Stunning Ways To Decorate A Gravesite
This is a partnered post.
From a young age it is important for your kids to understand what happens after life, and by teaching them about death when they are still young they will better handle the news when they are older and this happens to their loved ones.
When a loved one does pass away – it is important for you to remember them in the best possible way and this might include a few different things. Firstly, you may want to host a ceremony and a respectful wake for your loved one, and after this you may want to visit the gravesite and pay your respects. The latter is what we want to talk about today.
When visiting a gravesite there are many ways you can add a personal touch and things you can leave to remember your lost love. Here are some of the different crafts that you and your children can do that can be added to a gravestone of a loved one when you visit them.
Get a photo grave marker
When visiting your lost loved one, the main thing that will identify their burial site are cemetery grave markers. A grave marker will simply point out the spot at which your loved one readies however there are several ways you can improve on this and add a personal touch. One way is to print out a photograph of your loved one and place this in a frame that is water resistant, and you can then add this photograph to the gravesite so that you always know this is them – and so that when you visit you can see their face. This is a special thing to do and you can get the kids to pick out which photo and which frame they want to use for this.
Make a wreath
This second craft is one that you can get the kids involved heavily in and it will make your gravesite look much more colourful and celebrate the life of the person you love. A wreath can be a magical thing and it will allow you to decorate your family member’s grave for each season, changing the wreath at different times of the year. To make a wreath at home you can buy a wire wreath ring, some fake flowers and vines, as well as some other materials such as acorns and pinecones to glue in place. The kids will enjoy making this wreath and a personal touch will really make the gravesite look much better and more loved.
Create a colourful plant display
Another clever craft to do for your loved one’s gravestone is to create a beautiful plant display that not only includes beautiful flowers, but that also has brightly coloured pits that are unique to your family.
First of all, get yourself 3-4 terracotta plant pots as well as a whole load of ceramic paint. Now it is time to get creative and paint these pots with stunning colours as well as fun patterns and pictures that can bring them to life and make them look unique.
Once you have painted the pots and they are dry it is time for you to consider creating a beautiful display of flowers that will last all the way through the summer. There are some great plant ideas to add to your pots such as petunias, busy Lizzie’s, mimulus, pansies, and lobelia. Mix and match these plants in each pot and place them at the gravesite where they will bloom all summer long and bring some much needed love and vibrancy to the area.
Create small clay sculptures
If you and the kids want to make something fun and unique for the gravesite this year, you can get the kids to create a sculpture that they think represents their time with the loved one who has passed. This stunning and personal act will be something that will be super special and it will bring a much needed personal touch to the area. For example, they can create a small sculpture of a pet they shared, of a holiday they loved, or even a portrait of themselves and the deceased. Kids are incredibly creative and once you have provided them with the clay and paint for their project they will be able to make something beautiful that you never even saw coming.
Paint small rocks
Another great way to vamp up the space around a grave without attracting too much attention is to find some rocks and paint them with colourful pictures and patterns. Rock art is actually a popular pastime in many small towns where people will leave them hidden in parks and locations, other people can pick them up and pass them on, and new ones can be created all the time. For a gravesite though this can be a brilliant way to write some personal messages and say goodbye to the one you love with colour and a personal touch.
Create a miniature garden
If your loved one was the type of person who loved to be outside and in their garden all of the time, then the best way to honour them will be to create a miniature version of a garden on top of their gravestone which can grow and thrive throughout the year.
With the kids, gather some pebbles, paving stones or tiles, mini plants, and other miniature things such as plant pots or benches and chairs from a dollhouse. You can then take some small wooden planks and create a border around the gravesite, digging a layer of soil up inside to create your little garden.
Fill in parts of the garden with paving stones to create a path, some pebbles, and add benches and plants into the space. You can be super creative with this project and it will be fun for the kids to make a display that truly captures the kind of person the deceased was.
Use these craft ideas to decorate a gravesite and pay the ultimate respects to a person who has passed on.