Wooden Urn

$25 - $30 (based on 2024 prices)
Makes one urn

In 2024, I was asked by a local theater to make a wooden urn for their production of Dashing through the Snow. The prop was meant to be used in a scene where relatives fight over the remains of a deceased loved one. At one point, their fight turns physical and they battle over the box, with its lid popping open and dumping the ashes. At the director’s request, I used a magnetic clasp to make it easier for the box to spring open and filled it with a mixture of wood ash and gray kitty litter to resemble human ashes.

• One 8” x 8” x 3.5” wooden box with a magnetic clasp
• Seven one-inch wooden letter cutouts spelling the word beloved
• Four two-inch wooden cross cutouts
• Two two-inch wooden dove cutouts
• Two two-inch wooden rose cutouts
• Two two-inch wooden leaf cutouts
• One 8 oz. bottle of wood glue*
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat brown*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in au natural*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat gray*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat white*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in hot cocoa*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in metallic gold*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in spice brown*
• One plastic bottle
• Three to four sheets of standard-size newspaper
• Four 8 oz. bottles of all-purpose tacky glue*
• One 5 oz. tube of siliconized caulk*
• Two small, plastic bones

1. Using a pencil, mark the center of the box’s lid and then divide it into four sections. This will help ensure everything is centered. Once this is done, arrange the cross, doves, and letters to create your desired design and trace their outline. Although this is optional, it will give you a guide in case things get bumped during step two.

2. Glue the cross, doves, and letter cutouts to the lid, stacking two crosses atop each other for additional height. Because all of these items were made of glue, I used wood glue to adhere them; however, you can use superglue if the box or cutouts are made of different materials.

3. Embellish the sides of the box with the remaining two cross cutouts and the leaf and rose cutouts. As with step two, layer two roses on top of each other for extra depth and employ wood glue for a sturdier hold.

4. Remove the hinges, cover the magnetic clasp with painter’s tape, and, on a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give both the inside and outside of the box and its lid an even coat of brown spray paint. While I only used one coat, you can apply more based on your desired coverage; however, keep in mind that this is the base coat and much of it will be covered by the other paints.

5. Working from dark to light, use several hues of brown to create a wooden patina. I wanted a lighter tone closer to walnut to pair with the gold paint, but you can move from light to dark for a deeper tone like mahogany.

6. After applying a base coat of black, gently dry brush gold onto the decals to make them look like aged metal. How lightly you apply the paint depends on how worn you want the elements to look. Since this prop needed to appear like it had been handled a lot, I went with a relatively worn appearance.

7. Repeat the process in step six with the decorative elements on the side of the box, giving them the same level of distress to maintain consistency.

8. Cut the bottom and top off a plastic bottle, position it in the base of the box, and glue it down. This will form the foundation for the mounds of ash. It is best to use something made of thin plastic, since this will be easier to cut.

9. Make the papier mache paste by mixing ½ cup of glue and ½ cup of water in a bowl. Then, tear the newspaper into strips, soak them in the paste, and use them to build up mounds around the bottle. This will become the human remains at the bottom of the urn, so you want them to appear like piles of ash.

10. Once the newspaper dries, pat caulking onto the mounds for a granular appearance. To accomplish this, apply a small dollop to a paper towel and gently dab it onto the surface. Do not overthink your application because a random pattern produces a more natural look.

11. Allow the caulking to dry for at least twenty-four hours and then, using a stippling brush, build up layers of gray and white paint, working from dark to light, to give the mounds the look of ash. If one color becomes too overpowering, you can always apply more of the other color to dial it back.

12. Cut the two plastic bones into six sections and apply one or two even coats of white paint. As with step eight, purchase bones made of a thin plastic to make them easier to cut. Following this, smudge black and gray paint along their edges to make them look charred.  

13. Glue the bones into the mounds to make it look like they are protruding from the ashes. For visual interest, adhere some at various angles. You can also add other elements, like teeth or pieces of jewelry.

14. Reattached the lid to the box using the hinges, guaranteeing the magnetic clasp still aligns. Although you can embellish the prop with additional details, I kept it rather simple to maintain the director’s vision. 

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.