Nontraditional Ways to Memorialize a Loved One

Memorializing a Loved One who has died has traditionally been done by holding funeral services and laying flowers at their graveside. However, there are other nontraditional—yet just as meaningful—ways to remember your late family member.

Get inspired with our list of 8 unique ideas for memorializing a Loved One:

Host an Annual Family Gathering

Even after they’ve died, your Loved One will continue to live on through the people who knew them. Each year, organize a family gathering where everyone can get together to relive old memories and create new ones. The time spent together will offer the comfort of fellowship to those who need it and the opportunity to share your Loved One’s story with new generations.

Wear Fingerprint Jewelry

Sometimes you just need a tangible reminder of your Loved One when you’re missing them the most. Fingerprint Memorial Jewelry is the perfect way to get that sense of physical connection once again. Feel the lines and grooves of your Loved One’s fingerprint engraved on the Jewelry and know that they’re still with you. These memorials can be worn during special occasions or every day as a beautiful symbol of your shared love.

Volunteer for Their Favorite Charity

Doing something nice in the name of your Loved One is an honorable way to remember the kindness they shared over their lifetime. Research the charities they supported while they were alive then spend a day volunteering at one. Invite other family members and friends to join you to help multiply the impact you’re making while supporting one another through your grief.

Learn a Special Skill of Theirs

Everyone has a special skill that they’re known for. Maybe your Loved One baked the best pumpkin pie every Thanksgiving. Maybe they built beautiful bookshelves. Maybe they could recite the alphabet backwards. Whatever it was, take some time to learn the skill for yourself. During the process of figuring out how to do what they were best at, you’ll start to feel closer to them and help keep their memory alive for those around you.

Hang a Fingerprint Christmas Ornament on Your Tree

The holidays are one of the hardest times of year for people who are grieving. This year, consider starting a new tradition of hanging an Ornament on your tree that is engraved with your late Loved One’s fingerprint. This memorial will not only provide you some much needed peace during the season, but it will also help you keep your Loved One near during every Christmas to come.

Make a Digital Slideshow

We all have a collection of pictures that remind us of happy times spent with our Loved Ones. Organize yours into a slideshow so that you can go back and watch it over and over again when you’re missing them the most. These slideshows can be used at funeral services or simply viewed on a random Tuesday when you’re wanting to feel close to your Loved One again.

Finish a Project for Them

Whether a treehouse in the backyard or a novel, your Loved One may have left an unfinished project behind. Instead of staring at it and being sad that it’ll never get done, finish the work yourself. Wrapping up their project will give you the closure you need to begin healing. Plus, the completed work will act as a memorial that forever honors your Loved One.

Create Remembrance Artwork

Creativity is one of the best therapies for finding joy, even amidst sadness. Unleash your inner artist by creating a piece of artwork in memory of your Loved One. You can paint, write, or even design a special memento to hang in your home as a forever reminder of the love you shared that continues to live on through you.

The More Personal You Can Make the Memorial, the More Meaningful It Will Be

The way you choose to memorialize your late Loved One is a very personal decision. No two families will choose to celebrate the life of their Loved One the same way, because no two people are the same.

What matters is that you create a memorial that uniquely reflects the life and memory of your Loved One. Try to incorporate whatever made them special into whatever you choose. When you do, you’ll amplify the meaning and beauty of the memorial as well as the legacy your Loved One left to you.