new urn cozy!

Here's another gorgeous urn cozy by Pondhopper. This is my third one, and there will be four more unique designs on the way. These cozies are designed to cover the plastic boxes that store ashes, and I think they're a lovely alternative to what's out there. If you choose to scatter the ashes, these cozies can be used to store mementoes.

This one is made from antique upholstery. I love the gently worn fabric. And the details are amazing. It has a vintage feel, and for me reflects the beauty of a life well lived, and a memory well cherished.

Here's the first urn cozy that Pondhopper made for me:

In this Modern Mourner project, these urn cozies truly capture the sentiment of how I feel about mourning. Pondhopper's cozies are handmade, and unlike anything out there. The cozy above contains my mother's ashes, and it sits on my shelf in my living room. I feel as if my mother is nearby, and the beauty of this design captures my sentiments - the affection and love I feel when I think of her. I truly hope this idea catches on. I am so thankful for Lorraine at Pondhopper for making these for me, and understanding the significance of honoring those we've loved and lost. They are still part of our lives, and always will be. They deserve something beautiful.

could these be urns?

Help!

I'm looking for fabricators to turn items like these into repurposed urns. These pics came from a recent visit to the Rose Bowl Flea Market, and are just a small example of items that could possibly be repurposed into urns. I realize some of these items might be impractical, but with a little imagination and ingenuity others could work. I'm personally excited for a punch clock urn : )

Here are the standard urn requirements: 1) must hold 200-250 cubic inches, which comes out to about 6 pounds; 2) must be air and water tight; 3) if it's opened widely, it should be lined and perhaps padded. I'm looking for a fabricator who can work with wood, metal, or both. The item can either retain its original look, or there could be a few artistic flourishes.

Please contact me if you're interested in working with me on this at shirley@modernmourner.com. Although I don't have these exact items, these pics should give you an idea of how wide the concept of an urn can be. Thanks to all!

Lunch boxes could easily work, especially the larger sizes.

A jewelry box like this could be hollowed out beneath, and the top could be used to keep personal mementos.

For the guys, a sturdy, well-worn tool box.

This globe is kind of beat up, but there might be other sturdier versions.

Awesome ammo boxes!
Going somewhere?

my own memento mori

I like the idea of knowing where I'm going, so I commissioned my own urn cover from Pondhopper. It's based on Victorian mourning dress, with all of the brimming bustle and prim lace. It's made with raw unlined black silk, lined with white lace, with a bustle-like top and vintage black buttons. I love the way it's both billowing over yet buttoned down - it very much suits me. Words cannot describe how much I adore this piece!

I plan to keep my most precious personal possessions in it for now, and when my time comes my ashes can kept sheltered in this most stylish cover. If my ashes are scattered at some point, I hope this wrap can be used to store meaningful mementos.

Everyone should have their own memento mori (Alexander McQueen skull scarves don't count.) We mention in passing that we'd like our ashes scattered, but truly never give it much thought. Contemplating and planning for our own death ultimately makes life more meaningful. Take a moment, and if you are so inclined, order your own urn cover from Pondhopper today. She will make you something beautiful and personal.

it matters how you scatter

Scattering ashes can be a dicey endeavor. After suffering the grief of losing someone we love, we mistakenly believe the universe owes us a poetic moment where everything goes right. We picture ourselves on a beautiful cliff by the sea, where after a few profound words the ashes simply flow away, dissolving into sea and wind.

But it rarely works out as imagined. Ashes can pour out in a clumsy, undignified manner. Urns can slip. And as we've seen in The Big Lebowski, the wind does not always cooperate.

Other times, good intentions (literally) fly out the window:

Before this happens to you, please take a look at Scattering Ashes, a site solely devoted to the art of scattering ashes (hence the name). From the practical to the poetic, everything is addressed here. This site provides a bevy of options, from hot air balloons to fireworks. I personally prefer a more intimate ceremony - ringing ashes at the base of a beautiful tree, or digging and decorating a trench in the sand before the tide comes in strikes me as a lovely way to say goodbye.

But my favorite? The Viking Boat. The ashes are set inside a model ship, then set on fire as it floats off into the sea. Very poetic, a hero's send-off indeed.

beautiful urn cover

I am so amazed at the beauty of this piece by Pondhopper Studio! It's a one-of-a-kind, hand-sewn urn cover, commissioned by me. This is a unique concept, and I hope that Pondhopper's covers will catch on quickly and become another option for keeping a loved one cozy and close to home.

For me, it began when I picked up my mother's ashes at the funeral home, just days after her service. They handed me a plastic box, similar in size to a shoe box. I didn't quite know what to do next nothing felt emotionally right. The urns I had seen did not look like anything I wanted to display. And to be honest, I wasn't ready to take her ashes out of the box. So I displayed the plastic box in the bookshelf for a while. Later I knit an urn cozy to wrap around the box, but my knitting skills are rudimentary at best. While it was the gesture that mattered, I still hoped to find something that perfectly suited my sentimental memories of her.

