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18 Sweet Ways to Memorialize Beloved Pets

January 30, 2021 ♛ By Melissa J. Will

This post contains affiliate links.
Click here for the full disclosure statement.

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If you’ve had a beloved pet in your life, you know how that love and so many funny, dear, and silly memories linger well beyond their short lifespans. I gathered these ideas to share creative ways to memorialize your pet in your home and garden.

If you have a cat in your life these days, you may also like these cat accessory ideas and this eco-friendly idea for cat litter.

Examples of creative ways to memorialize pets including custom figurines and jewelry.

Creative Ways to Memorialize Pets

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

– Winnie The Pooh

A few years ago I was on a tour of local home gardens and noticed so many memorial stones dedicated to family pets that had completed their earthly lives. This got me thinking about all the wonderful pets we have had over the years—cats, dogs, birds, fish, guinea pigs, rats, mice, hamsters, and more—and how important it is to properly grieve and commemorate all the lovely beings we share our lives with—great and small—whether they have two legs, four legs, fins, or tails.

The practical aspect of burial or cremation will depend on your local bylaws. Here I want to focus on creative ideas that, for want of a better word, can bring happy reminders.

Grief is such a sneaky beast, popping up when we least expect it, sometimes after long silences. The best advice is to celebrate the life of your pet in your way and at your own pace in ways that bring you comfort. And know that the day will indeed come when the sweeter memories outweigh the pain of the loss.

Ideas

  • 1 Portraits
  • 2 Jewelry
  • 3 Dolls & Figurines
  • 4 Memory Box
  • 5 Décor & Ornaments
  • 6 Garden Markers & Art

1Portraits

“No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat, and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove his fur from your couch.”

– Leo Dworken

There are all kinds of wonderful artists on Etsy ready to take a photo of your pet and transform it into a work of art.

Some portraits are digital, meaning the original image (that you provide) is enhanced in software like Photoshop and the final product is printed out on paper.

The more expensive option is to provide a photo of your pet and hire an artist to create an actual acrylic, watercolor, or oil painting from it. Some are realistic portraits; others add an element of fantasy.

Whatever you choose, be sure to read the entire product description carefully so you know what you’re getting (digital file, print by mail, or original art by mail). Also check sizes: some of these range from quite small (a few inches) to fairly large. I find it really helpful to read the reviews to know what to expect.

Dog portrait with crown.

Custom Royal Pet Portrait

by PupOnCase

See it on Etsy

Portait of dog superimposed on a Vogue (Dogue) magazine cover.

Personalized Pet Portrait – Magazine Cover

by PosingPig

See it on Etsy

Closeup portrait of dog's face with black fur, brown highlights, and brown eyes.

Pet Portrait – Oil Painting

by MissysPortraits

See it on Etsy

Related: A Hummingbird Fell In Love With Our Cat



2Jewelry

“The risk of love is loss, and the price of loss is grief. But the pain of grief is only a shadow when compared with the pain of never risking love.”

– Hilary Stanton Zunin

These trinkets start with a photo of your pet which is transformed into a small piece of jewelry or a keychain. If you take comfort in having something tangible that you can carry with you, this is a good option.

Keychain memorial with a pet photo and trinkets.

Personalized Pet Memorial Keychain

by RebeccaLeeCrafts

See it on Etsy

Bracelet with charms including portrait of cat.

Personalized Pet Memorial Bracelet

by souvenirsdamour

See it on Etsy

Necklace with dog charm.

Custom Pet Photo Necklace

by JaggerJewelry

See it on Etsy

Related: DIY Pet Sweater Bed



3Dolls & Figurines

“Dogs…do not ruin their sleep worrying about how to keep the objects they have, and to obtain the objects they have not. There is nothing of value they have to bequeath except their love and their faith.”

– Eugene O’Neill

Some of these next ideas are a little silly, anthropomorphizing the pets. When our rabbit Eli died, one of my daughters painted me a portrait of him as a medieval musician and it was a perfect tribute to his rather romantic personality.

If you prefer a more realistic rendition, there are also artists who make true to life statues as well.

Cat portrait dolls dressed as saints.

Custom Rag Doll Cat

by DollCatShop

See it on Etsy

Custom dog figurine dressed as person sitting on little chair.

Toy Memorial Pet Figurine

by MaxiCharmingPet

See it On Etsy

Real dog and felted figurine in miniature.

Custom Needle-Felted Pet Sculpture

by Dreamwoodartdesigns

See it on Etsy

Hand painted heads of dogs in miniature.

Custom Dog Portrait in Polymer Clay

by CupCupArt

See it on Etsy

Related: Eco-Friendly Alternative Cat Litter



4Memory Box

“His ears were often the first thing to catch my tears.”

– Elizabeth Barrett Browning

A memory box is a good option for stashing things like photos or belongings like the leash, tags, and collar.

Pet memory box with image of dog.

Pet Memorial Box

by HelenArtCreations

See it on Etsy

5Décor & Ornaments

“Sometimes losing a pet is more painful than losing a human because in the case of the pet, you were not pretending to love it.”

– Amy Sedaris

These days photos can be printed on just about any surface. A pillow is a popular choice but there are plenty of services that will also do shirts, blankets, totes, mugs, and more.

The small ornaments below are folk-arty and perfect for those of us who like an artistic rendition.

Custom Pet Portrait Pillow

by PersonalizeItFreeNY

See it on Etsy

Painted figurines of cats.

Small Cat Ornaments

by PetiteWing

See it on Etsy

Pet memorial ornament with cat's name within a metal frame shaped like a cat's head with whiskers.

Cat Face Ornament with Custom Name

by PurEvents

See it on Etsy



6Garden Markers & Art

“A pet is never truly forgotten until it is no longer remembered.”

~Lacie Petitto

This section takes us back to where I started: traditional grave or garden markers. And you certainly don’t need a grave site to dedicate a piece of your garden to the memory of your pet.

Stone garden marker with name of favorite pet.

Pet Grave Marker

by SeaStoneFrog

See it On Etsy

Pet memorial stake with image of pet, life dates, and expression of love.

Pet Memorial Stake

by SaidTheOwl

See it On Etsy

Metal cutout of bulldog to use as garden art.

Metal Dog Silhouette Yard Art

by MyMetalRescue

See it On Etsy

Headstone for pet memorial showing image of dog named Pixel.

Granite Pet Grave Marker

by DiamondEngraved

See it On Etsy

I hope this has inspired you to seek out whatever you need to remember your pets with a lighter heart. It’s such a tough loss and, while time can help, it’s bittersweet. But, ultimately, how fortunate we are to have had these dear creatures in our lives.

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛

Next

Pet bed made from a sweater and a black and white bunny rabbit.
Make a Sweater Pet Bed for Dogs, Cats, and Bunnies
Hummingbird Falls in Love with Cat
Homemade sifting cat litter box
DIY Sifting Cat Litter Box for Pine Pellets
See More >>
Examples of creative ways to memorialize pets including custom figurines and jewelry.
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Melissa J. Will - Empress of DirtWelcome!
I’m Melissa J. Will
a.k.a. the Empress of Dirt
(Ontario, Canada).
Join me as I share creative + frugal home & garden ideas with a dash of humor.
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