DIY: Pet Urns

Coping with the death of a pet can be traumatic. How you handle the remains of your pet can have a profound impact on your grieving process. According to Pet-loss.net, there are rules and regulations prohibiting the burial of pets in city limits, and the site suggests cremation as an efficient way of dealing with the remains. Cremation offers you the choice of burying the ashes--with or without an urn--scattering them or having them held in a decorative urn in memorial to your pet. Creating the urn yourself will honor your pet's memory, and you can make it as personal as you like.

Things You'll Need

Small wooden box
Wood-burning tool
Pencil
Paper
Pet photos
Varnish spray
Sandpaper
Superglue

Instructions

- 1
  Use the pencil and paper to sketch the design you want to burn onto the box. Engraving the pet’s name, birth date and death date along with a small quote or statement is common. Use the sandpaper to smooth the wood. Blow away dust before continuing.
- 2
  Position the pictures onto the urn and trace around them lightly with the pencil. Trace lightly onto the wood the design you want for the engraving.
- 3
  Follow the instructions for heating your wood-burning tool. When ready, steadily move the point over the traced letters. Be sure to use light, even strokes. You may need to go over the letters more than once to get a deep enough burn. Do this with all the letters and then allow to cool.
- 4
  Line the edges of the photographs with glue and place a dot in the center. Place them into the traced areas and press down firmly, smoothing any bubbles.
- 5
  Take the urn to a well-ventilated area. Hold the varnish spray at least 10 inches away from the urn and spray the top with a light coat. Spray the sides and then leave to dry for 30 to 60 minutes or as long as recommended by the manufacturer. Repeat for at least four coats to ensure your photographs are protected. Lean the urn on its side and repeat spraying on the bottom.