keepsake urns can be a quiet, practical help.
This guide focuses on the practical moments that carry emotional weight: keepsake urn size and keepsake urn capacity (including keepsake urn capacity in cubic inches), how different lids and closures work, and respectful, low-stress steps for opening or transferring ashes later. Along the way, we’ll also touch on cremation jewelry, pet urns for ashes, and the bigger questions that come up during funeral planning.
Keepsake urns in a cremation-forward world
Cremation is now the majority choice in the U.S., which means more families are navigating what to do with ashes over longer timelines. The National Funeral Directors Association reports that cremation has become the majority choice and projects continued growth. The Cremation Association of North America also publishes industry statistics that reflect how common it is for families to keep or share ashes as part of remembrance.
In practical terms, that shift has made keepsakes feel less like an unusual request and more like a normal part of the plan: a way to honor one person in more than one place, without requiring everyone to grieve the same way or live in the same home.
What is a keepsake urn, compared with small and full-size urns?
A keepsake urn is a small memorial container designed to hold a portion of ashes, not the full amount. It’s made for sharing, travel, or creating more than one place for remembrance within the same family. Funeral.com’s keepsake cremation urns for ashes collection includes hearts, mini vases, and small cylinders—often called a mini urn for ashes—intentionally sized for “shared remembrance.”
It also helps to separate “keepsake” from “small.” Many families want small cremation urns that hold more than a token amount—enough for a second household or a private memorial corner—without being the primary container. Those designs live in the small cremation urns for ashes collection. And when the plan is to keep nearly all remains together long-term, families typically start with a primary urn from cremation urns for ashes.
Capacity and sizing: choosing what matches the emotional purpose
Keepsake urn capacity is usually listed in cubic inches (keepsake urn capacity cubic inches is the phrase you’ll often see online). Many keepsakes hold just a few cubic inches—enough for a meaningful portion that can be shared among siblings or kept close by a spouse. A heart keepsake urn is a common choice when the goal is “small, symbolic, and close.” For example, the Teal Brass Heart Keepsake Urn is listed at 3 cubic inches.
When families want “small but not tiny,” capacity shifts upward. Funeral.com notes that many items in its small cremation urns for ashes collection have capacities generally under 28 cubic inches, which can work well for a secondary household or for keeping ashes at home while scattering the rest later. Pet families often choose even smaller keepsakes; the pet keepsake cremation urns for ashes collection is designed for shared remembrance after pet cremation.
If you are sharing among several people, it can help to think in roles rather than numbers. Who needs an anchor? Who needs a token? Who wants something wearable? The “right” capacity is the one that supports the emotional purpose without making the process harder than it has to be.
Seals and closures: what “sealed shut” can mean
Two questions come up again and again: are urns permanently sealed, and are cremation urns sealed shut? The calmer answer is that “sealed” depends on the closure type and whether adhesive was used after filling.
Many keepsakes use a threaded lid or threaded back closure, which is secure and usually reopenable. Others use a bottom plate held by screws. Some are designed to be sealed with adhesive after filling, which can make them feel permanent even if they are not welded. If you want the option to reopen later, choose a closure meant to be reopened and reserve permanent sealing for travel, burial, or niche placement. Funeral.com’s guide Can A Keepsake Urn Be Opened? breaks down common keepsake closure types and what families typically do when they plan to open or reseal later.
How to open an urn and transfer ashes respectfully
People open keepsakes for gentle reasons: to create a sharing set later, to move a portion into cremation necklaces, to replace a damaged container, or to prepare for a ceremony. The practical steps matter because a controlled process makes space for the emotional part.
Choose a quiet room. Turn off fans, close windows, and keep pets and children out. Work over a tray, clean sheet of paper, or shallow pan so any stray grains stay contained. If the urn has a threaded closure, wrap it in a soft cloth and twist slowly. If it has a base plate, use the correct screwdriver and loosen screws evenly, a little at a time. If the urn seems glued, do not force it; that can be a sign it was intentionally sealed, and it’s reasonable to ask a funeral home for help rather than risk a spill or damage.
When you need to transfer ashes to a keepsake urn, open the inner bag only a little at first. Move slowly with a funnel or a rolled paper cone, and stop before overfilling. Funeral.com’s step-by-step resource How to Transfer Ashes into an Urn covers simple tools, safety tips, and ways to reseal securely afterward. Once the transfer is complete, close the urn carefully and confirm the threads or base plate are aligned and secure.
Keepsakes, jewelry, and pets: different ways of being close
Sharing ashes can be a deeply loving choice, but it can also feel heavy when you’re the person doing the dividing. Many families create one anchor memorial first, then divide smaller portions for keepsakes and jewelry. Funeral.com’s article Keepsake Urns and Sharing Urns: When Families Want to Divide Ashes offers practical ways families share without turning it into a tense calculation.
For some people, the most comforting keepsake is wearable. Cremation jewelry typically holds a tiny, symbolic amount inside a discreet chamber. You can explore Funeral.com’s cremation jewelry and cremation necklaces, and the guide Cremation Jewelry Guide explains common styles, filling methods, and what to expect from different types of closures.
Pet loss deserves the same respect. Families often begin with pet cremation urns for ashes, then add smaller tributes from pet keepsake cremation urns for ashes. Some prefer a memorial that resembles their companion; the pet figurine cremation urns for ashes collection is one way families create a tribute that feels personal and specific.
Keeping ashes at home, mailing, and water ceremonies
If you are keeping ashes at home, think about stability (a secure shelf or cabinet), privacy, and whether you want a closure you can reopen later. Funeral.com’s guide Keeping Ashes at Home covers practical considerations without pushing you to decide faster than you’re ready.
If shipping is part of your plan—whether you buy a keepsake urn online and have it delivered, or you’re sending ashes to family—the rules are specific. The United States Postal Service explains how cremated remains must be packaged and shipped (Publication 139). Even if you never mail ashes, those standards can be reassuring for travel: they show what “secure containment” looks like when safety matters.
For scattering at sea, legal details matter. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that cremated remains should be released at least three nautical miles from land and that you must notify EPA within 30 days following the event. Funeral.com’s resources on scattering ashes at sea and understanding what happens during a water burial ceremony can help you plan a meaningful, compliant farewell.
If your plan involves water or a green memorial, choosing the right material matters. Funeral.com’s biodegradable and eco-friendly urns for ashes collection includes options designed for a natural return to the environment rather than permanent display.
Costs and planning: keeping the keepsake in proportion
Keepsakes can simplify planning: one primary urn, a few personal tributes, and less pressure for everyone to agree on a single memorial style. If you’re weighing the bigger question of how much does cremation cost, Funeral.com’s guide How Much Does Cremation Cost? breaks down common fees and where families tend to see add-ons. For rules and regional differences, Cremation Guide by USA State helps families understand how laws and options vary. And if burial or cemetery placement is part of your plan, Urn Vaults Explained clarifies when cemeteries require a vault and how to choose one that fits your urn.
Closing thought: small containers, lasting connection
Keepsakes don’t work because they are small. They work because they match how families actually live: across homes, across time, across different kinds of grief. If you want a broader overview of options—including how keepsakes fit alongside other cremation urns for ashes—Funeral.com’s guide Cremation Urns 101 is a helpful companion read.