I came across Lorraine's Pondhopper Studio shop on Etsy last year, and was blown away by the beauty of her repurposed sewn creations - from skirts to spats, dresses to wraps. When I approached her about possibly making an urn cover, she immediately understood the concept. We both believe in repurposing sentimental items, and it was a perfect fit. I cannot believe how lovely this cover is, just look at the amazing detail!

I'm very excited to announce that Pondhopper Studio now has a Modern Mourner section in the Etsy shop, and I'll be featuring a link to Lorraine's work on my upcoming website. I think this is the beginning of an amazing new product. Whether you plan on scattering a loved one's ashes and want something beautiful to carry them in, or if you'd like to keep them close to home, Pondhopper's repurposed urn covers are a simply stunning and original concept. Each cover is lovingly handmade, and can be personalized with your own sentimental remnants.

I've even ordered one for myself, loosely based on Victorian mourning clothing. I see it as a personal memento mori that will lovely to look at. I'll be sure to post pictures when it's complete. In the meantime, check out Pondhopper Studio's blog.

The Oak Sleeps in the Acorn

Amigurumi acorns at PlanetJune

"The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in the egg, and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities." - James Allen

If I had to choose a modern symbol of hope in the midst of loss, it would be the acorn. Fallen from a great oak, the acorn seems so small and insignificant. Yet it holds so much promise. When we lose someone, it indeed feels like everything is lost. Yet somewhere in the ruins there's a seed for a new beginning. We may not understand it, but I'm pretty sure it's there.


That's why I like the Acorn Urn by AKRA. Made from compressed recycled paper, these hand-finished urns are hardy above ground, yet biodegradable if you choose to "plant" them. In an age when most urns try to impart permanence with marble and stone, these lovely urns are humble in both design and destiny.

Living Urns

I've been thinking about what to do with ashes, trying to think outside the urn. Currently I'm knitting a new urn cozy to replace an earlier version (I'm still low on the knitting learning curve.) What else can be done with them? How can ashes be used in a way that's beneficial?

For one thing, ashes are rich in phosphorous, which helps plants grow. So what about a Living Urn? A little terrarium globe like this one from Doodle Bird Designs could make a lovely and discreet home for a small amount of a loved one's ashes. I know this may be a little odd, but the idea grows on me (no pun intended!)

Hourglass Urn

Most urns are designed to disguise their contents. But what about not only revealing the ashes, but making them symbolic?

This hourglass urn by In The Light Urns makes "ashes to ashes" literal. It's a bit humorous, a bit memento mori, and completely appropriate. After all, we all run out of time sooner or later.

Think Outside the Urn

Why must urns be so serious?

According to Trendhunter, Dr. Fredric J. Baur worked for Proctor & Gamble for nearly 40 years, yet his crowning achievement was an iconic can - the famous Pringles cylindrical container. Before he died at the age of 89, he asked that his ashes be kept in one of these containers. What a fun way to spend eternity! I personally would go for a bag of Pepperidge Farm goldfish.

Handmade Urns

These hand-crafted urns by Studio 1212 are beautifully crafted out of Hard Maple, Black Limba and Ebony. Unlike many mass-manufactured urns, these are one of a kind creations, reasonably priced, and as the artist says, "quietly and pensively crafted in our Studio, our heartfelt condolences are built in." Personally, I have a bit of a superstition regarding handmade vs. mass-produced. Call it vibes, but I think that something made with loving intentions (or at least good thoughts) is a much better resting place.

Bird Feeder

This bird feeder by Nadine Jarvis is made from human ash, seed, and beeswax. For other unorthodox urns, visit FUNERIA, the only art gallery devoted to funerary arts.

Teddy Bear Urns

One of the most unfortunate design flaws of traditional urns is that they are not meant to be touched. Stoic and solid, they appear to be more like monuments than something you'd want to cradle in your arms. But Hanna Bruce Bears, a "teddy bear doctor" located in Pennsylvania, has come up with a touching (literally!) solution.


Heart and Soul Bears are stuffed animals that contain the ashes of a loved one. If you have a special teddy bear, you can send it to Hanna, or she will provide the bear. The ashes are placed in a sealed container and carefully sewn into the animal. One child lost a father, yet with a small amount of ashes in his favorite bear, he can "hug" his father anytime. What a wonderful and compassionate concept!

For more information, visit www.hannabrucebears.com or contact Hanna at 877-723-2763.

Eco Burial at Sea

Scattering ashes at sea can be a messy business. Lots Design of Sweden has a solution that's both sleekly clean and eco-friendly. They've created a modern biodegradable capsule called the "Shell". This pressed-paper vessel (made from recycled material of course) contains the ashes, as well as a pocket to hold the written messages of loved ones. I like the Shell because if feels like a vessel on its way to a fantastic underwater journey.