Cremation is becoming an increasingly popular way to deal with a loved one's remains. However, once your loved one has been cremated, you have to decide what to do with the ashes. There are a number of meaningful options.

1. Permanent Internment

If you like the idea of burial but you want to opt for cremation because it's more affordable than traditional burial, you may still want to explore permanent internment. Some cemeteries sell smaller, less expensive plots for ashes. There are also columbariums which are specifically for ashes.

Alternatively, you may bury the ashes on your private land. Ideally, you should not inter ashes on public land without permission.

2. Memorial Urns

If you prefer to keep your loved one close to you, you may want to consider a memorial urn. This is simply a decorative urn that you can display in your home. For instance, many people put these urns on their mantles. These urns can come in a variety of sizes and materials.

3. Scattering

Some like to embraces the idea of "dust to dust, ashes to ashes" and spread their loved ones ashe's back into the earth. If you want to scatter your loved one's ashes, you may want to ask the cremation place for a scattering urn. This is a relatively inexpensive urn designed to make scattering easier.

Make sure that you are legally allowed to scatter in the area. Some public parks, beaches, and other places have rules about whether or not you are allowed to scatter ashes there.

4. Cremation Jewelry

Even if you opt to scatter the ashes, you may want to keep some of your loved one close to you in the form of cremation jewelry. There are a number of skilled craftspeople who can take a small bit of ashes and turn it into jewelry. Often, the ashes are mixed into a semi precious stone and set in necklaces or rings. This is similar to the tradition of carrying a lock of a loved one's hair in a locket.

Cremation jewelry may also be something to consider if there are several loved ones who want to keep some of the deceased ashes. You don't even necessarily need to commission the jewelry. There are people who sell small vials on chains, and you simply put some of the ashes into the vial.

5. Tattoos

Finally, you can also put some ashes into a tattoo. This is a novel way to keep your loved one near you and also create a permanent marker of their existence. Basically, the tattoo artist mixes the ashes into the ink.