Wind Chimes With Ashes: How We Include a Loved One's Cremated Remains
Handing over a small part of someone you love is not a small thing.
That's why we've written this page in as much detail as we have. Before you decide anything, you should know exactly what we ask for, how a wind chime with ashes is made, how your loved one's remains are handled in our studio, and what happens at every step along the way.
If you have a question that isn't answered here, please just ask. There's no question too small or too careful.
How the ashes become part of the chime
Your loved one's remains are set into the striker — the piece at the very center of the chime that catches the wind and swings against the tubes.
Which means their essence isn't decoration, and it isn't hidden away inside something. It is the part that makes the sound.
Every time the wind moves and the chime sings, that sound is being created by them. Their essence is what generates the music, over and over, out into the world. Love that keeps going.
The remains are fully encased in epoxy and cured solid. Nothing can leak, sift, spill, or be lost — not in rain, not in wind, not in years of weather. Once cured, it is permanently and safely part of the piece.
A teaspoon or less.
Most people picture something far larger. It isn't. A teaspoon is enough to become part of the piece, which means the vast majority of your loved one's remains stay exactly where you want them.
Please place it in a small sealed bag — a zip-top bag is fine. Sealed and sift-proof is what matters.
How much do you need?
Only after you've approved the design. Never before.
Here's the order:
You reach out. Nothing is due, and nothing is sent.
We design it together. We ask about their colors, their sayings, their symbols — and we send you a design.
You approve it. We revise until it's right. Nothing gets built until you love it.
Then, and only then, you send the remains.
We build your Love Chime, and it arrives ready to hang or to give.
We do it this way on purpose. It means your loved one is in our care for the shortest time possible, and it means nothing is ever sent for a piece that hasn't been settled yet.
When do I send them?
How do I send cremated remains safely?
Two options.
1. In person, in the Dallas–Fort Worth area
If you're local, this is often the gentlest option. We'll arrange a time and place that works for you. Many families prefer to hand it over in person, and we're always glad to meet you.
2. By mail — United States Postal Service only
This matters: USPS is the only carrier legally permitted to ship cremated remains. FedEx and UPS both prohibit it. A private carrier that accepts a package without knowing what's inside offers no protection at all.
Here's exactly how:
Place a teaspoon or less in a small sealed bag
Request a free BOX-CRE shipping kit from USPS — order it at usps.com or ask at any post office counter. This specific packaging is required.
Ship Priority Mail Express. This service level is required; standard Priority Mail is not permitted for cremated remains.
Insurance and tracking are included on every shipment
Text us when it's on its way, and we'll confirm the moment it reaches us
Post office staff handle these shipments regularly and will walk you through it at the counter. If you'd rather we walk you through it first, text or call 817-318-8988 — we're glad to.
What if the package is lost or damaged?
We won't pretend this isn't a real fear. It's exactly why we ask you to ship the way we do.
Every shipment sent through USPS Priority Mail Express in the required packaging is insured and tracked from the moment it leaves your hands. You'll have a tracking number the whole way, and we'll confirm the moment it arrives with us.
If something does go wrong, claims are handled through the United States Postal Service, which has a specific process for shipments of this kind. You would not navigate that alone. We'll help you file the claim, provide whatever documentation we can from our end, and stay with you through it.
In practice, this is rare. The required packaging and service level exist precisely to prevent it, and postal staff handle these shipments as a matter of routine.
How are remains handled in your studio?
This is the part we take most seriously.
We work with one person's remains at a time. Only ever one.
There is never more than one set open in our studio, and we work on only one piece at a time until it is finished. There is no possibility of anything being mixed, confused, or mislabeled — because there is never anything else present to mix it with.
And we begin with a blessing.
Before we open anything, we stop. We say a blessing and a moment of gratitude — for being trusted with this, and for the honor of taking the essence of someone deeply loved and placing it into a piece of art that will keep singing long after we are finished.
It isn't a policy. It's simply how we do it, every time, for every person.
Yes. Anything not used stays in the same sealed package you sent it in, and comes back to you together with the finished Love Chime.
It is never transferred to another container, never combined with anything, and never separated from you for longer than it takes to make the piece.
Is anything returned to me?
Ashes are one option among many. Depending on the design, a Love Chime can also hold:
A lock of hair
Pet fur
A small piece of fabric — a shirt, a blanket, a scarf
A rosary or a piece of jewelry
Dried flowers from the service
A piece of a collar or a pet tag
Their handwriting, reproduced in the design
If you're unsure whether something can be included, ask. The answer is usually yes if it can fit into a 4 inch by 1 inch circle and work well with epoxy.
What else can be included?
Everything on this page applies equally to pets. We've created cremation wind chimes holding ashes, fur, a piece of a favorite blanket, and a tag from a collar. The care is exactly the same, because the love is.
For pets, too
Questions families ask
Do I have to include ashes? No. Most Love Chimes don't. It's always your choice, and a piece is no less meaningful without it.
Can I decide later? Yes. Many families begin the design first and decide about ashes as we go.
How much does a Love Chime with ashes cost? Custom Love Chimes begin at $444.44 plus tax and shipping. Including remains does not change the starting price.
How long does it take? Most Love Chimes are finished within 3 to 4 weeks after we've received the remains and the design is approved.
How big is it? About 36 inches long and 7 inches wide — roughly the height of a kitchen counter.
Ready to talk about it? There's nothing due today, and no commitment in reaching out. If you're even considering this, we would be honored to talk it through with you.
Or tell us who you're honoring — Breck or Crystal will reply personally, usually the same day.