Other Memory Making Services

Casting Services

There are many wonderful charities and businesses around New Zealand who offer casting services to bereaved families.
We’ve compiled a few below, and always looking to add to this should you know of any businesses or charities that offer a bereavement or memory making service. Some of these services are free, however please enquire directly with each business as to their charges.

angel casts logo

Angel Casts

Hamilton/Waikato
Free Service

Phone: Andrea, Vicki & Jen 0272643571
Email: jen@angelcasts.co.nz
Web: www.angelcasts.co.nz
FB: Angel Casts NZ

babyloss nz logo

Babyloss NZ

Auckland, Hauraki/Piako, Christchurch
Free Service

Phone: Sarah & volunteers 0800726374
Email: admin@babyloss.co.nz
Web: www.babyloss.co.nz
FB: Baby Loss New Zealand

casting memories 3d

Casting Memories

Tauranga/Bay of Plenty
Free Service – via Angel Casts

Phone: Paula 0210502821
Email: castingmemories@outlook.co.nz
FB: Casting Memories 3D

pixie dreams casting logo

Pixie Dreams Casting

Rotorua/Bay of Plenty
Free service

Phone: Ashleigh 021844865
Email: airyfairy.ashleigh@gmail.com
FB:  Pixie Dreams Casting

forget me not lifecasting

Forget Me Not Lifecasting

Northland
Free Service

Phone: Julia 0212989051
Email: northlandartscentre@gmail.com
FB: Forget Me No Life Casting

a star is born

A Star Is Born

Otago
Free Service

Phone: 0508 00STAR
Email: info.starnz@gmail.com
FB: A Star Is Born Otago

precious memories wellington golden casts

Precious Memories

Wellington
Charges may apply

Phone: Wendy 0277758309
Email: wendypreciousmemories@outlook.com
FB: Precious Memories Wellington

precious memories hawkes bay

Precious Memories

Hawkes Bay
Charges may apply

Phone: Anna 0210378783
Email: anna@preciousmemories.co.nz
FB: Precious Memories Hawkes Bay

Other Memory Making Services

There are many wonderful charities and businesses around New Zealand who offer keepsake and memory making services to bereaved families.
We’ve compiled a few below, and always looking to add to this should you know of any businesses or charities that offer a bereavement or memory making service. Some of these services are free, however please enquire directly with each business as to their charges.

huggable hearts logo

Huggable Hearts

Free Service

Contact: Andrea
Email: huggablehearts1@gmail.com
FB: Huggable Hearts NZ

We produce heart shaped mementos in various materials. These are sewn & filled with rice/polyfill to the weight recorded for the angel baby. If no weight is known we can still provide one for you to the approximate age of your baby. These hearts will give you something tangible to hold and cuddle once you have said your goodbyes to your angel.

heartfelt logo

Heartfelt NZ

Free Service

Phone: Emma 0800583768
Email: northisland@heartfelt.org.nz
FB: Heartfelt New Zealand

Heartfelt is a volunteer organisation of professional photographers from all over New Zealand, dedicated to giving the gift of photographic memories.

angel gowns nz

Angel Gowns NZ

Free Service

FB: Angel Gowns NZ

The original Angel Gowns Australia & New Zealand. We gift lovingly hand crafted Angel Gowns from donated Wedding Dresses to Little Angels who grow wings.

kates bears logo

Kate's Bears

Free Service

Email: katesbears@gmail.com
FB: Kate’s Bears

All our bears go out as a pair. The big bear symbolises the parents and the small one the baby. Many people bury the little one with the baby to take it on its journey and keep it safe and be a comfort, while the bigger matching bear stays at home in memory. We love being able to provide this little bit of comfort.

hamilton lifecasting studio

Hamilton Lifecasting Studio

Contact: Jen 0273334069
Email: jen@hamiltonlifecastingstudio.co.nz
FB: Hamilton Lifecasting Studio

Preserve your treasured memories with our range of DNA keepsake jewellery. Custom-made using your own breastmilk, hair, cremation ashes or dried umbilical cord, to capture this special time with your newborn. Use coupon code ‘ANGEL’ for a 10% discount for all families referred via Angel Casts.

kjdesigns handstamped jewellery

KJ designs Handstamped Jewellery

Contact: Suz 021 834 895
Email: suz@kjdesigns.net.nz
FB: KJdesigns Handstamped Jewellery

At KJ designs our mission is to create quality personalised, hand-stamped jewellery and gifts, reflecting your life’s journey. Jewellery and keepsakes that tell a story, celebrate your love, remember your loved ones, inspire you … and that you can cherish forever.

sweet petite logo

Sweet Petite

Email: sweetpetitenz@gmail.com
FB: Sweet Petite

Memorial peg doll portraits to capture your entire family, including those who can no longer be with us.

