If someone in your life is mourning the loss of their wife, you might be searching for the right condolence gift. After all, it’s never easy to express your condolences to a grieving widow or widower.
Our Top Picks
Personalized Gifts
- Personalized Memorial Garden Stone ($19.98)
- Personalized Memory Box ($42.95)
- Personalized 3D Holographic Photo Memorial Crystal ($39.99)
- Personalized Wind Chime ($59.98)
- Personalized Bird Feeder ($62.95)
Gifts for a DIY Basket
- A Memorial Journal ($24.95)
- Forget-Me-Not Seed Packets ($18.19)
- Memorial Tree Sapling ($39.99)
- Throw Blanket ($12.74)
- Fresh Linen Scented Soothing Candle ($14.75)
Small Memorial Gifts
Jump ahead to these sections:
- Personalized Sympathy Gifts for Loss of a Wife
- DIY Sympathy Gifts for the Loss of a Wife
- Small Keepsake or Memorial Gifts for the Loss of a Wife
Sometimes, a gift can help you express your feelings of condolences and support more clearly. And taking the time to choose a thoughtful and heartfelt gift can go a long way in helping your friend or family member feel supported and loved.
But giving a condolence gift can be difficult, too. You might not know how to choose an appropriate gift, and the gift you choose depends on your relationship with the grieving person.
So what can you give as a condolence gift for the loss of a wife? Below, we’ll give you some ideas for sympathy gifts to help you say, “I’m sorry for your loss,” in a personal and meaningful way.
Personalized Sympathy Gifts for Loss of a Wife
One of the best ways to express your sympathies is with a personalized memorial gift. And many gift merchants, including large companies and small craft studios, offer unique, custom options.
Here are some ideas for thoughtful, personalized sympathy gifts that are perfect for the loss of a wife.
1. Personalized garden stone
A popular type of memorial sympathy gift is a memorial garden stone. You can have the name of the departed etched into the stone of your choosing, along with a memorial quote or meaningful message.
A personalized memorial garden stone is an especially good choice if you’re loved one’s wife was a gardener or loved spending time outside.
If you want something smaller and more tangible, companies like Parting Stone create beautiful, handheld cremation stones that help keep loved ones close by.
2. Sympathy flowers with a personalized note
Fresh flowers are a nearly universal symbol of sympathy and condolences. You can personalize the gift of flowers by adding a simple, “in loving memory” note, or a more personal message. You can also choose flowers that you know are meaningful to your loved one or to their wife.
3. Custom gift box
Your loved one likely has many small treasures that remind them of their beloved wife, such as her wedding ring, notes written back and forth, and other sentimental items.
You can give them a place to store those meaningful items with a custom-made memory box.
4. Personalized journal
When you’re going through the loss of a loved one, writing down your feelings can help. You can give your friend or family member the gift of a personalized journal to help them cope with the complex feelings of grief.
Personalized journals are available in many shapes and forms, from simple journals with the person’s name on the front to bound-leather journals with custom leatherwork.
5. Charity donation
In place of a physical gift, you can give a donation to charity in the name of the deceased.
For example, if your loved one’s wife died after a long battle with cancer, you could give money to a cancer charity under her name. Give your loved one the documentation showing the donation in their wife’s name.
DIY Sympathy Gifts for the Loss of a Wife
Some of the best gifts are made by hand. And you don’t have to be an expert DIY-er to create a heartfelt condolence gift. If you can’t find the perfect sympathy gift in a store or online, consider crafting one of the DIY memorial gifts below.
6. Memorial plaque
If you’re artistic or you have great handwriting, you can create your own memorial plaque. All you need is a beautiful piece of stationery and paint or pens.
Create a design and frame it with a meaningful, handwritten quote. Then place the paper behind glass in a frame that your loved one can place on a table or hang on the wall. If you're at a loss for words, read our guide on memorial plaque wording for some ideas.
7. Knitted scarf or blanket
If you know how to knit or crochet, you’re already a step ahead when it comes to DIY gifts. Choose a chunky pattern that lends itself to comfort and warmth, like an infinity scarf or a heavy-weight blanket.
