Traditional types of caskets are made of wood or metal, but a third type—wicker caskets—started picking up speed due to their eco-friendly, cost-effective nature.
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Jump ahead to these sections:
- What’s a Wicker Casket?
- How Much Does a Wicker Casket Cost?
- Different Types of Wicker Caskets
- Different Styles of Wicker Caskets
- Where Can You Buy a Wicker Casket?
- Alternatives to Wicker Caskets
- Frequently Asked Questions: Wicker Caskets
Just like wicker furniture, a wicker casket is woven with intricate designs and beautiful patterns, making it a beautiful and fitting tribute for someone who cares about the environment.
What’s a Wicker Casket?
A wicker casket is made of natural materials such as seagrass, bamboo, or rattan, woven together to form a casket strong enough to hold an individual. This makes wicker caskets completely biodegradable and eco-friendly. We’ll go over price, accessibility, eco-friendliness, and more before you choose to buy a wicker casket.
Price
One of the most affordable casket options available on the market, you shouldn’t expect to pay any more than $1,500 for a full-sized adult casket. Casket prices vary depending on where you purchase the casket.
Accessibility
Numerous outlets specialize in wicker caskets, and you can even buy one online. Most funeral homes will not have wicker caskets on display or available, but this is simply because they aren’t as widely popular as wood and metal options.
By law, funeral homes must accept a coffin purchased for use in a funeral, whether the casket was purchased through the funeral home or not.
Eco-friendly
Wicker caskets are made of 100% biodegradable material such as seagrass or bamboo.
Because of this, they qualify for natural or “green” burials. If you or your loved one wants a casket alternative for a green burial, wicker is a perfect option.
Cremation container alternative
Since wicker materials are completely combustible, a wicker casket can be used as a cremation vessel. This is especially helpful if your loved one wants a traditional viewing or memorial service with a casket present prior to cremation.
An empty wicker casket can also be used for a memorial service and the deceased can then be placed inside when cremation takes place.
Easier shipping
Wicker is much lighter than traditional coffins and many wicker casket manufacturers include shipping in the total price of the casket. How much a casket weighs often factors in heavily when shipping from a manufacturer to a funeral home.
Since wicker is so light, you’ll pay minimal shipping costs. If you’re on a strict budget for a funeral, purchasing a wicker casket can help your budget stretch much farther than a wood or metal casket. You can expect to save several hundred dollars in shipping costs alone.
Customizable
Wicker caskets are surprisingly customizable and can even reflect the personality of an individual. Caskets can be customized by weave, design, material, and shape.
They can also have plaques inset on the lid for the name and dates of a person or a special phrase, verse, or quote that holds significance.
DIY-friendly
If you want to have a hand in crafting your loved one’s casket, you can find numerous DIY options available that allow for your involvement.
Some manufacturers ship all the parts of the casket and an instruction manual that describes how to assemble it. Most come already assembled, so if you prefer a DIY version, specify that you want it unassembled.
How Much Does a Wicker Casket Cost?
You’ll pay less compared to traditional wood or metal caskets. On average, you should expect to budget anywhere from $800 to $1,200 for an adult-sized wicker casket. Depending on the manufacturer, those prices might also include shipping.
A child-sized wicker casket usually runs around $400 to $500 and an infant casket should only cost around $200.
As with any type of casket, pricing depends on specific upgrades you choose, such as lining, customizations, design, and any coloration of the material.
Different Types of Wicker Caskets
When shopping for a wicker casket, there are numerous factors to take into consideration. The casket is an important part of your loved one’s funeral service and you should carefully consider a few options.
1. Willow casket
Willow is a beautiful wood that grows from shrubs and trees. This is one of the most environmentally and eco-sustainable materials for a wicker casket since willow can be harvested without cutting down the entire plant or tree.
Willow creates a uniform light tan color that is both pleasing and natural.
2. Rattan casket
Rattan is a naturally-growing vine in many areas of Australia, Asia, and Africa.
Unlike willow, rattan has been a popular material for furniture and, as a result, has been nearly over-harvested. This material forms a beautiful light blond-colored casket.
3. Seagrass casket
In order to create a seagrass casket that is environmentally friendly and ecologically sustainable, the seagrass is often cultivated and farmed.
