What do you think of when you picture a funeral wreath? Maybe it’s red and white roses on an easel? Or a collection of flowers gathered into the shape of a heart? While these traditional options have provided comfort to many over the years, you and your loved ones can find joy in crafting a funeral wreath that is as unique as the life being honored.
Getting Started on a Funeral Wreath
The base of your wreath can be made from a variety of materials. One of the simplest ways to get started is by purchasing a plain wreath from any craft store. These plain wreaths can come in an assortment of options, including grapevine, greenery, or metal. Alternatively, if you plan to fill the wreath entirely with your chosen creative materials, a simple cardboard backing is also something to consider. Once your backbone has been decided upon, it’s time to fill the wreath with things that represent just how special your loved one was.
Photo Wreath
Photo wreaths combine sentimentality and aesthetic into one beautiful and personalized piece of memorial decor. By setting up a funeral photo wreath (or collection of them), you may provide your guests with conversation starters, lovely opportunities to reminisce, and a reminder of the life that was well lived.
Hobby Wreath
Fishing, golfing, scrapbooking, or baking; you might find a way to customize your loved one’s funeral wreath to the hobbies they enjoyed. Decorative items, like cutouts and small charms, can be found at almost any craft store. Or, you can create your own items by getting creative with materials, items, or printouts at home.
Was your loved one a person of many interests? You can create a wreath for each hobby and add a special touch by placing a photo of your loved one doing that activity in the middle. In this sense, it’s almost as if you have used wreaths to create mini exhibits about the things that brought joy to your loved one.
Life Artifacts Wreath
In the same way that hobby wreaths can create the effect of a mini-exhibit, utilizing items from your loved one’s life can have a “museum” feel. For example, one wreath might be representative of their early childhood and have a knitted hat, baby shoes, and baby pictures pinned to it. Or you may choose groupings other than chronological. For example, a “life accomplishments” wreath, with items such as a diploma and wedding keepsakes. You may find that a display of personal items that celebrate the life being honored can provide a different comfort or sentimentality than a standard flower wreath could.
Participation Wreath
The type of funeral wreath you choose can bring an activity of togetherness to the guests of a memorial service. By asking guests to contribute, a participation wreath ultimately reflects the specialness that your loved one brought to each life they touched. Examples of what guests can contribute to the wreath include pinned pieces of paper with a favorite memory written on them and photos brought from home.
Favorite Flowers
Sometimes, creating a personalized element to a memorial service isn’t a matter of being craft-savvy or challenging oneself to think as creatively as possible. Rather, personalization can simply come along with considering your loved one’s individual tastes, likes, and interests.
While this article has detailed out-of-the-box funeral wreath ideas so far, we would also like to offer that a traditional wreath of flowers is a beautiful choice. To personalize this approach, you may try to pinpoint your loved one’s favorite flowers or flowers that you think will easily remind the beholder of the loved one. In other words, just because white roses with a black bow doesn’t reflect your loved one, it doesn’t mean you have to trade in a traditional funeral wreath for something else entirely.
The traditional notion of a funeral wreath is just one aspect that can be reimagined into a deeply personalized memorial. Lighten helps families plan a gathering that honors loved ones in an uplifting and celebratory way. Looking for a place to start? We’re here for you.
