Carve a Place of Honor

Handmade portrait urns based on your photos

Custom Urn for Dog Charlie Close Up.JPG
Custom pet urn for dog with portrait sculpture
Custom pet urn for dog with portrait sculpture

Create a custom urn in solid wood that captures the life and legacy of those you love. We shape each urn by hand, then carefully carve it with the likeness of your loved one.

Most pet urns are made for anyone.

Yours is one of a kind

Custom urns for pets

From your photos to your front door

Schedule a free design consultation for custom sculpting

1. Schedule a free design consultation

(Optional) Connect with our sculptors to talk through your design concept and see what is possible

Custom pet urn for dog inspiration photo Burmese Mountain Dog

2. Submit photo(s)

We can sculpt a replica of your photos or use them as inspiration to create a unique relief of the subject

Turning a Custom Urn on a Lathe

3. We sculpt your urn

We carve and hollow earn urn by hand on a lathe and cut your sculpture from solid wood adding it directly into the side

Custom Pet Urn for Dog Sculpture Relief

4. Receive your heirloom

We ship nationwide and offer local delivery to the Washington D.C. metro area

You can learn more about our process by visiting our About Us page or Woodworking Blog. We also have more photos of Dog Urns in our Gallery.

5/5 Average customer review (Google)

Handmade in the United States by American sculptors

Choosing the right pet urn:

Experts recommend urn sizing be roughly equal to body weight prior to cremation. Each pound should equal one cubic inch of urn capacity. For example, a person who weighed 160 pounds will typically need an urn with a capacity of at least 160 cubic inches. When in doubt, please contact us for guidance on how to select your sizing.

(Deposit 50%) Multi-Colored Hardwood Urn for Pets (Deposit 50%) Multi-Colored Hardwood Urn for Pets
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(Deposit 50%) Multi-Colored Hardwood Urn for Pets
$850.00

50% Initial Deposit - $850, $1,700 total price

Up to 150 cubic inches.

Commission a multi-colored hardwood urn with a relief sculpture carved into the side based on your pet photos. We make each urn by hand on a lathe and carefully add an intricate 3D sculpture carving of your loved one based on the photos your provide. The result is a timeless 3D memorial worthy of display. Each urn has a bronze threaded lid to maintain functionality through changes to heat or moisture.

Wood options:

(Ash, maple, walnut, padauk, ebony, purpleheart, & mahogany)

Engraved lettering options:

  • Lid interior or exterior

  • Seal around photo carving

This urn follows the classic European style and is designed to last for generations.

(Deposit 50%) Solid Cedar Memorial Urn for Pets (Deposit 50%) Solid Cedar Memorial Urn for Pets
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(Deposit 50%) Solid Cedar Memorial Urn for Pets
$575.00

50% Initial Deposit - $575, $1,150 total price

Up to 150 cubic inches

Our signature custom pet memorial urn combines classic turned wood elegance with intricate portrait carving. Each urn is individually shaped on a lathe, then carefully carved with the likeness your provide with photos. The result is a timeless 3D memorial worthy of display. Each urn has a bronze threaded lid to maintain functionality through changes to heat or moisture.

Engraved lettering options:

  • Lid interior or exterior

  • Seal around photo carving

This most popular choice for pet parents who want classic urn elegance combined with detailed portrait work. The turned wood shape and hand-carved portrait create a timeless memorial piece worthy of display. It is the best balance of artistry and value.

Our wooden custom pets urns

Each of our custom wood urns begins with a piece of solid kiln-dried timber carefully chosen for quality and beauty. Because each tree is unique, each urn will also have its own unique grain pattern and subtle coloring. Rather than see these variations as defects, we highlight these natural differences as we sculpt and polish each piece. Our process ensures each urn is as unique as both the sustainably-sourced wood we created it from and the beloved person or pet it was made to honor.

Forest of trees, lumber for woodworking and sculpting

Wood selection

Every urn begins with carefully selected and sustainably-sourced hardwood. We personally inspect each log for beautiful grain patterns, coloring, structure, and humidity before we prepare it for wood turning.

Using bowl gouge on a lathe to turn a custom urn

Wood Turning

Your prepared timber is then carefully sculpted by hand on a lathe. This process turns the initial piece into the urn that will honor your loved one. This process can take anywhere from one to several days depending on the size, grain pattern, and any residual moisture.

A person is carving a detailed design into a wooden object using a small rotary tool, holding the wood steady with one hand and guiding the tool with the other.

Portrait Carving

Using your photographs, we create detailed relief carvings that will adorn the side of your urn. The result captures your loved one’s unique features such as the curve of their ears, the expression in their eyes, the personality that made them irreplaceable.

Putting the finishing touches on a wooden vessel

Hand-Applied Finishes

We finish every urn with multiple coats of natural oil or colored finishes that are hand-rubbed to bring out the wood's character. This creates a durable, smooth with a warm, natural sheen that deepens beautifully over time.

A quick note about us:

Our small family studio is the only studio in the country that carves a memorial relief into the side of your urn. While others use a laser machine to burn a shallow, pixelated image into the side of a mass produced vessel, we make each urn from scratch and carve the intricate, 3D reliefs ourselves. The resulting piece is not only completely one-of-a-kind, but it also showcases your loved one in timeless sculpted detail.

This combination of artistry and story gives your loved one an heirloom resting place worthy of their journey. See our About Us page or Gallery for to learn more.

Me and my Cat example photo for custom cat urn carvings before image.png
Custom cat urn with sculpture, studio photo

Note: This is an example piece featuring Nathan (one of our family woodworkers) and his cat. She is still alive and happy to bite his toes in the morning.

Woodturning a vase or urn, hollowing step
Woodturning a vase or urn, hollowing step
Woodturning a vase or urn, roughing step

Their story carved into a lasting heirloom

These urns include hand-carved relief portraits on the side of hand-lathe-turned wooden vessels that highlight the natural beauty of hardwoods with the artistry of detailed sculpture: This combination of natural beauty and

  • Beautifully polished solid wood or ceramic

  • Up to 250 cubic inch capacity

  • Proudly made in the USA with sustainably sourced American hardwoods

  • Unique carving of your cherished friend and loved one

Closeup of custom urn for dog carving

Premium wood options for pet urns

A small wooden container with a circular carved design on the front, next to a larger wooden piece with a layered appearance against a plain white background.
Five different types of wood blocks stacked on a gray surface.

Choose the perfect wood species for your custom pet urn. Each offers unique grain patterns, colors, and characteristics. Cedar is available for box urns only; all woods available for traditional and sculptural styles:

  • Aromatic Cedar - Warm reddish-brown wood with beautiful natural aroma.

  • Red Oak - Warm, honey-toned wood with prominent grain patterns.

  • Black Walnut - Rich, dark chocolate brown wood with elegant grain.

  • Cherry - Warm reddish-brown wood that deepens with age.

  • Maple - Light, creamy wood with subtle grain.

Frequently asked questions

Want to learn more?

Small family woodworking and sculpting business

Visit our about us page to learn about our family business and methodology.

Clay ceramics pots

Visit our blog for information about woodworking and ceramics.

Woodworking and sculpting tools

View our gallery of completed pieces to see finished urns and the photos that inspired them.