Turn Cremation Ashes into Glass Candle Keepsakes

By Ira Woods

Rituals aren't my thing. Yet, with the passing of my spouse, I found myself lighting a candle for her every night for an entire year. I bought votive candles, complex wax candles on sale at various shops, and artistic-looking candles sold by hawkers on the street. Burning through the candles, one a day, I was near manic, making sure I’d never be without one. They were stashed all throughout the house.

My little ritual involved placing a lit candle next to Kris's photo, along with a small keepsake I had fashioned out of a black, brightly speckled trinket box she liked. Inside was a sprinkling of her ashes. 

I can't say exactly why I did this each evening, nor did I think much about it, but in retrospect, I can see that I was trying to connect with her. It was my way of saying, “Hello, love! I hope you can sense that I’m still thinking of you. That I still miss you.” I went through many candles and had to scrape off great globs of wax, but the ritual never failed to make me feel complete for the day.

Glass Candles

Last year I met a glass artist who does magnificent work; I immediately decided that we were meant to collaborate. One of his pieces was a hand-blown glass candle that used oil and a wick instead of wax. I immediately fell in love with it and put it up on the OneWorld Memorials site – a hat tip towards my glass votive candles, an integral part of my own healing process. These candles eliminated the mess of wax and incorporated beautiful swirling colors that could be customized to the buyer’s preference.

The artisan makes a variety of blown glass keepsakes, each unique and beautiful in its own way. Because the candles are handmade, no two designs are ever exactly alike, just like no two people are ever exactly alike. But there's something truly special about these glass votive candles. Lighting a candle to commemorate a dear one's passing is a universal expression of honoring love and loss. Perhaps it illuminates both. This combination of love, loss and remembrance inspired us to take the candle a step further.

Cremation Ashes Candles

When I discovered that our glass artist also incorporates cremation ashes into glass artwork, I was so excited by this unique combination that I jumped at the chance to make them available to our customers. What an amazing way to honor a loved one and to keep their memory alive.

Remember my hoard of candles next to the decorative box holding a pinch of ashes? The blown glass candle urn incorporates the flame and the ash keepsake into one. Had this existed then, I could have supplied the artisan with the ashes. He would have carefully folded the cremation ashes into glass masterpieces. Blown glass candles made with cremation ashes have an enhanced beauty, with the unique swirls of ashes being visible when lit. A divine spark is burning with our longing to connect, while part of the one we’re connecting to is in the very vessel being used to manifest the light. 

Our remarkable blown glass candle urns for ashes are available in a range of colors and can be customized with two colors on each lamp. The unique warmth of these candle urns is unparalleled, and each piece is genuinely one of a kind. Our professional glass artists reverently include the ashes you provide into each handmade piece.

Glass candles with cremation ashes built-in are just one of the unique designs being offered in our new collection. In addition to the oil candles, other keepsake styles that feature hand-blown glass with ashes folded in include paper weights, glass hearts and brilliant glass spheres. But what makes this product line so unique is that it gives people the opportunity to grieve their loss by tapping into their creativity. What could be more meaningful than having a hand in designing a unique, customized tribute to the memory of your loved one?

Ordering our cremation glass art is simple: 

• Choose the design and color
• A kit will be sent to collect a nominal amount of cremation ash 
• The kit is sent back to the artist
• In approximately four weeks, the glass artwork with embedded ash is sent to the customer.

OneWorld Memorials is proud to offer a wide selection of cremation glass art and candle urns. Our stained glass urn candle holders are an alternative way to display your loved one’s ashes while enjoying the soothing properties of memorial candlelight. Choose from a variety of stained glass themes, from floral to geometric, in a range of colors.

Each stained glass cremation ashes candle holder is designed to safely hold a tea light candle, and the sides are constructed using Tiffany-style glass techniques. The base of each urn candle holder is constructed from sturdy resin, and a small amount of cremated ash can be stored inside a compartment in the base. Engraving is also available.

Our urn candle holders are also available in the cloisonne style in several beautiful colors. For an elegant look, our Rococo candle holder is a beautifully intricate accent in any space but does not have a compartment to store cremated ash. Another beautiful memorial piece is our engravable crystal tea light memorial candle holder. For more information about our personalization and engraving services, check out our help center.

If you’re looking for other ways to hold your loved one’s memory close after their passing, peruse our wide selection of keepsake urns. Many people choose to store a small amount of their loved one’s ashes in a cremation pendant or other jewelry, keeping a small part of their departed loved one close at all times.

Here's a link to the entire cremation glass art collection: Ashes into Glass Keepsakes

Ira Woods is the founder of OneWorld Memorials. He had become the primary caregiver for his spouse who discovered she had cancer in 2009. His experience caregiving and then losing someone he deeply loved caused him to reach out and encourage others to prepare for this eventuality through writing and speaking engagements.