WEST ALLIS — There are many ways to memorialize a deceased loved one. And in the past few years, a new trend has started to emerge. Casket wrapping.
Similar to the way you'd wrap a car, you can wrap a casket with just about any design you can imagine.
“You can know the whole person's life story just by looking at the top of the casket," Robert Jones, the owner of Wrap It Up MKE Memorial Services, said.
Jones wraps about 15 caskets a month. They cost anywhere from $800-$5,000 depending on the level of casket customization you want. Jones does all the graphic design work too.
He started out wrapping cars five years ago. Then he got a request from his wife.
“My wife's father passed away. She was like I don’t like the color of the casket. Can you change the casket for me? I was scared. I was scared. I was like I don’t know. I never did it.”
Despite his nervousness, the casket turned out well. So for the past three years, he has been wrapping caskets inside his West Allis studio.
Emotionally, it's heavy work. Jones knows how important his wraps can be. When he delivers the casket, family members often cry when they see the finished product.
“I have to meditate first before I wrap the casket and breathe, and understand that I’m not doing it for myself. I’m doing it for someone who lost a loved one, who is grieving. I just look at it as giving back to the person that lost their life," Jones said.
When I first heard of casket wrapping, I thought it was a bit strange. I didn't understand it at first. But then I realized it's just another way of telling a loved one's story.
“It shows the representation of the person that’s deceased, you know," Jones said.
In the three years he’s been doing this, he’s seen casket wrapping become way more popular. He even has partnerships with some of the funeral homes now. They carry his business cards and recommend his services. It has gotten to the point that he thinks his casket business could overtake his regular car wrapping service.
“It’s getting very, very popular.”
You can see his work or request his services by going to his Facebook, Instagram, or website.
Watch the video below to see how Robert Jones wraps caskets...
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