The Funeral.com Journal
Resources to help you create tributes as unique as the people (and pets) you love. Learn how engraving, photos, colors, and symbols add meaning; discover scattering rituals and at-home memorial ideas. We focus on the details that matter—because small choices can carry a lifetime of comfort.
How to Split Ashes Among 5 Siblings Without Spilling (Tools, Math, and Cleanup Tips)
For many families today, choosing cremation is part of funeral planning, whether it’s for cost reasons, personal preferences, or a desire for flexibility in memorialization. In fact, according to the...
Understanding Cremation Urns, Pet Urns, and Cremation Jewelry With Compassion and Clarity
When a loved one passes, families are often confronted with deeply personal decisions about memorialization and remembrance. More people today are choosing cremation and thoughtful tributes that reflect a life...
Mailing Ashes: How to Use the USPS “Cremated Remains” Kit (Step-by-Step)
There are a few moments in grief that feel strangely logistical. One of them is the moment you realize the ashes need to travel. Maybe your sibling lives across the...
How to Pack an Urn in Checked Luggage (If You Absolutely Must)
Most families who travel with cremated remains are doing something that feels both deeply personal and strangely logistical at the same time. You’re trying to honor someone (or a beloved...
“X-Ray Friendly” Urns: Which Materials Pass TSA Screening (and Which Can Fail)
There are some moments in grief that feel strangely practical. One of them is standing in an airport security line with something that matters more than anything else in your...
TSA Rules for Flying With Cremated Remains (2026): What to Expect at Security
Most people don’t realize how common this kind of travel has become until they’re the one standing in their kitchen, holding a container that suddenly feels far heavier than its...
When Ashes Come Home: A Compassionate Guide to Urns, Keepsakes, Jewelry, and What Comes Next
There’s a moment many families don’t expect after a death: the quiet reality of returning home with cremated remains. The logistics are simple—there’s a container, paperwork, maybe a short conversation...
DIY Pet Urns: How to Make a Simple Wooden Box Urn at Home
When a pet dies, the world gets oddly quiet. You may still hear the familiar sounds of your home, but something essential is missing. And then—often sooner than you’d like—practical...
What to Do With Ashes in 2026: A Calm, Practical Guide to Cremation Urns, Pet Urns, Keepsakes, Jewelry, and Funeral Planning
If you’re here because you have a temporary container on a table (or you’re trying to plan before you ever have to hold one), you’re not alone. The hardest part...
From Ashes to Meaning: How to Choose Cremation Urns, Pet Urns, Keepsakes, Jewelry, and a Plan That Feels Right
There’s a moment that catches many families off guard. The phone calls slow down, the immediate logistics calm, and then you realize you’re holding a decision that feels both practical...
Flowers for Urn Displays: Arrangements That Complement Brass vs. Wood Urns
When a family brings an urn home, there’s often a quiet surprise: the urn may be the most “visible” part of the memorial for weeks or months. Even if you’re...
Companion Urns: Displaying Two Lives Together (Sizing, Design, and Placement)
Choosing a companion urn can feel like a surprisingly tender decision. It’s practical, yes—an urn for two people is designed to hold two sets of cremains—but it’s also symbolic. When...
Opening a Sealed Urn: A Safe DIY Guide for Families (Tools, Cleanup, and Resealing)
There’s a particular kind of heaviness that shows up when you realize you need to open an urn. Maybe your family is ready to split ashes into multiple keepsakes. Maybe...
Sealing an Urn: Silicone vs. Super Glue (What Works Best and When)
There’s a moment that catches a lot of families off guard. The urn is on the table. Everything looks “finished,” at least from the outside. And then someone asks a...