PaperTurtleUrns
Announcement
Welcome to Paper Turtle, handmade urns for people & pets by Laura Bruzzese, thanks for visiting! We strive to create custom and readymade urns that best reflect your family members' lives. Readymade urns ship within 1-2 days, custom urns are made-to-order as quickly as possible while giving each urn the care and attention it needs. Turn-around time can vary between 2-6 weeks depending on the design and our production schedule. *Please let me know if there is a memorial already planned.* Rush service available. Most orders ship USPS Priority (from 87102).
CUSTOM URNS: We devote our full time and attention to each urn as needed; each is unique, and some take longer than others, depending on design & our production schedule at any given time. I will do my best to keep you updated throughout the process, including any technical issues that may arise (rare, but it happens). Thank you for your patience and understanding with this special work.
SIZING NOTE: The funeral industry standard for measuring appropriate urn capacity is 1 lb living weight = 1 cubic inch. Capacities for each of our urns is listed according to this standard; however, please note that cremation is not a 'perfect science' and there are rare occasions when the volume of ashes is larger than expected. If you have questions about size/capacity, please ask your funeral professional or contact me in advance of purchase. Thanks so much.
8/8/22 Our studio will be closing for a few days this week for R n R, so custom orders placed this week will be started the week of Aug 15, and readymade orders placed after Aug 9 will be shipped Aug. 15. Thanks!
1/2/22 Happy New Year! All Custom listings are active again. We appreciate your patience and look forward to helping bring your ideas to life to honor your special human and furry family members this year.
11/16/21 Current turn-around time for carved or painted custom urns is about 4 weeks. Cat urns are 2-3 weeks (longer for markings & portraits). We will stop taking custom orders Dec 10 in order to finish urns that are in progress, and take some time off for the holidays. Thank you!
11/4/21 *I am traveling for a few days*. New orders will ship Nov 10, and the round and vertical baby urn listings will be renewed then too. If you have an immediate need, please message me and I will arrange advance shipping. Thanks!
8/24/21
Current turn-around times for customized urns:
Baby urns with decals: 2-3 weeks
Painted urns: 3-4 weeks
Painted cat urns (markings or portrait): 3-4 weeks
Single color cat urns (with names): 2-3 weeks
Thank you!
Announcement
Welcome to Paper Turtle, handmade urns for people & pets by Laura Bruzzese, thanks for visiting! We strive to create custom and readymade urns that best reflect your family members' lives. Readymade urns ship within 1-2 days, custom urns are made-to-order as quickly as possible while giving each urn the care and attention it needs. Turn-around time can vary between 2-6 weeks depending on the design and our production schedule. *Please let me know if there is a memorial already planned.* Rush service available. Most orders ship USPS Priority (from 87102).
CUSTOM URNS: We devote our full time and attention to each urn as needed; each is unique, and some take longer than others, depending on design & our production schedule at any given time. I will do my best to keep you updated throughout the process, including any technical issues that may arise (rare, but it happens). Thank you for your patience and understanding with this special work.
SIZING NOTE: The funeral industry standard for measuring appropriate urn capacity is 1 lb living weight = 1 cubic inch. Capacities for each of our urns is listed according to this standard; however, please note that cremation is not a 'perfect science' and there are rare occasions when the volume of ashes is larger than expected. If you have questions about size/capacity, please ask your funeral professional or contact me in advance of purchase. Thanks so much.
8/8/22 Our studio will be closing for a few days this week for R n R, so custom orders placed this week will be started the week of Aug 15, and readymade orders placed after Aug 9 will be shipped Aug. 15. Thanks!
1/2/22 Happy New Year! All Custom listings are active again. We appreciate your patience and look forward to helping bring your ideas to life to honor your special human and furry family members this year.
11/16/21 Current turn-around time for carved or painted custom urns is about 4 weeks. Cat urns are 2-3 weeks (longer for markings & portraits). We will stop taking custom orders Dec 10 in order to finish urns that are in progress, and take some time off for the holidays. Thank you!
11/4/21 *I am traveling for a few days*. New orders will ship Nov 10, and the round and vertical baby urn listings will be renewed then too. If you have an immediate need, please message me and I will arrange advance shipping. Thanks!
8/24/21
Current turn-around times for customized urns:
Baby urns with decals: 2-3 weeks
Painted urns: 3-4 weeks
Painted cat urns (markings or portrait): 3-4 weeks
Single color cat urns (with names): 2-3 weeks
Thank you!
