Crafting to Memorialize

Often times our crafting is centered around celebrating (birthday cards, scrapbook layouts for graduations, anniversaries, parties and more) and remembering the good times (vacation albums and mini albums, keeping up on our planners including the day-to-day and fun events).  What about crafting to memorialize a loved one that has passed though?

Unfortunately, it seems like a lot of people in my life are dealing with the loss of a loved one recently which brought this idea to my mind.  I know crafting can be stress-relieving and cathartic, so working on a craft to memorialize a loved one seems like a good idea to help process the loss.

In looking around I found a lot of great inspiration and ideas that I wanted to share today.  

Utilizing photos of your loved one

Using Diamond Glaze and/or gel medium (available at P&P), a PenBlade (available at P&P), along with a photocopy of a favorite photo and glass bezel set make a photo charm.  You can turn the charm into a necklace, bracelet, bookmark and more.  

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​Create a memorial shadow box that includes photos and keepsakes that remind you of your loved one.  You can use cardstock or patterned paper (both available at P&P) in the background and mount your photos on additional cardstock or patterned paper if you wish.  If you like the idea of adding flowers, but don't have any from your loved one or didn't save any from the funeral use some Prima paper flowers (available at P&P).

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Turn a photo of your loved one into a wall hanging by doing a photo transfer onto canvas or wood.  Here is a nice tutorial to get your started and the gel medium you will need as part of the process is available at P&P.

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If seeing your loved one's face is still too difficult, try making a canvas focusing on just a part of them - hand, legs. etc.  Or a place/location that held meaning to you both.

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Don't be afraid to add some of your creativity to the photo transfer project.  I'm sure your loved one enjoyed your creativity and would appreciate the incorporation in their memorial piece.  

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Turn the photo into a Christmas ornament.  You could also make these for other family members and friends who are dealing with the loss.  

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Incorporate their memory into your home decor

Create a framed piece of artwork to remember them.  In this example they used butterfly punches from a variety of colors of paper (available at P&P) and some letter stamps (available at P&P).  In addition to the quote, you could add their name, d.o.b. and d.o.d.

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Another idea is to create heart punches from paper that contains your loved one's handwriting (definitely recommend making a photo copy of the original source of handwriting so you can preserve the original as is) and mounting on patterned paper (available at P&P) for a framed piece.  This idea makes the final project more subtle in its memorializing, but still keeps the loved one close at heart.

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​Another idea for home decor is to collage pictures and patterned paper (available at P&P) onto a metal star shape.  What a great way to keep your loved one still part of your daily life and home,  

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Use their handwriting to keep their memory alive

If you loved one was a cook/baker and you are lucky enough to have some of their handwritten recipes, preserve the recipe card(s) and their memory by framing it.  

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​Make a mini-album or altered book containing hand-written letters/cards by your loved one.  

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​Create a scrapbook layout with a pocket to tuck their note/letter in.  Don't feel like you have to stuff this scrapbook layout into an album either.  You can showcase it in a frame or easel.  

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Use their trinkets

I love these collages that were made with jewelry and "trinkets".  What a great way to use the little pieces that were important to our love ones to create art that can be enjoyed for years to come.  

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