Can you open an urn

Most of our wood companion urns include a divider, which you can remove or keep in place as needed. Stone urns, including marble, granite, onyx, and other types of materials, often open from the bottom with a threaded plug or stopper. Once you remove the plug to reveal the opening, you can pour the remains directly into the urn.

If not, or if you are concerned about it, you can always put a bead of silicone caulk on the threads when you replace the gasket after filling the urn. We do not recommend using glue or other heavy-duty sealants because there are the occasional rare circumstances where the family would like to access the remains. These circumstances include wanting to scatter or keep the ashes, share some among family members, choose a different urn, or replace it due to damage done to the urn.

These incidents are very rare, but if you ever have the need to open an urn after it has been sealed you will appreciate when caulk is used as opposed to super glue. The question of how to open a glass cremation urn is pretty self explanatory; the top comes off. So the question most people have is How do I seal the lid on the urn after it is filled? The video above will show you how to add a small bead of silicone to seal the urn.

Silicone does the job, and you will be grateful if you ever needed to access the urn for any reason in the future. Biodegradable urns can be used in a variety of ways. Many earth-conscious families also choose biodegradable urns for scattering when pouring out the remains.

Sometimes this is at sea, other times into a river or lake, and still other times the scattering happens on a mountain, national forest, favorite park, or in your backyard. Read more: Methods for Scattering Ashes. This provides you with an attractive urn for the funeral, memorial service, or scattering ceremony, while minimizing the impact on the environment. Keepsake urns are small memorials designed to hold just a portion of the cremated ashes. Each keepsake will open a little differently depending on the material and style.

However, most open just like their full-size counterparts. For instance, most ceramic and metal vase-shaped urns have a lid, most stone urns have a stopper or gasket, etc. The keepsake urn shown in the video, above, is a little different because the front features an intricate inlay scene, but the urn itself is only intended for a tiny portion of the remains. Thus the unique opening and the small vessel hidden behind the back panel.

As you can see from the video demonstrations above, it is not necessary to mail the ashes in order to fill the urn. When you order a cremation urn , we or any other urn company will send you the empty urn. Simply open the urn and place the plastic bag of remains inside, then close it up again. The funeral director can do this for you, or you may want to do it yourself or ask a family member.

The only exception to this is when you have a specially-crafted memorial made from ashes. If the artist is going to incorporate the cremated remains into the urn or memorial itself, then they will require you to send the ashes often just a portion to them.

For instance, you can have the ashes turned into a diamond. Other than those specialty memorial products, no, you would not send the ashes into us or any other company to have the urn filled. How do you unseal the top? Are the ashes in solid form in it? Thank you. I would suggest visiting a crematorium or local funeral home for advise on removing the lid.

As far as the ashes go, they may be settled and packed but not in solid form. Put the scissors and funnel on standby. Then make sure that you place the cremation urn on top of the towel or newspapers. Remove the lid of the urn, so you can be ready to transfer. Snip one corner of the bag with a diagonal cut. The small hole makes a tiny spout that gives you control to manage the ash flow. Gently pour the ash through the funnel into the urn. If you and your family members have chosen to divide the ashes for whatever reason, now is the time to distribute the ashes into several urns equally.

Once everything is in, gently tap the funnel and the urn to settle the ash. Place the lid on your chosen urn.

Most ceramic urns have a cover on the top. You may seal this by twisting the cover as you would any regular lid. However, some cremation urns are covered with a metal plate or wooden lids that are screwed in place. You may need to screw these back on to ensure that the remains inside stay safe. Be sure to read the instruction manual that always comes with your urn order from your chosen vendor. As a final procedure, you may put in a permanent sealant on your urn.

You can seal this with any commercial sealer like heavy-duty epoxy from any hardware store. But for a box, make sure that you use wood glue. Transferring your loved ones remains may seem daunting, especially if it is your first time to do it.

Remember to keep calm and maintain your presence of mind. Some people even find it therapeutic to do the transfer themselves. They see this solemn ritual as their final goodbye.

Sealing the cremation urn will give you that closure you need to help with your grieving process. Your email address will not be published. Transfer the Whole Bag of Ashes into a Bigger Urn Most cremated remains are given to you inside a temporary urn or box. Unpack Bag and Transfer the Ashes to an Urn Now, if the urn you bought cannot accommodate the bag due to its unique shape, you will have to take the ashes out of the thick plastic bag.

Gather Your Materials Choose an urn that has an adequate size. We follow a strict editorial process to provide you with the best content possible.

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Making decisions after a loved one dies is incredibly difficult, especially if the death was unexpected. You may have never had a conversation with your loved one regarding end-of-life wishes, and this may leave you feeling too overwhelmed to make immediate plans. After time passes, you may decide that the best way to honor your loved one would be to scatter his ashes where he found meaning during his life.

But as you look at the sealed urn that is sitting on your mantle, you hesitate. You know that the crematorium employees secured the urn's lid, so you are unsure whether it can be opened. You don't like the idea of breaking an urn to retrieve the cremains inside, but you see no other option. Let us help you with this scenario.

Here are instructions and steps to consider when opening an urn that holds the cremated remains of someone you love. Tip : Have you considered what you're going to do with the ashes after you open the urn? You can choose to turn them into a memorial diamond with Eterneva , replace the current turn with a custom urn from Foreverence , or another unique project.

Yes, it is generally okay to open an urn. Most say that cremated remains are sterile, so you shouldn't have to worry about your health or safety from opening an urn. There are no legal reasons why an urn can't be opened either unless there is a question of who legally owns the cremains. Since everyone operates under his own moral code, we cannot tell you whether it is appropriate or disrespectful to open an urn entirely out of curiosity or to show others the cremains.

Just remember that the remains of a human being are inside the container. Try not to distance yourself from that reality. Here are what some people would consider valid reasons for opening an urn. It may have taken you months to decide what to do with your loved one's cremation ashes. After careful consideration, you may have decided to take the ashes off the coast of Florida for a scattering ceremony.

Of course, you will need to take the cremains out of the urn to complete this process. If you are working under time constraints during the scattering or other people are in attendance , make sure the urn can be easily opened.