Crafting Patterns for Knitters and Sewers

Are you a crafter who would like to help? You can use your skills to make items our hospitals around NZ need for their youngest babies born sleeping. Listed below are a few patterns for nappies, capes, moses baskets, and other items that are useful for those experiencing an early loss. Completed items can be donated to your local hospital’s maternity unit, or sent to our studio to distribute on your behalf. Please contact us at jen@angelcasts.co.nz to arrange the collection or delivery of these items.

Fabric Beds

Sewn Moses Baskets

These fabric beds for premature babies were hand made by Sarah Pickering. Sarah has kindly created a pattern for any sewers wanting to copy them to donate to their local hospital or bereavement service. These beds are designed to fit babies lost under 20 weeks gestation, who are no longer than the length of your hand.
Please click the button below for full instructions.

sewn moses baskets
knitted moses baskets

Woolen Beds

Knitted Moses Baskets

These woollen beds for premature babies were handmade by Heather Price.
Heather has kindly created a pattern for any knitters wanting to copy them to donate to their local hospital or bereavement service. These beds are designed to fit babies lost under 20 weeks gestation, who are no longer than the length of your hand.
Please click the button below for full instructions.

Nappies

Nappies for Premature Angel Babies

When a baby is born before their time, they are too small to fit the smallest nappy the hospital has available. It is a very important part of the grieving process for the families to dress their baby and it’s so natural when dressing a baby to put a nappy on. Having a nappy available helps the parents create some precious memories, and to create a moment for the parents to bond with baby as they dress them.

When making the nappies – can you please make two the same. One for the parents to keep and one for baby to wear. Our most needed sizing is Small.

Please click below to find the patterns.

Small nappy pattern (18-25 weeks):

Large nappy pattern (26-30 weeks):

teeny tears nappies for premature angel babies
hooded cape

Cape & Knitted Pocket

Capes and Gowns

Often the babies we see are too small for store-bought clothing so families have nothing to dress baby in. They are also tricky to dress, so having easy-to-dress items like a cape or knitted pocket are popular for many of the angel babies we visit. These capes and little clothing items allow baby to be snug while making it easy for parents to hold their baby.

Hooded Cape Pattern:

Different Angel Capes and Gowns:

Other Keepsake Ideas

Clothing & Blankets
Keep an item of their clothing, or a blanket. The hospital or funeral director can put items in a ziplock bag to preserve that ‘baby smell’ for you as well. Make sure you are VERY clear about which items are to be buried/cremated and which are to be returned to you. Removing blankets/garments to keep can be hard to do, so the funeral director can do this for you, but be very clear about what you want to keep.

In New Zealand, most crematoriums require baby to be appropriately dressed to be cremated, so you can’t keep all of their clothes unless you provide something else for them to be changed into.

Create a memory blanket or quilt. You can turn baby clothes into patchwork quilts, or knit squares to join together. There are small NZ businesses who will also custom make soft toys using your baby’s clothing or blankets, which you can find with a quick google search.

Memory Box
Start creating a memory box. Anything that has come into contact with baby can be something to treasure and keep in the memory box. Things like cutting a lock of hair, baby’s hospital name band, cot card, umbilical cord clamp, any clothes baby may have worn, a nappy or a blanket.

Many Sands groups provide a memory box to put keepsakes in. Inside these are two teddies – one to go with baby (to burial or cremation) and one for a parent to keep close.

Creating a Scent
Create a scent when you’re around baby. For example a drop of lavender oil on their blanket, or your favourite perfume. Once baby is gone, you will always remember them when you smell that familiar scent

Cremation and Ashes
If you choose cremation you could select something special to contain your baby’s ashes. There are many lovely urns on the market specifically for babies… from hearts, to ceramic teddies or a nice box. You can even get a soft toy that holds ashes in the back. You can also get cremation jewellery which holds a small amount of ashes in a necklace pendant or bracelet so you can keep baby with you.

Other Ideas
Provide a book for people to write their condolences in

Create a Photobook – Daily deal sites regularly have cheap printing deals.

If baby was born after 20 completed weeks, or weighed more than 400g or was born alive, parents can apply for a birth certificate from www.bdm.govt.nz.
The Sands Certificate of Life is available for parents whose baby is born at any gestational age. Contact Sands here for more information.