How to Decorate Where Your Loved One Is Buried

Decorating your loved one's burial site can bring comfort to friends and family who remain.

You can decorate where your loved one is buried, no matter what your budget. Before you begin, check with the cemetery office to make sure the decorations you want to use are allowed. Some cemeteries may not permit you to plant flowers or dig around the grave. As long as you keep decorations confined to your loved one's grave (and make sure they're firmly anchored), you shouldn't have problems getting permission to decorate. Keep in mind that there are less-than-honest people who walk around cemeteries looking for things to steal. You might want to think twice before using anything valuable or expensive.

Instructions

1. Plant annuals. Choose something like marigolds, which are small enough not to disturb the headstone and won't spread to nearby graves.

2. Place a shepherd's hook next to the headstone or marker. You can hang a small wind chime, a bird feeder or other decorative item from the hook and change it with the seasons.

3. Bury a sturdy plastic vase up to its neck near the headstone. This can be used to hold fresh or plastic flowers without tipping over. If you prefer, you can purchase a memorial vase.

4. Purchase a solar-powered Bible, yellow ribbon, angel or picture display. These solar grave markers collect energy from the sun by day and light up at night. Most are weather-resistant. You can buy them online.

5. Sew a small banner or flag and hang it on a purchased metal banner holder or water-sealed wooden dowel. You can make the banners out of different seasonal prints by sewing a hem around all of the edges of the fabric. Then, fold the top of the banner over about an inch and sew a casing where the banner holder's arm can be inserted. If you don't sew, use fabric glue.

References

• The Gravesite Masters