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Wooden cremation urns are the most popular choice of all the materials that cremation urns are made from. Wood craftsmen use fine hardwoods to build, turn and carve creations in an enormous range of designs and styles. The warmth, richness and earthiness of wood make it a perfect material for cremation containers. Add the artist's touch and you have an exquisite vessel worthy of the memory of your loved one.
The word "box" hardly does this type of urn justice. Even the most basic wooden box is made from fine hardwood, making it a beautiful piece of craftsmanship suitable for display or burial. Standard casket-style boxes are made from a variety of timbers, including the lighter hardwoods such as white oak, medium colored woods like cherry wood and red oak or darker woods such as rich Brazilian mahogany and walnut.
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While commercially manufactured containers are not one-of-a-kind, they do come in a wide variety of customizable designs, ranging from boxes with plate engravings and ceramic or metal figurines attached to them to containers with precise laser engravings in the wood itself. The nature of wood makes each cremation urn unique, since no two pieces of wood are exactly alike.
For even more variety, you can buy custom made wooden cremation urns. These are lovingly handcrafted from kiln or air-dried woods hand-selected by the craftsman. Often, these expert woodworkers offer limited edition urns in period styles or the artist's own unique designs. They also enjoy the challenge of creating a unique container to a client's specifications. Woodworkers are passionate about their work and those who make wooden cremation urns do so with a sense of gratitude and responsibility, choosing only the finest woods and taking the time to make each of their creations a gleaming work of art.
The word "urn" originally referred to a particular type of vase designed for carrying water. It is narrow-necked and has carrying handles. Over time, the word came into common usage for all types of urns for ashes. Nonetheless, when we think of these vessels, we still think of the classic urn, albeit without the handles. Many lathe-turned wooden cremation urns adhere to the classic narrow neck style, while many others take other artist-designed shapes. As with cremation boxes, you can choose either commercially manufactured urns or custom turned urns.
For a truly stunning remembrance piece, look at websites of cremation urns by artists. Wood turners often select their most unusual wood finds, such as burls and partially decayed woods to create their wooden cremation urns. These delicate pieces are exquisite objects of art in their own right and many find their way into art galleries.
Wood craftsmen don't limit their creations to full-sized urns. They create everything, even beautifully turned miniature urns designed to be worn as jewelry. Hollow on the inside, they often feature gold or silver caps that are sealed tightly after a small portion of ashes are added. Worn as necklaces, they are pieces of jewelry to take pride in. No one has to know just how precious this piece of jewelry is to the wearer, since it does not resemble a casket or funeral urn. You can keep its secret close to your heart.
Other keepsake urns designed to hold a portion of the ashes include a wide variety of boxes and containers. Something that looks like a lovely wooden music box or jewelry box has a special place inside for ashes. A whimsical log cabin replica is actually an urn for ashes. For remembering sports lovers, you can get a wooden trophy with a golf ball or other symbol of their favorite sport mounted on top. If your beloved dog has passed away, you can get him a doghouse replica. Basically, if it can be made out of wood, you can either find it in an online catalog or have it custom-made.
It's not hard to find wooden cremation urns online. The difficult part will be choosing one from the many stunning examples you will find. Take your time and look at both the large cremation urns websites and the smaller craft guilds and individual artist's sites. If you have something special in mind or want a more personal connection with the craftsman, don't hesitate to ask. Woodworkers consider it an honor to be asked to make wooden cremation urns and will no doubt take the time and care that you would in order to create a masterpiece for the memory of your loved one.