M&M Thanksgiving Poem

Loosing family and friends can be hard, especially when children are involved. We pulled together some of the best Memorial Crafts for Loved Ones. Remembrance ideas for deceased including how to save a voicemail, children’s books about death, memory keepsakes, celebration of life ideas, and deceased loved one’s clothing ideas.

Warning, grab the tissues. This post had me in tears!

Very quickly an entire generation was gone in my family. It happens like that, right? One after another. Loosing grandparents my first introduction to how to cope with death. I first learned to cope with the passing of a family member in my 20s. However, in my 30s when I lost two more grandparents, I had to learn something new. How to teach my kids to deal with death of a loved one. It is much easier when you are coping with it on your own. It is more challenging when you are coping with deceased loved ones while comforting a child.

Do you believe in death from a broken heart? I do now. Below is a snippet of a story of my grandparents passing.

My grandfather died of a broken heart. Five months to the day of my grandmother’s death, my Pop entered hospice. He made it another 48 hours before his body surrendered to life on earth. In his last months of life, he would let anything that would get him see her sooner, take over. It did.  While his heart broke on earth with the death of his wife, I believe his heart is whole again entering heaven’s gates and embracing my grandmother….

Just a small anecdote of our past year. Loosing my grandmother and then loosing my grandfather a few months later. Through their passing, I have taught my older children how to grieve through memory keepsakes.

Memorial Crafts for Loved Ones

If you took are looking for suggestions for coping with loss, look at these Memorial Crafts for Loved Ones. From how to save a loved one’s voicemail, grief books for kids, to celebration of life ideas, we have a list of crafts and unique keepsakes to honor your deceased friends and family.

How to Save a Loved One’s Voicemail

First, the OCD in me wants a clean voicemail account. You too? Don’t. Save important and/or last voicemails of loved ones. My last one from my dad is so silly. He forgot to say I love you, so I am holding on to it and sending him to voicemail the next time he calls (winks!)

Memory items don’t have to be tangible. Very rarely are they able to be audible. The power of hearing a loved one’s voice can make a greater impact than keepsake photos, favorite clothing, or other mementos of a deceased loved one.

Follow these steps to save a loved one’s voicemail two ways. First, save their outgoing message (to people calling them.) Second, save the voice message they left you in your voicemail inbox.

How to Save a Loved One’s Outgoing Message

This option allows you to save your loved one’s voicemail inbox welcome message. The message they have to welcome those calling them when a voice mailbox is reached. Not the message they left you.

1. First Go Here
2. Enter your phone number and push get started.
3. Enter your email and push make a call button.
4. VMSave will call your number and record the outgoing message.
5. Download your loved one’s voicemail as an MP3 file.

How to Save Voicemail of Deceased Family

This option allows you to save the recording you have in your own voicemail inbox of the message your deceased loved one left you. Even if you plan on saving your voicemail for ever, do this before it accidentally gets erased.

1. Open your audio recording software on your PC/Mac. Be prepared to press record.
2. Open your phone’s voicemail inbox.
3. Go to your messages.
4. Simultaneously press start (record or play) on your computer audio recorder and your voicemail inbox message.
5. Immediately make sure your phone’s voice message is on speaker.
6. Record your loved one’s voicemail as an audio file.

You can save your audio recording on your computer in in a back up location with a service like Google Drive or Amazon Cloud to save it forever.

How do I permanently save a voicemail

There are other creative ways to permanently save a voicemail with soundwave art. A very unique memorial gift with voice recording is soundwave print with a QR code. The receiver can scan the QR code when they walk by it, hear their loved one’s voice at any time. You can purchase soundwave art with a QR code (we love this one from Adversity Gifts) or you can make your own soundwave art.

Instead of buying, want to do it on your own? Follow these steps for how to make soundwave art. Use a soundwave art app from your phone’s store.  Open your audio recording software and record a short message. Take a screenshot of your recorded waveform and download the screen shot. Open the image and edit it to make your own unique artwork. I find PicMonkey helpful for creating artwork with your own images.

Best Sellers in Children’s Death & Dying Books

Talking to a child about death can be difficult. You can began the process through the discovery of books. Take a look at these Best Sellers in Children’s Death & Dying Books.

These children’s books about death are available for kids of all ages.

