How to Make a Wooden Urn for a Cremated Pet's Ashes
Many animal lovers consider pets a part of the family and deal with the loss of a pet in ways similar to when losing a human family member. One way to honor the memory of a lost pet is to keep its cremated remains in a wooden urn. At the time of publication, a wooden pet urn can run as high as $100. You can save a considerable amount of money and still honor your pet by making your own custom urn.
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Things You'll Need
- Wooden craft box
- Fine-grain sandpaper
- Pencil
- Black ballpoint pen
- Photos
- Magnifying glass
- Newspaper
- Cotton cloth
- Wood stain
- Super glue
- Canned acrylic coating spray
Instructions
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Purchase a small unfinished wooden box from an arts and crafts store. The size of the box will rely in part on the size of your pet and how much decoration you plan to add to the urn. Smooth rough edges with fine-grain sandpaper. Sand the entire surface of the box on each side and wipe off all traces of sawdust with a dry cloth.
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Gather a small selection of photos of your pet. You can choose one large photo or several smaller ones. Cut them out or keep them in original shapes. Place the photos on the box where you want them displayed. Trace the shape of each photo on the box with a pencil and set the photos aside.
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Lightly write the words you'd like engraved on the urn, using your pencil. Decide on an area of the box on which you will engrave your sentiments. This may include the pet's name, dates, a poem or anything you want to say. Write small enough to accommodate your entire passage and large enough to fill the designated area. Trace over the pencil-written text with a black ballpoint pen.
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Take the box and your magnifying glass outside to an area rich with direct sunlight. Place the box in a position in which the text has direct exposure to the sun's rays. Hold the magnifying glass about a foot away from the box so that the sun shines through it and onto the text. Inch-by-inch, move the glass closer to the box until a tiny bright circle appears over one of the letters.
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Wait for the wood to start burning. When the tiny, circular bead of light appears, position it over the first letter of your text and hold the magnifying glass steady. After a minute or two, the ink will begin to bubble and the wood will start to burn. At this point, slowly move the glass to trace your text with the light and engrave the text in the wood.
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Bring the engraved box back indoors. Place a drop cloth or several layers of newspaper over a flat surface to prepare a staining area. Moisten a small cotton cloth with stain and rub it all over the outer surface of the box, including the engraved area. Allow the stain to dry for one full hour. If you prefer a deeper color, repeat this step. Allow the box to dry for 24 hours.
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Take one of your pictures and apply a thin line of super glue to the edges and a few dots of glue to the center on the back side. Immediately place the photo within its previously drawn outlines and adhere it to the box by pressing down firmly and running your finger along the edges. Repeat this step for each photo.
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Hold a can of aerosol acrylic coating spray about 10 inches from the urn. Spay a thin, even coat left to right on the top surface and each side. Allow the laminate to dry for at least 30 minutes and spray each side and the top again. Repeat this step four times, or until you achieve the desired appearance. Allow the box to dry for 24 hours and then apply one coat of acrylic spray to the bottom.
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Tips & Warnings
Practice on a spare plank of wood before engraving your urn.
Wear a ventilation mask when working with hazardous chemicals like stain and varnish.
Resources
- Photo Credit Goodshoot/Goodshoot/Getty Images