By farming seagrass, you can be sure that delicate marine environments have not been disturbed in order to gather enough material to weave a casket. Seagrass creates a greenish-hued casket.
4. Bamboo casket
Bamboo caskets are created from sustainably raised and farmed bamboo.
By using farmed bamboo, you and your family can rest assured that natural bamboo resources are not depleted to create the casket. Bamboo caskets range in color from a light blonde hue to a deep tan.
Different Styles of Wicker Caskets
Wicker caskets will look slightly different than traditional caskets, though you can access many of the same functions. Here are several options available when purchasing a wicker casket.
5. Rounded-edge casket
Many wicker caskets are woven with rounded edges at both the head and the feet. This looks different than the traditional square wooden caskets.
6. Squared edge casket
If you want a more traditional-looking casket, then choose a square-edged wicker casket.
Though woven, the casket has wood framing on the inside to create a square form over which the material is woven.
7. Four-point casket
Wicker caskets are often described in terms of how many corners or “points” they have. A four-point casket is a rectangular box with four corners.
These often look very contemporary and contain sharp lines and clean edges. The lid is usually flat and ideal for funeral ceremonies where a large floral bouquet is placed on top of the casket.
8. Six-point casket
This coffin will have six “points” — two at the head, two at the feet, and two toward the middle of the coffin.
Similar to the four-point casket, it comes with a flat lid, ideal for placing floral bouquets on during a funeral service.
9. Full-lid casket
Wicker caskets usually contain two pieces — the bottom, which holds the person, and the top, the lid. Woven wicker lids do not have a hinge like wood or metal casket lids. It’s important to determine which type of lid you want for the funeral service.
If you’re doing a closed-casket ceremony, then a full-lid casket is sufficient. If you want to have a viewing or an open-casket service, then may you need a second casket lid, in addition to the full lid that usually comes with the wicker casket.
10. Three-quarter lid casket
Planning to have a viewing or an open-lid casket? You’ll need to order a three-quarter lid casket. A three-quarter lid is woven to cover three-quarters of the person inside. Because wicker cannot hinge, this is the only way to have a casket that allows friends and family members to view the body.
If using a three-quarter lid for the funeral, you should also purchase a full-length lid. The shorter lid can be used during a memorial, the funeral, or a viewing. Then, when it is time for the burial, the full-length lid can be placed onto the casket instead. This is especially appropriate if friends and family will place handfuls of dirt or flower petals onto the casket once lowered.
11. Colored wicker casket
Though the look of natural seagrass, rattan, or bamboo is lovely as-is, your family member might wish to be buried in a specific colored casket. If this is the case, many manufacturers provide the option for color customization. While some manufacturers offer to dye the material with natural dyes, others will paint the woven material in a color or colors of your choice.
If you want a pop of color but still want the coffin to look as natural as possible, many manufacturers offer an option to color the top and bottom woven bands in addition to the handles. This option provides the best of both worlds by exhibiting the natural color of the woven material while allowing some color to be included on the coffin as a tribute to the person inside.
Choose from your loved one’s birthstone color or mix and match by choosing favorite colors or another combination that holds meaning. Color can be placed on the top band, bottom band, handles, all three, or any combination desired such as bands-only or handles-only.
Where Can You Buy a Wicker Casket?
There are many places where wicker caskets can be purchased. As they grow in popularity, you can expect to see them become more commonly available, as well.
Funeral homes
Most funeral homes offer traditional wood caskets for sale. However, a growing number of funeral homes are starting to specialize in offering eco-friendly burials and burial options. These funeral homes will likely offer wicker caskets for sale.
Casket supply stores
Casket supply stores are a perfect place to look for hard-to-find items such as wicker caskets. These stores specialize in providing factory-direct caskets to consumers, so you’ll find their prices much more reasonable than if you purchase a casket through a funeral home.
eBay
While eBay used to feature used items for auction, there are a growing number of sellers using the platform to sell new goods such as caskets. When looking through eBay, make sure the seller specifies that the caskets are new and suitable for use, not reproductions or Civil War-era antiques.
Etsy
Etsy is an online storefront featuring thousands of sellers making handcrafted items including small caskets. While you may not be able to find adult-sized wicker caskets here, you can find child-sized wicker caskets, pet wicker caskets, and wicker caskets for ashes.
