Creative Funeral Memory Board Ideas

Published August 25, 2020
Funeral Memory Board

Funeral memory boards include images, sayings, and memories of your loved one through their life. While most memory boards are made by sticking printed images to a foam core board, you can get creative with your funeral memory board. Whether you are heavy on arts and crafts or just need to make a funeral memory board in a hurry, give these creative memory board ideas a try.

Polaroid Funeral Memory Board

Did your loved one enjoy the beach or like a good sunset? If so, you can take a custom approach with their funeral or memorial memory board. For this creative memory board idea, gather:

  • Stickers to decorate the board with their favorite things, such as beach stickers, stars, butterflies, etc.

  • String

  • Printed images (Polaroid-style if possible)

  • Small, multicolored clothespins

  • Glue or tap

  • Glitter pens or markers

  • Poster or foam core boards in their favorite color

Polaroid board

How to Decorate the Board

  1. Gather your supplies and images.

  2. Use the markers and stickers to decorate the board (include their name in the center).

  3. Use glue or tape to attach the string from one end of the board to the other.

  4. Create 4-5 rows with the string depending on the length and width of the board.

  5. Clip the images to the string.

  6. Add labels above the rows using the labels and pens or markers.

Exploring the Best Times Creative Memory Board

Rather than just including random images of your loved one, you might try to create a theme of adventures they've had throughout their lives. For this board, you need:

  • Foam core or posterboard

  • Copies of images of trips and adventures

  • Markers, stickers, and labels.

  • Adhesive

  • Sticky-notes and pen

Making an Adventure Board

  1. Organize the images by adventure or trips.

  2. Write labels for each different trip, including the year and special memories from friends and family.

  3. Decorate the center of the board with your loved one's name and a singular image of them smiling.

  4. Surround the center image with their adventures and the different labels.

  5. Leave a pen and sticky-notes available for visitors to the memorial to share their own memories of specific trips. These can then be transferred into a memory book for family members.

  6. Leave blank areas for people to share their sticky-notes.

Different Hats Funeral Memory Board Idea

Every person wears different hats throughout their lives like parent, grandparent, friend, aunt, sibling, child, etc. Explore the different aspects of your loved one's life by creating unique memory boards tailored to all the roles in their lives. For this memory board project, you'll need:

  • 3-5 pieces of poster or foam board

  • Images

  • Decorative paper and pens

  • Adhesive

  • Markers

Memory Board Directions

  1. Ask friends and family to email special messages, notes, memories, and pictures.

  2. Print the images.

  3. Transfer the messages to decorative papers using the pens.

  4. Add a headline to each different board such as World's Best Father, Most Loved Grandmother, etc.

  5. Stick the images and notes to the board.

  6. Place the boards in various areas at the memorial to celebrate their life.

Timeline Funeral Memory Board

Help loved ones remember the precious life the deceased through creating a memory board that outlines the timeline of their life. For this idea, you need:

  • Images from the birth to the death of your loved one (especially pivotal moments like children's birth, marriage, graduation, etc.)

  • Labels

  • 3+ poster or foam core boards

  • Adhesive

  • Markers

Instructions for Timeline Board

  1. Organize the images from birth to death.

  2. Designate a board for a specific number of years: birth to graduation, marriage and children, senior life, etc.

  3. Label each board with the timeframe it covers.

  4. Label the images for each timeframe.

  5. In the center of the board start with the most important moment, like your loved one's birth, marriage, birth of grandchildren, etc.

  6. Surround the main event with the other images from that timeframe.

  7. Add special notes and longer labels to pivotal times like graduations and marriages.

  8. Line the boards up together to create a comprehensive timeline of your loved one.

  9. Place your loved one's name on the center board.

Digital Funeral Memory Board Ideas

Memory boards are a great idea for a funeral because they explore all the moments of your loved one's life and allow visitors to see all the good times of their lives. However, rather than printing out images, go digital. For this board, you need:

  • Glue

  • Digital memory book template

  • 8.5 x 11 paper

  • 1-3 foam core boards

  • Computer & printer

Instructions for a Quick and Easy Creative Board

  1. Download a free digital memory board template like Adobe Spark.

  2. Add your images and text.

  3. Print out the templates.

  4. Glue them to the foam.

  5. Allow to dry.

In Your Own Words Funeral Memory Board

The advent of social media allows you to enjoy your loved one's words for years to come. Use their own words to create a memory board. To try this board, gather:

  • Printed snippets of social media posts and emails

  • Printed favorite poems, sayings, etc.

  • Images of your loved one throughout their life

  • Stickers and scrapbooking decorations of their favorite things like flowers, birds, etc.

  • Markers

  • Poster or foam board

  • Labels

  • Notebook

Words board

Creation of a Words Board

  1. Place your largest and best image of your loved one in the center of your board.

  2. Strategically place the snippets of posts and emails around the image.

  3. Surround each post with images and labels.

  4. Use the scrapbooking decorations around the images and posts.

  5. Consider leaving a pen and notebook near the image for people to share thoughts, memories, etc. for the family.

Funeral Memory Board Ideas

Nobody looks forward to creating a funeral memory board. However, ensure your memory board is as unique as your loved one by trying out a few different creative picture display ideas at their funeral.

Creative Funeral Memory Board Ideas