It can be fun yet heart-wrenching to make cemetery memorials for lost loved ones. While youre creating the memorials, memories of the past can flood over you, and make you smile or cause you to cry. Thats the way it is with people youve lost. Some memories are funny and heartwarming, others are sad and hurtful. Paying tribute to someone you once cared about can mean anything from visiting their grave to taking flowers when you go. If you like setting memorials in remembrance of your loved ones you can easily make them yourself.
One such memorial is made from Styrofoam. At craft stores and online, you can purchase Styrofoam crosses, which make creating a nice memorial very easy indeed. The crosses are available in a variety of sizes and can be decorated in any number of ways. If youre not all that talented when it comes to crafts, or even if you are, theres a beautiful way to decorate the Styrofoam cross and make a fabulous, lacy memorial.
If you prefer to save money you can make the cross shape yourself. Purchasing Styrofoam in the shape of a large cross will cost much more than purchasing it and cutting the shape yourself. Dont feel that energetic? Buy a long, block-shaped piece, and two short ones, and make the cross yourself. Use spray adhesive to connect the two short pieces onto the sides of the long piece to make the cross. Check the label on the adhesive you select to make sure it works well with Styrofoam. In addition, check to see that the adhesive you use will not dissolve with water. Some adhesives can melt Styrofoam; others dont hold up under rain and other weather conditions. After youve glued the two side pieces on to the main piece, and have waited for the glue to set, you can then start the process of covering the cross with lace. Choose the lace you use according to the depth of the cross. Lay the cross on a flat surface. Measure the side of the cross to see how wide the lace you purchase should be. Ruffled lace is the best choice since it gives the cross more dimension and interest. The lace can have a colored ribbon running through the center of it or can have a different design. Use pins to secure the lace. Pins with large pearl-like heads work great and look fabulous. Begin attaching the lace by starting at the bottom of the cross. Wrap the lace around the perimeter using the pins to hold it in place. Stretch the lace up the side of the main cross piece, under the arm, across the end of the arm, across the top of the arm, then around the top portion of the cross. Continue down the other side, going around the arm, and back down to the bottom where you started. Every two or three inches youll insert a pin to secure the lace. If the lace is really wide dont position the pins in the center of the lace. Instead, place one pin on the edge of the lace, and another opposite it. That will make sure the entire width of the lace is secured. Now start covering the back of the cross with lace. Start at the back bottom and go around the perimeter of the cross. Once youve gone all the way around, move the lace inward to start a second row. Go all the way around again, following the first row of lace, which goes around the perimeter of the back of the cross. Youll continue doing this until youve arrived in the center of the cross and the Styrofoam is completely covered. Use the same method to cover the front of the cross. On the front of the lacy cross you can add a large silk rose or other flowers, beads, ribbon and other embellishments. You can use plastic letters from a craft store to spell out "Mom" or something else. These are optional as the cross is beautiful with just the lace covering. Use a metal wrought iron or other piece to secure the cross at the grave site. The metal can be pushed up through the bottom of the cross then pushed into the ground to hold. You can also use the metal rod to place the cross in a headstone vase. The cross memorial is elegant and very easy to create.
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