What to give someone who is still grieving, years on
Most sympathy gifts arrive in the first few weeks after a death. Two or three years on, the cards have stopped. The anniversary, their birthday and Christmas come round every year. Here are seven memorial gifts to give someone who is still grieving years later.
1. A teddy made from their wardrobe
Bears-n-Pals in Dublin makes memory bears and memory cushions from a loved one's clothes. The order book reopens in September for Christmas 2026.
bears-n-pals.ie · @bearsandpals on Instagram
2. A quilt made from their clothes
The Crafty Rock on Main Street in Blackrock, Co. Louth, sews memory quilts and memory bunnies from clothes. A deposit holds the order, and they ask for Christmas orders early.
thecraftyrock.com · @thecraftyrock on Instagram
3. A Christmas stocking made from their clothes
Sew Happy Ireland in Co. Galway makes memory Christmas stockings from clothes. The clothes have to reach them before 1 November to be ready for Christmas.
sewhappyireland.ie · @sewhappyireland on Instagram
4. Their handwriting on a necklace
Aurora Studios in Dublin engraves handwriting onto silver necklaces. You send a photo of a card or a letter they wrote. A necklace takes 3 to 6 working days.
aurorastudios.ie · @aurorastudios_ie on Instagram
5. A candle with their name on it
Candles with Character in Ennis, Co. Clare, makes a memorial candle with the person's name on it. They make a Christmas memorial candle as well.
candleswithcharacter.ie · @candles_with_character on Instagram
6. Their ashes blown into glass
Kingdom Glassblowing in Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon, blows cremation ashes into glass. They make a blue sphere, a teardrop and other memorials.
kingdomglassblowing.com · @kingdomglassblowing on Instagram
7. A note on the day with their name in it
Put the anniversary and their birthday in your calendar. On the day, send a card or a text and use the person's name. Add one thing you remember them saying or doing.
For the first weeks after a death, our guide to sympathy gifts covers food, grief baskets and what to write.
And gather everyone's stories about them
You send one Chorus link to everyone who knew the person. Each of them records a story from their own phone, by voice, on video or in writing. Send it to neighbours and old friends as well as family.
Chorus writes out every recording and lays them into one book the family can hear, read and hold. Gathering the stories is free. Downloading every recording is free too.
What can I give someone on the anniversary of a death?
Give a candle with the person's name on it, a necklace engraved with their handwriting, or a note on the day that uses their name. Candles with Character in Co. Clare makes memorial candles with a name on them, and Aurora Studios in Dublin engraves handwriting from a photo of a card or letter.
What can be made from a loved one's clothes?
A maker can turn their clothes into a memory bear, a quilt, a bunny or a Christmas stocking. In Ireland, Bears-n-Pals in Dublin makes memory bears, The Crafty Rock in Co. Louth makes quilts and bunnies, and Sew Happy Ireland in Co. Galway makes stockings.
When do I need to order a memory gift for Christmas?
Sew Happy Ireland needs the clothes before 1 November. Bears-n-Pals reopens its order book in September for Christmas. The Crafty Rock asks for Christmas orders to come in early.
How do I gather stories about someone who has died?
With Chorus you send one link to everyone who knew them. Each person records a story from their own phone, and every recording is written out and laid into one book the family can hear, read and hold. Gathering the stories is free.