10 DIY Memorial Crafts for Remembering a Loved One

Posted by: Erin Ward in Grief and Guidance | July 8, 2021

When you’re coping with the loss of a loved one, memorial crafts have many benefits, including being a way to:

Process your grief
Honor a loved one’s memory
Make sure their legacy lives on forever
Create something to remember them
Give loved ones something special

No matter how crafty you consider yourself, there are many memorial crafts that range in difficulty. Here are 10 ideas to get you started!

Memorial Craft Ideas

1. Frame

A memorial frame is perfect for displaying your favorite photo of you and your loved one. To make it more personalized, you can decorate the frame with their name and a short saying.

2. Garden Stone

If your loved one loved to garden, a perfect memento to decorate is a garden stone. For example, you can include their name and a short quote.

3. Jewelry Box

By decorating a jewelry box, you’ll have a subtle reminder of them whenever you pick out something to wear. It also can be a place to safely store jewelry that they gave you. For example, you can decorate it with photos or their favorite colors.

4. Journal

A grief journal is the perfect place to share your feelings and memories of a loved one. If you need ideas, check out this list of writing prompts.

5. Memory Bear

If you have a loved one’s old shirt, you can turn it into a memory bear that you can snuggle with when you’re missing your loved one. Click here for instructions.

6. Memory Jar

A memory jar is a simple, yet meaningful way to honor a loved one’s memory. To do this, simply collect small mementos that serve as reminders of your loved one, such as photos, notes, and trinkets.

7. Painting

Make a painting to display in your home as a creative reminder of a loved one. For example, you can paint their favorite flower or use their favorite colors.

8. Phone Case

To easily make a DIY photo phone case, you’ll need a clear phone case, printed photo, pencil, and scissors. Simply use your phone to trace around the area of the photo that you want for the case. Then, cut it out and place it into your case. It’s that simple!

9. Poem

Whether it’s a short and sweet haiku or a longer free verse poem, poetry is a powerful way to express your emotions. For example, you can write about a memory with your loved one, their personality, or your grief. You can even display it in a memorial frame!

10. Scrapbook

Collect photos of your loved one and memorabilia like ticket stubs and letters to create a beautiful scrapbook of their life. Then, whenever you’re missing your loved one, you can page through the scrapbook to smile and look back at the memories.