Paw print keepsake ideas: the original, and everything you can make from it
Every paw print keepsake starts from one of two things: an original impression taken from your pet, or a copy made later from that impression or a photo. Get one good original, ideally a flat ink print, and you can turn it into anything from a framed print to a silver charm; by our estimate, a print taken at a US crematory costs ~$32[1].
By the Paw Print Keepsakes & Memorial Impressions editorial team · Updated September 24, 2026 · 4 min read · Sources
- 14 keepsake ideas, grouped by what they need
- Which ones can still be made after cremation
- Real US prices, not guesses
The short answer
What are your paw print keepsake options?
There are two kinds of paw print keepsake. Originals are taken directly from your pet: clay, ink, inkless paper, a plaster or gel cast, or silver clay. Copies are made afterwards from an original or a clear photo: engravings, jewelry, glass, embroidery, art and tattoos. Originals can only be taken before cremation or burial; copies can be made at any time.
So if your pet is still with you, or hasn't been cremated yet, the most useful thing you can do is get at least one clean flat print. If the window has already closed, skip to the copies below: many of them work from a good photograph. How many originals and copies other readers wanted is tallied on the poll results page.
How many copies of the print would your family want?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Originals
Which keepsakes must be taken from your pet directly?
- Clay impression. A pressed disc you can hold. Easy at home, and often offered by vets and crematories. One Arizona provider charges $10[2] for a clay paw impression as an add-on.
- Ink print. A flat print on card, and the easiest to copy later. One US network charges $49[3] for ink prints.
- Inkless print. The same flat result, but the color develops on special paper, not on fur. Good for cats and fluffy paws.
- Nose print. A light ink or inkless touch on the nose leather. Tiny, distinctive and popular for jewelry. Our article on nose print keepsakes explains how to take one.
- 3D cast. The paw is pressed into impression foam or molding gel, then cast in plaster or resin. In the UK, one studio charges from £120[4] to cast a small dog's paw pads in resin.
- Silver-clay print. Pressed into precious-metal clay and fired into solid silver, so the original itself is jewelry.
If you're not sure which to start with, the paw print kit chooser suggests a method based on your pet's size and fur. Our comparison of ink, clay and 3D casts goes into what each is like to take. Our services page explains who takes each kind.
Free tool
Paw print keepsake chooser
Match a print method to your pet's size, fur and the keepsake you want to keep.
Copies
What can you make from a print you already have?
Once you have a clear flat print, or a straight-on photo of the paw, these open up. None of them needs your pet present, and most makers work from a scan. If a tattoo is on your list, the FDA's fact sheet on tattoos and permanent makeup is worth reading before you book.
- Framed prints for relatives. Scan once, print as many as the family wants.
- Engraved pendants and tags. Laser-engraved from your scan. Paw and nose print pendants at one large retailer start from $99.95[5].
- Custom cast charms. A raised silver charm shaped from your pet's actual print. At one US cremation network, custom sterling silver print charms cost $290 to $420[6].
- Bracelets and bangles. The same network sells a paw-print bangle for $385 and a cremation cuff for $125[7].
- Etched glass. A frosted print on a panel, ornament or tumbler.
- Embroidery. Stitched onto a cushion, a hoop or the corner of a blanket, often traced from a printed scan.
- Art and portraits. Artists often add the real print as a signature beside a painted portrait.
- Tattoos. Your tattoo artist traces the scan into a stencil. See turning a paw print into jewelry or a tattoo for how to prepare the file.
Combinations
Can a paw print keepsake also hold ashes or fur?
Yes. Some of the most popular pieces combine a print with a tiny amount of ashes or a lock of fur. Print pendants with a small chamber behind are common, and one retailer's guide puts cremation jewelry that holds ashes at $30–$300+[8]. The amount of ash involved is small, so one pet's ashes can fill several pieces; our jewelry ash capacity guide shows how many.
Framed prints can include fur too. One cremation network charges $133 for a framed clay print with a fur clipping[3]. If you're keeping fur yourself, clip it from somewhere soft and hidden, such as behind the ears or the chest, tie it with thread and store it in a small envelope until it goes into a frame.
Free tool
Jewelry ash capacity guide
How much ash fits in pendants, rings and glass, and how many pieces one pet can fill.
How to choose
Which paw print keepsake is right for you?
Think about where you'll see it. Something you wear, like a pendant, keeps your pet close on ordinary days. Something on the wall is there in the background. Something in a drawer is for the days you choose. Many families end up with one of each: memorialization is common, with 56%[9] of pet owners in one market report choosing some kind of memorial for their pet.
