Wind chimes made with a loved one's ashes come in three kinds. In some, a small amount of ashes is sealed inside a glass ornament that hangs from the chime. In others, ashes are kept in a small urn built into the chime. In the third, the ashes are fired into the porcelain of the chime itself. Each works differently, so it helps to know which you're looking at.
A wind chime can be a gentle way to remember someone: it hangs where they would have liked to be, and it rings whenever the wind moves. For many families, that sound becomes a small, daily reminder.
Memorial chimes and chimes made with ashes
The words can be confusing. Many memorial wind chimes are sympathy gifts: a set of metal tubes with a name, a date or a short verse engraved on a hanging plate. They're lovely, but they don't hold any ashes.
A wind chime made with ashes, sometimes called a cremation wind chime, carries a small portion of the person's ashes. The three kinds below differ in where those ashes are and how they're held.
1. Ashes sealed in glass
A glass artist blends a small amount of ashes into molten glass, often as swirls or fine specks, and shapes it into an ornament, heart or orb. That glass piece hangs from the bottom of a wind chime, usually a set of metal tubes. The ashes are permanently part of the glass.
2. Ashes held in a built-in urn
These chimes have a small compartment, usually hidden in the top piece or in a sealed pendant, that you fill with ashes yourself, often with a funnel or filling kit. The ashes stay loose inside the compartment, so this kind can hold more, and in some designs the ashes can be removed later.
3. Ashes fired into porcelain
Here the ashes become part of the chime's own material. A ceramic artist works a small portion of ashes into porcelain, which is then kiln-fired so the ashes fuse into the piece itself. The chime's forms are the memorial; nothing is added on or hidden away. This is the kind we make.
The three kinds side by side
| Ashes in glass | Ashes in a built-in urn | Ashes fired into porcelain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where the ashes are | Inside a glass ornament | In a sealed compartment | Within the porcelain itself |
| Typical amount | A small amount, often a teaspoon or less | Varies with the compartment, often more | About a teaspoon |
| Who handles the ashes | You send them to the maker | You fill it yourself | You send them to the maker |
| Can the ashes be removed later? | No | In some designs | No |
| Typical sound | Metal tubes, long ringing tones | Metal tubes, long ringing tones | Porcelain and a bronze bell, a clear single note |
| Time to make | A few weeks | Ready to fill right away | A few weeks |
How to choose
A few questions usually point the way:
- Do you want to handle the ashes yourself? If you'd rather not, choose a maker who does it for you, or ask your funeral home to help. If you'd like to fill it yourself, a built-in urn lets you.
- Should the ashes stay separate, or become part of the piece? An urn keeps them as they are; glass and porcelain make them a permanent part of the chime.
- What should it sound like? Metal tube chimes ring long and full. Porcelain with a bronze bell gives a softer, clearer single note. If you can, listen to recordings before you choose.
- Will several people want one? Glass and porcelain chimes need only a small amount each, so one set of ashes can become a chime for each sibling or household.
- Where will it hang? A sheltered porch and an open garden call for different sizes and materials.
Hanging a memorial chime outdoors
- Find gentle, steady air. A porch corner, a tree branch or an eave where the breeze moves through, rather than the most exposed spot.
- Hang it where you'll hear it. Near a window you open, a bench or a door you use every day.
- Give it room to swing. Keep it clear of walls and railings so nothing knocks against it.
- Bring it in for big storms. Any chime can be damaged in very high winds; a sturdy hook and a moment's attention in a storm keep it safe for years.
Our chimes
We make the third kind. Each Cairn chime is made by hand in our Portland, Oregon studio, with about a teaspoon of your loved one's ashes (two for a double) fired into the porcelain, where they show softly on the inside of each form. A hand-cast bronze bell and a walnut wind catcher complete it. There are six forms, named for features of the landscape, in eight colors. See the chimes, or read how we make them.
Questions families ask
Is a memorial wind chime the same as one made with ashes?
Not always. Many memorial chimes are engraved sympathy gifts with no ashes. If ashes matter to you, look for a description that says where the ashes go: in glass, in an urn, or in the material itself.
How much of the ashes does a chime use?
Glass and porcelain chimes usually need about a teaspoon or less. Urn-style chimes vary with the size of the compartment. In each case most of the ashes remain for burial, scattering or other keepsakes.
Can each of us have one?
Yes. Because each chime needs so little, families often order one for each sibling or household from the same ashes. See our guide to dividing ashes among family members.
Will it hold up outdoors?
Most chimes made with ashes are designed to hang outside. Glass and porcelain can chip if struck, so hang them clear of walls and bring them in for big storms.
Can a funeral home help?
Yes. Many funeral homes will set aside a small portion and send it to the maker for you, so you don't have to handle the ashes yourself.