If you’re new to knitting, you could pick up the craft with a kit or learn an easier alternative, like arm-knitting with oversized yarn.
8. Handmade picture frame
You can give the gift of a personalized, DIY photo frame. First, you’ll need to pick up a simple, unadorned photo frame. Then decorate the frame however you’d like, using paint to inscribe a quote or colors, shapes, and symbols.
9. Forget-me-not seed packet
If you want to give flowers that will last longer than just a few days, you can purchase pre-made seed packets or create your own “forget-me-not” personalized seed packet. Choose a type of flower that the departed loved, or select multiple flower types to mix together in a unique, personalized packet.
Place the seeds in a decorative envelope with the words “Forget Me Not,” and the name, birth date, and death date of the departed written on the front. You can also attach a note to your seed packet that lets your loved one know how much you care.
10. Tree sapling
Similar to a flower seed packet, you can give the personalized gift of a tree sapling.
This gift is easily personalized because you can select the type of tree the departed would have loved or one that represents their personality. Then, you can offer to help your loved one plant the tree and spend that time together reminiscing about their wife.
11. Dinner invitation
It might not be a gift they can keep forever, but the memory is one that will last a lifetime.
When someone’s grieving the loss of a beloved spouse, they can feel more lonely than ever. One of the best gifts you can give is an invitation to a home-cooked meal with your family.
12. Custom gift basket
Rather than sending a pre-arranged gift basket, you can put together a basket that applies specifically to your friend or family member.
Add items like fresh coffee beans if they’re a coffee-lover, or a bottle of wine if they appreciate a glass now and then. And make sure to add in comforting items to help them in their grief, like a throw blanket and a soothing candle.
Small Keepsake or Memorial Gifts for the Loss of a Wife
The gift ideas listed above are perfect for comforting someone in mourning. But your friend or family member might prefer a small keepsake or memorial gift that reminds them every day of the person they loved.
If you think your loved one would prefer a memorial gift or keepsake to honor their departed wife, consider the gift ideas below.
13. Handwriting keychain
If you can find a piece of the departed person’s handwriting or their signature, you can have that writing etched into a memorial keychain. And there’s nothing more special and sentimental than having a loved one’s handwriting with you all the time.
14. Personalized bird feeder
If the departed was a lover of birds and the outdoors, a personalized bird feeder might be the perfect condolence gift for her loved ones.
You can order custom bird feeders with the person’s name, as well as a quote or inscription.
15. Memorial wind chime
A personalized wind chime with the person’s name inscribed is a meaningful way to keep their memory alive.
Each time the wind blows, your loved one will remember their wife and the times they spent together.
16. Personalized photo crystal
Customized memorial crystals can bring photo memories to life. With a 3D memorial crystal, you submit a photo, which is then transferred to a glass piece that creates a “3D” effect. You can also include a written “in memory of” message or the person’s name.
17. Photo collage
You can put together a simple collage online or using photo-editing software. Find three or four of your favorite photos of the person, and arrange them into a square. You can put the new photo in a frame you created or just pick up a decorative frame.
18. Memorial candle holder
You can find memorial candles, which you can have etched with the name (or even the photo) of your loved one’s departed wife. But few people would want to burn a candle that has their beloved wife’s name or image on it.
A better alternative is a memorial candle holder, made of glass or stone, that can hold unlimited candles through the years. Your loved one can light a candle in the candle-holder, and remember their beloved wife each day.
Condolences for the Loss of a Wife
Part of losing a wife is often losing the mother of your children. And that can make the grieving process even more complex. If you have a friend or family member who’s lost a wife and mother, you can take the children into account when buying a gift.
For example, you could purchase keepsake boxes for each member of the family. Give unmarked, wooden boxes that the family can decorate together. For young children, you can give a comforting stuffed animal or a picture book. And you can always offer to look after the kids for a while if your friend needs some time to themselves.
All in all, finding the right condolence gift is never easy. But when you put thought and heart into the process, you’re bound to find something that makes your loved one feel supported and well-cared-for.
If you're looking for more way to express your condolences, read our guides on words of sympathy for the loss of a wife and what you can say instead of "sorry for your loss."