Clothing Keepsake Angel: Personalized Memorial Ornament
Clothing Keepsake Angel: A Memorial Made From Your Loved One's Clothing
Sometimes it’s the simplest things that bring someone rushing back to us - the color of a favorite shirt, the feel of a familiar fabric, or a piece of clothing we can still picture them wearing.
I know that feeling well. I always remember my mom in certain clothing. Her light jacket, the smock she wore when she crafted ceramics, and the shirts that made her feel beautiful. Each one holds a memory for me. Even now, a familiar fabric or color can bring back a moment I thought I had forgotten.
That connection is part of what inspired the Clothing Keepsake Angel. It gives you a way to take a small piece of clothing from someone you love and turn it into something you can see, hold and keep close. It may be called a memorial ornament, but this little angel was never meant to be something you only bring out at Christmas. It can be displayed and treasured all year long.
What Is a Clothing Keepsake Angel?
The Clothing Keepsake Angel is a personalized memorial keepsake that you create using fabric from your loved one’s clothing. Each individual angel comes with the angel wings, heart, jute and instructions to help you create your keepsake at home. You provide the piece of clothing that means something to you.
Maybe it’s Dad’s favorite flannel shirt. Mom’s blouse. Grandma’s floral dress. Your husband’s old T-shirt. It doesn’t need to be fancy or perfect. It simply needs to mean something to you.
The fabric becomes part of the angel, with the heart tied onto the clothing using the included jute to complete the keepsake. Because you’re using their actual clothing, no two angels will ever be exactly alike.
Choosing a Meaningful Piece of Clothing
There really is no right or wrong piece to choose. Think about the clothing that immediately makes you picture your loved one. It might be something they wore all the time, a favorite shirt or blouse, a dress, a familiar flannel, or simply a fabric or color that immediately reminds you of them.
Sometimes the most ordinary piece of clothing holds the biggest memories. And you don’t need much fabric to create your angel, which means one meaningful piece of clothing may be able to create keepsakes for several members of the family.
Simple Instructions Are Included
Cutting into someone’s clothing can feel emotional, especially when you’ve held onto it for a long time. Each Clothing Keepsake Angel comes with simple instructions to help guide you through cutting and adding your loved one’s fabric.
The measurements and cutting method are suggestions rather than exact rules. Every piece of clothing and every type of fabric is a little different, so your angel doesn’t have to look exactly like someone else’s. The most important part is choosing fabric that holds meaning for you and creating your angel in a way that feels right.
Making Keepsake Angels Together
One of my favorite ways families have used these angels is by making them together. You can gather around a table with a piece of clothing, create an angel for each family member and spend some time sharing stories about the person you all love and miss.
Sometimes one memory leads to another. Someone remembers something funny. Someone else remembers a holiday or a family gathering. Before you know it, everyone is talking about moments they hadn’t thought about in years.
One customer ordered 12 angels for her family and friends. She pulled out some of her parents’ memorable shirts, gathered everyone around the table, lit a candle and poured a glass of wine. As they created their angels, they shared stories, laughed and reminisced. She described the experience as cathartic and said it brought everyone closer. When they were finished, each person had an angel made from the same clothing and filled with their own memories.
To me, that is what makes this keepsake so special. It isn't only about the finished angel. Sometimes the act of creating it becomes part of the memory too.
If you’d like to create angels for a larger group of family members or friends, please reach out to us for orders of 10 or more.
A Memorial Keepsake for Christmas or Year-Round
Although the Clothing Keepsake Angel can be used as a personalized memorial ornament on your Christmas tree, it doesn’t have to be packed away when the holidays are over. Many people choose to display their angel throughout the year.
You might display it on an ornament stand, place it near a favorite photograph, or find another special place in your home where you can see it. I’ve included a few of my favorite ornament display stands and hooks at the bottom of this post if you’re looking for ideas.
If having that little piece of familiar fabric nearby brings comfort in July, September or on an ordinary Tuesday, then that is exactly where it belongs.
For other ways to honor someone special, you can also explore our personalized memorial ornaments, including keepsakes created with names, dates and photos.
Giving a Clothing Keepsake Angel as a Sympathy Gift
A Clothing Keepsake Angel can also be a thoughtful sympathy gift, particularly for someone who has saved clothing from a person they lost. Because clothing can be deeply personal, I recommend talking with them first rather than cutting or using a garment without their knowledge.
You could give them the angel and allow them to choose the clothing themselves when they are ready. Some people know immediately which piece they want to use. Others may need months or even years before they feel comfortable cutting into clothing they’ve saved. There is no timeline. The angel will be there when they are ready.
Caring for Your Clothing Keepsake Angel
Because your angel contains real fabric from your loved one’s clothing, a little care will help preserve it. Keep it away from moisture and prolonged direct sunlight, which can eventually affect some fabrics and colors. If it needs dusting, gently use a soft, dry cloth or brush.
If you display your angel only during the holidays, wrap it carefully before storing it so the fabric keeps its shape. Or simply leave it out all year. After all, memories aren't seasonal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Clothing Keepsake Angel come with the fabric?
- No. You provide a piece of clothing from your loved one so your angel can be created with fabric that holds personal meaning to you.
Do I have to cut the clothing myself?
- Yes. Your angel comes with instructions to help guide you through cutting and adding the fabric yourself. The measurements and cutting method are suggestions, so you can adjust them depending on the clothing and fabric you are using.
Is the Clothing Keepsake Angel sold individually?
- Yes. Each Clothing Keepsake Angel is sold individually and includes the wings, heart, jute and instructions needed to create your keepsake. If you would like 10 or more for family members or friends, please contact us about ordering multiples.
Is it only a Christmas ornament?
- Not at all. While it can be hung on a Christmas tree as a memorial ornament, the Clothing Keepsake Angel was designed to be meaningful throughout the year. Display it wherever having a small piece of your loved one nearby brings you comfort.
What kind of clothing should I use?
- Choose something that reminds you of your loved one. A favorite shirt, blouse, dress, flannel, patterned fabric or even a particular color can hold wonderful memories. It doesn’t need to be their nicest piece of clothing. Sometimes the everyday things are the ones we remember most.
What if I’m not ready to cut their clothing?
- Then don't. There is no deadline and no right time. Keep the clothing safe until you feel ready. Your keepsake can wait.
Holding Onto the Little Things
After losing someone we love, it’s amazing how much meaning the little things can carry a photograph, a handwritten note, a favorite recipe, or a piece of clothing we can still picture them wearing.
The Clothing Keepsake Angel was created to give that small piece of fabric a special place outside of a drawer or closet - a place where it can continue to bring back memories of the person who wore it.
Because sometimes something as simple as a familiar piece of fabric can make them feel just a little bit closer.
Written by Kim, founder & creator of Sunrise Keepsakes
Inspired by my own journey through grief and years of helping others honor the people and pets they love and miss.
Links:
Heart Ornament Display Stand: https://amzn.to/3O6KG38
Regular Ornament Display Stand: https://amzn.to/3Z2oGN4
Double Ornament Display Stand: https://amzn.to/3UN95P8
Command Decorative Hooks: https://amzn.to/3YIM3tQ
*All links are affiliate links to Amazon. We appreciate your support. xo