If you are trying to decide where to put ashes after cremation, you are dealing with a decision that is both emotional and practical. The question rarely shows up as a neat checklist. It shows up as a small container on a shelf, a family conversation with different opinions, and a quiet moment when you realize you are still unsure what to do with cremation ashes.
This is a common crossroads. Cremation is now the majority choice in the U.S. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected to be 63.4% in 2025 and to rise to 82.3% by 2045. The Cremation Association of North America reports that the U.S. cremation rate was 61.8% in 2024, with continued growth projected through 2029.
Just as important, families do not all want the same outcome. The National Funeral Directors Association reports that among people who prefer cremation, many would want the remains kept in an urn at home (37.1%) or scattered in a sentimental place (33.5%), and some would want the remains split among relatives (10.5%). Those preferences are a helpful reminder: more than one plan can be “normal,” and the right choice is the one your family can live with.
How to Choose Without Rushing
A steady starting point is to separate “now” from “later.” Cremation gives you time, and time can be a gift in grief. Many people begin with keeping ashes at home and decide on burial, scattering, or a columbarium niche later when family can travel or emotions settle. If you want calm, practical guidance for home storage and everyday safety, Funeral.com’s Journal guide on keeping ashes at home can help you feel steady about what is allowed, what is wise, and what is simply preference.
Cost can shape timing too, and it is reasonable to name that as part of funeral planning. The National Funeral Directors Association reports a national median cost of $6,280 for a funeral with cremation (including viewing and service) in 2023, compared with $8,300 for a comparable funeral with burial. If you are trying to understand how much does cremation cost in plain language, Funeral.com’s Journal guide How Much Does Cremation Cost walks through common fee structures and the decisions that can wait.
12 Meaningful Options for Cremated Remains
Keep an Urn at Home
For many families, the simplest answer to what to do with ashes is to keep ashes at home in a container that feels steady and personal. If you are still choosing, Funeral.com’s cremation urns for ashes collection is a broad starting point for cremation urns in different materials and styles.
Create a Peaceful Cremation Urn Display
A cremation urn display does not need to feel like a shrine. Many families feel best with something small and livable: a shelf, a photo, a candle, and one or two personal items. If you want ideas that feel gentle and realistic, see Funeral.com’s guide How to Display a Cremation Urn at Home.
Share Ashes With Keepsake Urns
When more than one person is grieving, keepsake urns can reduce conflict and increase comfort. If your family is weighing different cremains storage options, keepsakes are a gentle way to share a small portion so adult children, siblings, or close friends can each keep a tangible connection. You can browse Funeral.com’s keepsake urns collection, and Funeral.com’s Journal article Keepsake Urns 101 explains closure types and respectful handling at home.
Choose Small Cremation Urns for Multiple Locations
Small cremation urns are useful when the plan is naturally “more than one place,” such as one urn in each household or a smaller container for travel before a ceremony. Funeral.com’s small cremation urns collection focuses on partial-capacity options that still feel dignified.
Wear Cremation Jewelry and Cremation Necklaces
Cremation jewelry is a private way to keep someone close without making an urn the center of a room. If you are specifically searching for memorial jewelry for ashes, these pieces hold a tiny symbolic amount inside a sealed chamber. You can browse cremation jewelry or go straight to cremation necklaces. For filling and care tips, Funeral.com’s Journal guide Cremation Jewelry 101 walks through what to expect.
Create a Pet Memorial With Pet Urns for Ashes
With pets, the home is often where the love happened most visibly, so a home memorial can feel especially right. Funeral.com’s pet urns for ashes collection includes many styles of pet urns and pet cremation urns. If you want something that feels unmistakably like them, explore pet figurine cremation urns. If multiple people want a small portion, pet keepsake cremation urns can help everyone feel connected. For sizing and selection help, see Choosing the Right Urn for Pet Ashes.
Place Ashes in a Columbarium Niche
A columbarium niche can provide a permanent place to visit, especially when relatives want a shared location. Policies vary by cemetery, so ask about niche size, urn material rules, and sealing requirements before you buy. If you want a grounded overview of choosing an urn by destination (home, niche, burial, travel, or scattering), see Funeral.com’s Journal guide Choosing the Right Cremation Urn.
Bury Ashes in a Cemetery Plot
If you want the familiarity of a gravesite, you can bury ashes in cemetery ground in a cremation plot, a family plot, or an existing grave depending on cemetery rules. Some cemeteries require an urn vault or liner and may restrict materials. If you are unsure what size is needed for burial, see What Size Urn Do I Need? (Burial Basics).
Use a Cemetery Scattering Garden
A cemetery scattering garden can be a quiet compromise for families who want a nature-forward memorial but still want a place to visit. Cemeteries set their own scattering ashes rules for these areas, including whether a marker is allowed. If you want help choosing a container designed for controlled scattering, see Scattering Urns and Tubes.
Scatter Ashes on Private Property With Permission
Scattering on private property is often the most personal option: a garden, a family cabin, or land that feels like home. The practical piece is permission. If you do not own the land, get written approval and keep it with your documents. If the property may be sold later, consider a blended plan: scatter a portion and keep a portion in keepsake urns or cremation jewelry.
Scatter on Public Land or in a National Park
Public lands can feel sacred, but they also come with rules meant to protect shared spaces. Some locations require permits and specify where scattering is allowed. The National Park Service, for example, states that you must have a permit to scatter ashes in Arches National Park. Checking site-specific rules in advance can prevent stress and let the day be about the person you are honoring.
Plan a Water Burial or Burial at Sea
For families drawn to water burial, it helps to understand the federal framework. The requirement that burial at sea take place no closer than three nautical miles from land (including for cremated remains) appears in 40 CFR 229.1, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains that burials conducted under the general permit must be reported to the EPA within 30 days. If you want a ceremonial container designed for sea placement, browse biodegradable urn for ashes options, and for planning guidance see water burial on Funeral.com’s Journal.
A Plan You Can Live With
It may help to remember that many families choose more than one path. You can keep a primary urn at home, place a portion in a columbarium niche, share a few keepsakes, and still plan scattering later. If you want a calm overview that ties home, cemetery, and nature options together, read Best Places to Keep or Scatter Cremains. The goal is not to make a perfect decision under pressure. The goal is to choose something that feels respectful now and still workable later.
Practical note: If shipping is part of your plan, follow carrier-specific rules. The U.S. Postal Service Publication 139 explains how to package and ship cremated remains using Priority Mail Express.
