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.

Grief and Creativity: Art, Music, and Writing as Healing Outlets (Even If You’re ‘Not Artistic’)

Grief and Creativity: Art, Music, and Writing as Healing Outlets (Even If You’re ‘Not Artistic’)

Grief can make ordinary life feel unfamiliar. Tasks that once seemed simple may now feel overwhelming. Your attention may jump from one thought to another, your energy can plummet, and...

Letters You Never Sent: Writing as a Tool for Grief, Forgiveness, and Unfinished Conversations

Letters You Never Sent: Writing as a Tool for Grief, Forgiveness, and Unfinished Conversations

There are moments in grief when we realize the words we needed to speak will never leave our lips. Perhaps it was love left unspoken, or anger we tucked away...

Memorial Options When You Only Have a Small Amount of Ashes

Memorial Options When You Only Have a Small Amount of Ashes

Sometimes you expect to receive “the ashes,” and instead you find yourself holding a small container that feels surprisingly light. Or you already scattered most of the remains and kept...

Nose Print Jewelry for Dogs & Cats: How It’s Made & How to Capture the Print at Home

Nose Print Jewelry for Dogs & Cats: How It’s Made & How to Capture the Print at Home

Your dog’s nose has probably tapped your hand a thousand times without you noticing the exact pattern it leaves behind. It presses against the window when someone pulls into the...

Pet Memory Box for Kids: Free Printable Template, Prompts & Simple Keepsake Ideas

Pet Memory Box for Kids: Free Printable Template, Prompts & Simple Keepsake Ideas

When a child loses a beloved pet, the grief can show up in small, surprising ways. One minute they seem fine, and the next they are crying because they found...

Planning a Pet Funeral on a Budget: Simple, Meaningful Ideas that Don’t Cost Much

Planning a Pet Funeral on a Budget: Simple, Meaningful Ideas that Don’t Cost Much

When a pet dies, grief has a strange way of colliding with paperwork, prices, and decisions you never wanted to make. You might find yourself trying to plan a goodbye...

Writing an Obituary for Your Cat: Examples and Templates

Writing an Obituary for Your Cat: Examples and Templates

There are some losses that change a home without making a sound. The water bowl stays full. The sunny spot on the floor stays warm. The familiar weight that used...

DIY Shadow Boxes: How to Preserve Collars, Tags, and Toys

DIY Shadow Boxes: How to Preserve Collars, Tags, and Toys

There are some items you don’t throw away—not because you’re stuck, but because your hands remember what it felt like to hold them in ordinary life. A collar that still...

50 Meaningful Ways to Memorialize Your Pet (That Aren’t Tattoos)

50 Meaningful Ways to Memorialize Your Pet (That Aren’t Tattoos)

Some losses rearrange the furniture of your life. A leash that still hangs by the door. A food bowl you can’t bring yourself to move. The quiet at the hour...

What to Do With Pet Ashes: Options, Rituals, and Meaning

What to Do With Pet Ashes: Options, Rituals, and Meaning

When a beloved pet dies, the quiet that follows can feel unreal. And then, often sooner than you’d like, something tangible arrives: a container, a box, a bag inside a...

How to Create a Simple Pet Memorial Ceremony at Home

How to Create a Simple Pet Memorial Ceremony at Home

The days after a pet dies can feel strangely quiet. The leash still hangs by the door. The food bowl hasn’t moved. Even when you’re “doing okay,” your body notices...

Seasonal Grave Decorations: Ideas for Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter Within Cemetery Rules

Seasonal Grave Decorations: Ideas for Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter Within Cemetery Rules

A gravesite changes with the seasons, even when nothing “new” is added. Grass grows fast in spring, heat bakes flowers in summer, leaves pile up in fall, and winter can...

Marking the Anniversary of a Pet’s Death: Gentle Ideas for a Day of Remembrance

Marking the Anniversary of a Pet’s Death: Gentle Ideas for a Day of Remembrance

The first time the date comes back around, it can feel surprisingly sharp. You may be doing “okay” in the practical sense—going to work, answering messages, even laughing again—and then...

Healing Rituals After Pet Loss: Letters, Keepsake Boxes, and Everyday Reminders

Healing Rituals After Pet Loss: Letters, Keepsake Boxes, and Everyday Reminders

After a pet dies, the house can feel strangely loud and strangely empty at the same time. You still reach for the leash. You still listen for a familiar nail-click...

How to Bury a Dog at Home: Legal Checks, Safe Depth, and Gentle Goodbye Rituals

How to Bury a Dog at Home: Legal Checks, Safe Depth, and Gentle Goodbye Rituals

Losing a dog can feel like losing a piece of the household’s heartbeat. One moment there’s a familiar weight at your feet, a collar clinking at the door, a nose...

Planning a Shared Memorial with Multiple Pets: Group Graves, Urns, and Markers

Planning a Shared Memorial with Multiple Pets: Group Graves, Urns, and Markers

If you’ve loved more than one pet, you already know this quiet truth: grief doesn’t replace itself. It layers. A dog who grew up with your kids. A cat who...