Wood Cremation Urns FAQs

Wood cremation urns in particular are becoming increasingly popular. While cremation has been traditional in many cultures around the world, it has been more slowly adopted in Western cultures. In the U.K., it has surpassed burial as a preference, and in the United States, it has seen an explosion in popularity, especially in the past decade. Along with the increasing popularity of cremation has come an increasing market in wood cremation urns. This FAQ sheet covers many of the most frequently asked questions about wooden cremation urns.

Must I buy my wood cremation urn from the crematory or funeral home?

You can buy cremation urns, wooden or not from any source you like. There are no health risks involved with cremated remains. Therefore there are no special requirements for their containment. No reputable funeral home will insist that you purchase one from them. In fact, they will happily place the remains in the vessel of your choice. If you have not yet chosen an urn, they will provide a free or inexpensive plastic urn for you to keep the cremated remains in until you find what you want.

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How do I know how big an urn to buy?

If you are buying a commercially available urn, it should have the interior capacity stated along with other specifications about the urn. A good rule of thumb is to allow 1 cubic inch of space for every pound of body weight. Many wood cremation urns are made with 220 to 250 cubic inches of space. This is enough for most people's needs. If it is not, you can have an urn handmade for you to your specifications or get a companion urn that is approximately twice the volume of a standard urn.

How can I find wood cremation urns?

The best way to find cremation containers is online. Search engines use keywords to find relevant websites. Try "wood cremation urns" first. You will be directed to hundreds of websites. To narrow your search further, be more specific. For example, if you are looking for a lathe-turned urn, try "turned wooden cremation urns." If you want a unique handcrafted vessel, then use "artist" or "handcrafted" in your key phrase. Purchasing online is really the only way to find the cremation containers, since your selection will be limited at your funeral home or crematorium.

I am going to bury my wood cremation urn. How long will it last?

Part of the beauty of wooden cremation urns is that they do slowly and naturally break down over the years. They are usually made from dense hardwoods such as oak and will last for between 10 to 15 years before decaying altogether. Some rare woods, such as Huon Pine, can last far longer.

When I order a wood cremation urn, how do I know it will look like the one in the photo?

Chances are, the urn will not look exactly like one that is shown in a photo online, unless you are choosing a unique piece. Every piece of wood differs slightly from the other. Grained woods like oak will all look very similar, but they will vary in color and pattern. This is part of the charm of wooden cremation urns: even the manufactured urns are, in a sense, one of a kind. Also, colors will vary from computer monitor to computer monitor, so even if you are choosing a specific handmade urn, it may look slightly different from its photograph.

While the urn will not be identical in appearance to one you see in a photograph, manufactured urns are all made in runs and machined identically. Yours will be the same size and shape as the one you see online.

How long does shipping take?

As with any other product purchased online, shipping will depend on your location relative to the suppliers and the quality of their shipping service. Usually, the larger wooden cremation urn dealers guarantee same or next day shipping, even if you are having custom engraving done. Naturally, custom made pieces will take longer. To be on the safe side, ask your dealer directly and only deal with someone who guarantees delivery. For artist-designed urns, you may have to pay extra for fragile goods delivery.

You probably will have many other questions to ask about your order. Wooden cremation urns are special products and you will want them handled with the utmost care. The companies and individuals who supply cremation urns are well aware of your sensitivities and will usually go out of their way to accommodate you and answer all of your questions.