The Story of the Urn that doesn't Look Like an Urn - Katie's Teapot

Some urns are simple. Some are grand. And some… are teapots.
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When Katie’s family contacted me, they had one request: a pink teapot urn. Not just any teapot, but one that captured their daughter’s love for tea, her doodles of funky cats, and her habit of leaving sweet notes for her mum. It had to be something that felt like her—not just a vessel, but a warm embrace of who she was.
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Katie had passed away overseas in her early 20s after a long battle with severe anorexia. A cruel disease, anorexia robs its victims of so much, but it could never take away the love her family had for her. And if there was one thing they remembered most, it was how much she loved sharing a cup of tea with them. So, a teapot it would be.

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​I started by covering the urn in every single doodle her family sent me—funky cats galore! But as we refined the design, we settled on a simpler, more elegant tribute: one cat alone on one side, and a trio of cats together on the other and a bit of gold trim. A quiet, meaningful reflection of togetherness and remembrance.

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Now, the practical side of things—teapots usually have a spout, which is a bit of a problem when the goal is to keep the contents inside. I carefully plugged it up, just in case, although I always recommend placing ashes in a plastic bag inside the urn as an extra precaution. Turns out, that was the right call because Katie’s Dad  just could not bring himself to put her inside a plastic bag. 

​And because a teapot is for sharing warmth, I designed the lid to hold a tealight candle. That way, anytime they wanted to, they could light a little flame for Katie and remember her with love.

When the urn was finished, I sent the urn off  home to Sydney. Later, her mother messaged me to say thank you and extended a warm invitation—if I was ever in Sydney, I was welcome to stop by for a cup of tea. And just like that, another member was added to my White Lily Urn family.
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I always say that making urns isn’t just about crafting something beautiful—it’s about honouring a life and the love that remains. Katie’s teapot is a special one, a gentle reminder that love can be found in the smallest of moments, like a warm cup of tea shared with those we hold dear.

And if there’s one thing this urn has taught me, it’s that urns that don't look like urns can bring comfort in unexpected ways—just like love, and just like tea.

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Author
Rae Delai is an Australian small business owner of White Lily Urns and specializes in custom artisan ceramic funerary art. She has 30 plus years experience as a critical care and palliative care nurse which means she is very comfortable discussing all aspects of death, dying and grief.