1. The Crossover Series by Kwame Alexander
2. The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
3. Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant
4. I’ll Always Love You by Hans Wilhelm
5. God Gave Us Heaven by Lisa T. Bergren
6. The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart
7. The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore
8. I Miss You: A First Look at Death by Pat Thomas
9. The Goodbye Book by Todd Parr

Memory Keepsakes Craft Ideas

Turn hand written recipes into framed kitchen heirlooms. Display your family’s famous chocolate chip cookie recipe in your kitchen to remind you of the great times you’ve had making it together. | Mad in Crafts

You can also turn handwritten recipes into tea towels. So easy to do with the click of a mouse! We love this frugal-friendly handwritten tea towel recipe from DixieLoveCo.

Create a DIY Photo Pendant for under $2.50! Add the memorial photo pendant to the Christmas tree, to a necklace or even to a charm bracelet.  | Saving with Sarah

This one pulls my heart strings. Take unfinished candles from your loved one and melt them down and re-pour the wax to create a new homemade candle that will remind you of that person with every burn. (Insert sobs as the story was of a husband doing this for his late wife.) | Country Living

Do you have flowers left from a funeral or memorial service? Follow this tutorial for DIY Dried Flowers in a jar. | The Capricious Club

A great way to preserve the memory of a loved one is to preserve their handwriting. This can be done in a handwriting necklace, bracelet, or key chain. We especially love this Handwriting Memory Sign from Aimee Weaver Designs. I have seen a similar DIY tutorial creating this Family Tree Chalkboard.

A shadow box memorial is one way to preserve and display precious memories and honor a loved one’s life.  Find Shadow Boxes on Amazon or in craft stores. | Morena’s Corner

Deceased Loved One’s Clothing Ideas

Bre created a loved ones clothing keepsake using a clear ornament for crafts. Using her father’s favorite shirts, she cut them into strips and placed them inside a clear ornament (cue tears.) She added a hand written note. What a beautiful way to have a loved one present during the holidays. | Average Inspired

Want to make something out of a treasured button-up dress shirt? How about an heirloom pillow that you can snuggle with any time you Using your loved one’s favorite clothing, make this no-sew pillow (pillow video tutorial) or purchase a personalized memorial pillow shirt like this one from Dawns Quilting and More.

Not ready to make your own? Buy one. This Christmas in Heaven Memorial Pillow can sit on a chair during the Christmas season. You could even put it at the dinning table to commemorate those that have passed.

Upcycle loved neck ties and turn them into zip bags. This tutorial is perfect for the sewer. | Polka Dot Chair

This memory bear craft will be one you send off. Create a Keepsake Bear from Adult Clothes and My Sew What Shop.

You can also turn shirts made from loved ones clothes into celebration of life keepsake. The turn around might not be in time for the funeral but can be mailed to spouses, kids, parents, friends and extended family. Available from Memory of Events on Etsy or make yourself with a sewing machine and Poly-fil pillow filling.

Celebration of Life Memorial Ideas

Man! All these memorials pull my heart strings so much. I really love how beautiful this photo memory idea is. Take a picture of then and now with this photo challenge. Even have your kids (those who were never present) holding these memories pulling together the past in the present. You can submit your photo to the Dear Photograph Challenge or save it for your own personal family use.

Jessica has a great tutorial on how to create a frugal-friendly photo board for celebration of life memorials and funerals. | The Mom Creative

At the celebration of life or at the funeral reception try this memorial idea – have your loved ones favorite things. In this case golf and sweets (ice cream and brownies)! | Your Home Based Mom

One funeral idea for kids is to have coloring sheets. Than can not only be a therapeutic exercise but can be their own way of loving their grandfather, uncle or other deceased family member. Have coloring sheets “What Papa Dave Loved” and have coloring sheets of sail boats, golf, Jesus, dogs, etc. | Michelle Paige Blogs

Have a gathering? Don’t forget our Empty Chair Poem found in our High School Reunion Ideas Post.

Sometimes people grief through writing. Allow your child to write a letter and insert it into a balloon or write a message directly on the balloon. Amazon sells Biodegradable Remembrance Balloons | Source

Memorialize a Living Loved One with a Recording

If your older generation loved ones are still alive, do me a favor. Record a video of them. Ask questions. What was your favorite vacation as a family? What was the most challenging time in your life? What was your greatest lesson… etc.

If you need guidance, look at this  Toss ‘n Talk-About Family History Ball  (Family Reunion Question and Answer Ball) we shared on our Family Reunion Ideas. You won’t regret it! You will only regret NOT doing it!

Getting the family together? Visit our Virtual Family Reunion Ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

Also create traditions. Traditions make memories stronger. For the holiday season, look at our Family Christmas Traditions To Start Now! Pin to Pinterest on your Christmas and Holiday boards for later!

You can also enjoy these Family Traditions to Start to Start Now! Pin to Pinterest.

WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.