Which memorial feels most like your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Budget is the other half. A crematory print can be well under $100, while solid gold jewelry runs into the thousands. The memorial budget planner lets you tick a print, a frame and a pendant and see the total before you commit. For display ideas once you have the print, see how to display a paw print and pair it with a tag.
One clear print is the seed. Everything on this list can grow from it.
Next steps
How do you get the original print made?
If your pet is still with you, take the print at home or ask your vet to do it at the final appointment. Our print window timing guide explains when each option is possible. If your pet has died and hasn't been cremated yet, ask the crematory; prints are a routine request. The ASPCA's end-of-life care guide covers the appointment itself if you'd like to know what to expect.
Once you have it, scan it before doing anything else. That single file is what every maker on this list will ask for. If you'd like us to find local vets, crematories or makers who offer these keepsakes, tell us what you'd like and we'll reply by email. Our local pages list options by city.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
How many copies of the print would your family want?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Which memorial feels most like your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
How much would you spend on a memorial item, beyond the cremation itself?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Free tools to help you plan
Paw print keepsake chooser
Match a print method to your pet's size, fur and the keepsake you want to keep.
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Jewelry ash capacity guide
How much ash fits in pendants, rings and glass, and how many pieces one pet can fill.
Questions people ask
What is the most popular paw print keepsake?
Clay impressions and ink prints are the most common originals, because vets and crematories offer them and they're easy to take at home. For copies, engraved pendants and framed prints are the most widely made. Many families keep a clay disc for the shelf and use a flat ink print to make jewelry for relatives.
Can I get a paw print keepsake if my pet has already been cremated?
Not an original impression, but many keepsakes still work. A clear photo of your pet's paw or nose can be traced into an engraving, pendant, embroidery pattern or tattoo stencil. Check old photos, and look for muddy paw marks on car seats, mats or blankets, which can be photographed and used the same way.
How much does a paw print keepsake cost?
A simple clay or ink print added at a crematory usually costs between about $10 and $76, with a median around $32 by our estimate. Framed prints cost more, engraved pendants start at about $100, and custom silver charms and bangles can reach several hundred dollars. Solid gold pieces cost far more.
Which paw print keepsake is easiest to share between family members?
A flat ink or inkless print. Scan it once and you can make framed copies, engraved tags or pendants for everyone, while the original stays at home. Clay and casts can't be divided, so if several people want a 3D print, take several in the same session.
Do I need a special kit to make a paw print keepsake?
For clay and inkless prints, a pet-safe kit makes things easier because the clay is the right softness and the paper reacts properly. For ink, pet-safe ink and heavy card are enough. Avoid homemade salt dough, which is dangerous to dogs if they lick it. Our kit chooser helps you pick the right type.
Can one print be turned into several different keepsakes?
Yes. That's the main reason to take a flat print. From a single clear scan, a family can order a framed print, an engraved pendant, a garden stone and an embroidery pattern. Keep the original somewhere dark and dry, and send makers the digital file rather than the print itself.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] Paw-print add-ons at US crematories have a median price of about $32, from $10 to $76. Our estimate: median of [$10 clay (AGP), $15 laser engraving (AGP), $49 ink (Final Gift), $76 clay (Final Gift)]. How we calculate.
- [2] Memorial add-ons at A Greener Place: $15 laser-engraved paw print, $10 clay paw impression, $10 nose print, $5 fur clipping. A Greener Place Pet Aquamation – Pricing, 2026.
- [3] Final Gift charges $49 for ink paw prints, $76 for a clay or silver-clay paw print, $111 framed, and $133 framed with a fur clipping; a fur clipping alone costs $23. Final Gift Pet Memorial Center – Memorial Products, 2026.
- [4] Brighton Body Casting in the UK charges from about £120 to cast a small dog's paw pads in resin; medium and large breeds cost about 1/5 and 1/3 more. Brighton Body Casting – Pets, 2026.
- [5] Paw print and nose print pendants at Memorials.com start at $99.95. Memorials.com – Pet print jewelry, 2026.
- [6] Final Gift's pet memorial jewelry runs from a $60 urn pendant to $290–$420 for custom sterling silver print charms, with glass ash beads at $245. Final Gift Pet Memorial Center – Memorial Products, 2026.
- [7] A paw-print bangle bracelet costs $385 and a cremation cuff bracelet $125 at Final Gift. Final Gift Pet Memorial Center – Memorial Products, 2026.
- [8] Cremation jewelry that holds pet ashes typically costs $30–$300+. Memorials.com – Pet Cremation Cost Guide 2026, 2026.
- [9] Market.us reports that about 56% of pet owners choose memorial services for their pets. Market.us — Pet Funeral Services Market report page, 2024.
Get paw print keepsake options near you
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.