Wooden Cremation Urns

I always feel very honored when I am asked to build a cremation urn but, needless to say, it's almost always a very difficult task emotionally. I've made 4 of them in the last few years and 3 out of 4 were for the ashes of a family member or close friend. The first one I made was for my 24 year old nephew who was killed in a car accident. I came up with a simple design that can be made fairly quickly. It is a simple dovetailed box with a sliding top that is secured with a brass screw. Like most furniture makers I save scraps of wood with interesting grain and a box like this is a perfect use for such pieces of wood. The dimensions of the box are 10" x 7" x 4 1/2" high so just about any cut off will be large enough.

Richard Bissell
Putney, Vermont
See my Shaker and Mission inspired furniture at BissellWoodworking.com