We’re not very artistic. Can we still make the casket personal?

Absolutely. Personalising doesn’t have to mean painting a masterpiece, it can be as simple as adding photographs, writing heartfelt messages, or choosing one of our printed lids that already reflects something meaningful to your loved one.

Can children take part in decorating the casket?

Yes. We’ve seen that involving children in decorating a loved one’s casket can be both healthy and deeply healing. Art gives them a way to express feelings that might be hard to put into words. Drawing, painting or adding messages helps them feel part of the goodbye and can make the reality of loss easier to understand. You can read more in our blog Kids & Caskets: How Decorating Can Help Children Process Grief.

Where can we find inspiration for decorating a casket?

You can see examples of caskets families have personalised on our Instagram page @OutsideTheBoxCaskets.

What materials work well for decorating a casket?

Acrylic paints, felt pens, crayons, pastels, and photos all work well on our kraft cardboard. You can keep it simple or go all out , both are equally special.

A father and two children decorating a plain kraft casket lid with paint, seated on a coastal dune in New Zealand.

Natural Plain Kraft Casket

Our personalised casket option is our natural plain kraft casket. It’s a simple natural kraft cardboard casket that families can decorate themselves in whatever way feels right. Some add messages drawings or photographs while others turn it into a shared project with children grandchildren or friends.

People often say this can be a comforting and meaningful thing to do together. It gives everyone a chance to add something personal whether it’s a memory a drawing or a few words they want to leave with their loved one.

The plain kraft casket can be decorated with acrylic paints felt-tip pens crayons pastels or pencils. There’s no set way to approach it. Families can make it as simple or as detailed as they like.

Close up of hand drawing on a plain kraft cardboard casket lid

Child drawing on a natural kraft casket lid with coloured pens

Why Families Choose a Personalised Natural Kraft Casket

Eco-friendly, recyclable cardboard
Strong enough to be carried by pallbearers
Natural kraft finish inside and out
A simple, hands-on way for family and friends to be involved
Can be decorated in any way that feels meaningful
Suitable for burial or cremation (subject to each crematorium’s conditions)

Involving Family and Friends

Some families involve everyone. Others prefer one or two people to add the finishing touches. It’s completely up to you.

Having family and friends involved in this kind of hands-on experience can be deeply healing during the grieving process.

There are many options in how you might plan for people to participate in the personalisation of a casket and whether it will involve all members or only a few select family members is up to you.

Family decorating a natural kraft casket together on the beach

Fern printed casket on the beach at sunset

Looking for Printed Casket Designs Instead?

If you'd prefer a ready-to-go casket with professional printing rather than decorating a plain kraft one yourself, we offer a full range of in-stock printed casket designs.

VIEW OUR PRINTED CASKETS

Kererū casket lid close-up, a native kererū painted in vivid blue, green and purple among ferns.

Preview of the Outside The Box printed casket guide, showing a grid of printed casket designs

Download a printable overview of our printed casket designs to share with family or show your funeral director.

DOWNLOAD OUR PRINTED CASKETS RANGE

Our Collection of Printed Casket Lids

We offer a full in-stock range of printed casket lids, 17 designs in total, from natural kraft finishes to bold, vibrant prints, bringing colour and character to a farewell.

Golden Shoreline Printed Casket

Paradiso Bloom Printed Casket

Ancient Koru Printed Casket

Fantail illustration eco coffin in NZ printed on kraft cardboard casket.

Fantail Printed Casket

Sunflower printed eco coffin in New Zealand made from cardboard.

Sunflower Printed Casket

Tūī Song Printed Casket

Alpine Lupins Printed Casket

Garden Monarch Printed Casket

Hidden Falls Printed Casket

Each design is printed onto either natural kraft board or a premium white base, so there's something to suit every style. Whether you're drawn to warm, natural tones or bold, vibrant colour, there's a design to suit.

VIEW ALL PRINTED CASKETS

Want a Fully Custom Printed Casket?

Now available: Our custom design service lets you create a one-of-a-kind casket lid using your own photos, artwork, colours or themes.

Each design is created individually from the ideas and elements you provide. Nothing is pre-made or repeated—every casket lid is uniquely designed and made especially for your loved one.

Custom designs are printed on a white base for a brighter, more vibrant photographic finish (different from our kraft-based printed range).

If you're looking for something more personal and truly bespoke than our standard printed options, this is the perfect choice.

VIEW OUR CUSTOM CASKETS

Fully custom printed cardboard casket with personalised photo design

You can find our caskets through funeral homes across the country. Just ask for Outside The Box Caskets by name.

Becs Bartells, founder of Outside The Box Caskets, seated among the Bartells Collection of printed caskets featuring native NZ designs including tūī, kererū and monarch butterfly.

Read more about designer Becs Bartells and why she created Outside The Box Caskets.