FuneralDirect.com
Funeral Direct is an online storefront featuring many types of caskets for sale directly to consumers. They have a wide range of wicker casket options including infant, child, adult, and pet-sized wicker caskets. The store also offers varying styles of wicker caskets including six-point caskets, natural wicker, and white wicker options.
NaturalBurialCompany.com
The Natural Burial Company imports natural burial goods to the United States from the UK. Their store features a selection of natural wicker caskets including adult and pet-sized caskets. There are several casket designs to choose from including six-point and oval-shaped caskets, and customization options are available for color preferences.
Titan Casket
Titan Casket features caskets made in the USA or abroad with certified fair trade principles. Their hand-crafted wicker caskets are made in Bangladesh and each purchase supports local artisans with a fair and living wage. The caskets are adult size and range from 5’9” to 6’5” in length.
MainelyUrns.com
Though Mainely Urns specializes in urns, they also carry a beautiful line of wicker caskets. You can purchase child, adult, and pet-sized wicker caskets. Styles include oval or rounded ends and six-point caskets. Customization options include an engraved plaque added to the lid.
Alternatives to Wicker Caskets
You might like the idea of a natural wicker casket, but the look of wicker doesn't appeal to everyone. Additionally, you may want to incorporate natural materials if you're opting for cremation, rather than burial. Luckily, a wicker casket isn't your only option for a natural return to the earth after death. Here are some ideas if you're looking for alternatives to wicker caskets for cremation or burial.
- Softwood caskets. Another type of casket that's more eco-friendly than metal or hardwood is a softwood casket. You can find affordable caskets made of pine and other "softwoods" for purchase online, like this one.
- Cardboard caskets. Even more affordable than wicker or softwood is cardboard. And an eco-friendly cardboard casket doesn't have to be plain or look like a simple shipping box. In fact, cardboard caskets are incredibly customizable, and they give you the greatest range in terms of DIY options.
- Burial shrouds. If you want an option that's even more affordable and "green," you might consider a burial shroud. To conduct a burial using only a shroud, however, you'll need to find a "green" cemetery that allows it.
- Bio-urns. To return to nature after cremation, you have several options. One of those options is a "bio-urn," which lets you plant a tree or plant while burying the ashes underground. We like the Living Urn, which you can buy online.
- Cremation stones. Another nature-oriented option is having your ashes transformed into natural stones, which your family members can then place somewhere special in the outdoors or keep at home. You could also choose
Frequently Asked Questions: Wicker Caskets
Not quite ready to commit to a wicker casket? See if the answers to these commonly asked questions help you make the decision.
Are wicker caskets biodegradable?
Yes! When looking for a wicker casket, it’s important to make sure the manufacturer or supplier specifies that the casket is made of 100% natural and biodegradable materials. Wicker-like products made of synthetic willow and bamboo, or plastic material made to look like wicker will not biodegrade in the same way as natural wicker products.
Wicker caskets can be made of rattan, bamboo, or seagrass and are completely biodegradable. 100% natural wicker caskets will be approved for burial in natural cemeteries and eco-burial locations.
What are wicker caskets lined with?
Wicker caskets are customarily lined with a product that will biodegrade at the same rate as the casket itself. To stay eco-friendly, you’ll often find caskets lined with natural, unbleached cotton fabric. The pillow is usually made of the same materials as the lining.
Some companies use a biodegradable plastic liner in addition to the cotton liner while others make the lining optional altogether. Depending on your preferences, you might choose to purchase an unlined wicker casket.
All biodegradable caskets generally come with biodegradable lining. Check the details before ordering to make sure this is true of the casket you’re planning to order.
Can you put ashes in a wicker casket?
It might surprise you to learn that the answer to this is a resounding yes! If you want to bury your loved one’s ashes, then you should look to purchase a wicker cremation casket. These caskets are 100% biodegradable and all-natural, and they are designed to hold the remains of an adult-sized person.
Wicker cremation caskets are lined with a natural cotton liner and/or a biodegradable plastic liner to contain the ashes. It’s important to note that wicker caskets for ashes can’t be sealed so they shouldn’t be used for sending ashes through the postal system.
Personalized, Green Burials
A wicker casket might be the answer you’re looking for. Crafted from sustainable sources and often made by local craftsmen, wicker caskets are a fitting tribute for someone who loved the planet and valued “green” living.