Items
Featured items
All Items
Reviews
-
![]()
Holly on Sep 26, 2022
5 out of 5 starsThis was the hardest purchase I have ever had to make. When we lost our baby girl and I had to start looking for an urn, I knew I wanted something to represent the little girl I had a feeling she would become. Nothing I found seemed good enough for her. But then I found this Etsy shop and not only is her work amazing, but Laura was so incredibly kind and helpful through the design process. She was able to incorporate everything we wanted. I am truly grateful for her work, but also for the compassion and kindness she showed while working with us.
-
![]()
Tina on Sep 26, 2022
5 out of 5 starsJust as shown/described, fast shipping, well packaged. I would purchase again but hopefully for a happier reason. Personal communication, very caring.
-
![]()
Stephanie on Sep 21, 2022
5 out of 5 starsI could not have picked anything more beautiful for my sweet angel baby. Laura was so nice and made sure everything was exactly how I wanted it.
-
![]()
Laura on Sep 17, 2022
5 out of 5 starsPerfect urn for our baby’s ashes. Laura messaged back and forth with us to make sure it was just what we wanted
-
![]()
Jessica on Sep 15, 2022
5 out of 5 starsLaura is incredibly kinda and easy to work with which made an emotionally challenging purchase a little bit easier. Her work is just beautiful and meticulously detailed. She followed up with me throughout each stage of the design and firing process to ensure I was satisfied. She also created a custom topper for me making this a beautiful resting place for my baby. Thank you, Laura.
-
![]()
Steve on Aug 11, 2022
5 out of 5 starsAbsolutely perfect. Exactly what I hoped for. Unparalleled customer service with great response time. Highly recommended.
-
![]()
codywiegand on Sep 28, 2022
5 out of 5 starsLosing our daughter has been a gut wrenching journey, but Laura brought us some light during this incredibly painful time. She patiently worked with us to create a one-of-a-kind urn for our beautiful Maya. It was so special to work with Laura. We were very lucky to find her. 💛💛💛
-
![]()
tanya on Sep 26, 2022
5 out of 5 starsthank you for the very fast shipping and the care that went into packaging this. Much appreciated it.
-
![]()
Ceirra on Sep 25, 2022
5 out of 5 starsThe piece is beautiful and the seller was so thoughtful. She contacted me when I ordered to apologize for our loss, communicated when the urn would be shipped, and included a hand written note with the urn which had been so carefully wrapped. Wonderful experience.
-
![]()
Sharon on Sep 23, 2022
5 out of 5 starsExcellent service it is beautiful and it arrived nicely packaged and quickly thank you ❤️
About PaperTurtleUrns
-
![]()
All of my urns are made by me on the potter's wheel or cast from my original shapes. -
![]()
I hand-paint many of the designs. -
![]()
-
![]()
-
![]()
The cir. 1890s adobe studio I work in is located next to my home.
From My Heart to Your Hands
I am honored to help families select or create urns that celebrate the lives of their beloved family members and pets. I strive to offer personal and compassionate service providing urns that encompass individuality, beauty, uniqueness, and excellent craftsmanship. Every life is a work of art. Thank you for visiting.
Shop members
-
Laura Bruzzese
Owner, Creator, Designer
Production partners
-
3 P Partners
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
A small crafts company located in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where employees are paid fair wages for their work in traditional arts.
Shop policies
Shipping
Customs and import taxes
Payment options
Returns & exchanges
I gladly accept returns and exchanges
I don't accept cancellations
The following items can't be returned or exchanged
- Custom or personalized orders
I accept returns I do not accept returns
I accept exchanges I do not accept exchanges
I accept cancellations I do not accept cancellations
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
Privacy policy
More information
Frequently asked questions
Custom and personalized orders
Personlize your urn with names/dates or meaningful text, special imagery or colors, size and shape. Fully custom urns created with my design guidance are also available. Prices vary according to size and design complexity. Rush service available. Please convo me or email laura@paper-turtle.com to discuss options.
Sizing details
Listings include size, weight, and capacity (volume in cubic inches) for each urn. To help customers select the appropriate sized urn for their needs, it is standard industry practice to allow one cubic inch per pound of body weight (i.e., 100 ci for an individual weighing 100 pounds or less).
The dry weight calculation is 1 cup = 14.4 cubic inches.
Care instructions
Clean ceramic urns with a soft, damp cloth or dusting fabric. Clean biodegradable urns with soft cloth.
Gift wrapping and packaging
All ceramic urns are double-boxed to ensure safety during transit. I use only biodegradable fill and recyclable plastic bubble and cardboard packing materials. I am happy to include a note card with a special message per request.
Wholesale availability
Please contact me at laura@paper-turtle.com for wholesale inquiries for ceramic urns.
Care instructions
Ceramic urns may be sealed or left unsealed for future scattering. To permanently seal your ceramic urn, squeeze a few drops of clear epoxy such as E6000 onto the flange, and insert into base. Wipe off any excess epoxy with a clean cloth.