Handcrafted Woven Burial Vessels Made in the Hudson Valley, NY

100% biodegradable caskets, burial trays, and naturally dyed shrouds

About Little Way Caskets, Burial Trays & Shrouds

Little Way Caskets is a woman-owned, family-operated small business rooted in artisanal and traditional craftsmanship. My husband, Jason Stanger, handcrafts each pine base and lid board for our caskets and burial trays, while my mother, Mary Gross, brings forth her lifelong experience as a seamstress to sew our mattresses, pillows, casket linings, and shrouds. My own weaving approach and fabric dyeing process remain simple and uncomplicated, allowing the inherent beauty of natural materials to serve as a reminder of the little ways we can choose the smallest right, and do it all for love.

All of our woven caskets, burial trays, and botanically dyed shrouds are uniquely crafted in the Mid-Hudson Valley, NY with slow living in mind. Every burial vessel is one-of-a-kind, shaped by hand over several weeks of devoted work from natural materials chosen with meticulous care and intention. Subtle variations in weave, plant pigments, and wood grain serve as gentle reminders of your choice to unite the earth’s bountiful gifts and refined human skill within your burial plans, rather than synthetic materials and industrial production.

Our burial vessels are completely biodegradable and crafted without the use of chemically laden glues, plastics, or petroleum treatments, which conventional caskets commonly include. We carefully select all of our natural wood and fiber, including North American pine, American-grown willow, and unbleached cotton rope. Our linings, fillings, and finishes are made of unbleached cotton muslin, untreated wool, organic dried herbs, and sustainably foraged botanical dyes.

As both a small business owner and an expectant mother, I deeply respect the profound life stages that my customers and I are collectively navigating. I honor this reality by giving each burial vessel order the time, space, and care it deserves, never rushing the process or compromising quality for quantity.

Everything you need to know about our burial vessels is shared below. To begin an inquiry or place an order, please visit www.littlewaycaskets.com/order and follow the instructions outlined on the page.

For a complete gallery of our previous work, please visit www.littlewaycaskets.com/gallery.

Willow Woven Casket

Our willow-woven caskets include a lid that can easily be removed for open-casket viewings or wake services, designed to be securely fastened to the base with handcrafted willow buttons during burial preparation. Each casket is made with pesticide-free American willow, untreated North American pine for the base and lid, and unbleached cotton rope, completely free from petroleum or mineral oil finishes. Rope handles are securely woven into the sides for up to six pallbearers to carry the casket, allowing loved ones or cemetery staff to place it into the ground using lowering straps provided by your natural burial ground. All linings, mattresses, and pillows are sewn from soft, unbleached cotton muslin and filled with comforting, unbleached wool and organic dried herbs. When available, I incorporate fabrics that are naturally dyed with plant pigments, crafted entirely without the use of chemical mordants. Depending on individual preference, caskets may also be paired with a naturally dyed shroud for an additional cost.

Each Casket includes:

Handmade casket buttons made of willow, 2025

A uniquely handcrafted willow-woven casket base and lid, made with pesticide-free American-grown willow, untreated North American grown pine base and lid boards, and unbleached, untreated cotton rope.
A soft unbleached cotton muslin casket lining secured to the casket, as well as a mattress and pillow filled with unbleached and untreated wool and organic dried herbs, utilizing fabrics that are naturally dyed with plant pigments when available.

Pricing:

$3,200 + tax (calculated based on the customer's county) for individuals between 5'0" and 5'11".

Please inquire for custom pricing outside of this height range.

Willow Woven Burial Tray

Open at the top, our willow-woven burial trays are designed to be paired with a shroud for natural burial. The vessel features a subtly elevated head that softly tapers toward the foot, honoring the natural contours of the body. Handcrafted using pesticide-free American-grown willow and untreated North American pine, each tray includes six sturdy cotton rope handles securely woven into the sides. This allows loved ones or cemetery staff to carry and place the vessel into the earth using lowering straps provided by your natural burial ground. Inside, the tray features a soft, unbleached cotton muslin mattress filled with comforting untreated wool and organic dried herbs, crafted when available with fabrics naturally dyed using plant pigments free of chemical mordants. While these trays pair beautifully with our handcrafted naturally dyed shrouds, you are always welcome to use a shroud from any source you choose.

Each burial tray includes:

A uniquely handcrafted, willow-woven burial tray, built with pesticide-free, American-grown willow, an untreated North American pine base board, and unbleached cotton rope handles.
A soft, unbleached cotton muslin mattress, filled with comforting untreated wool and organic dried herbs, utilizing fabrics that are naturally dyed with plant pigments when available.

Pricing:

$2,200 + tax (calculated based on your county) for individuals between 5'0" and 5'11".

Please inquire for custom pricing outside of this height range.

Burial tray and casket base and lid boards are made of untreated pine wood sourced directly from our local hardware store, rather than big-box retail chains, to support small businesses within our community.

Naturally Dyed Shrouds

Shrouds may be buried on their own, or paired with a burial tray to provide a stable foundation. Each shroud is crafted from soft, natural cotton muslin, offered either in its pure unbleached form or naturally dyed based on preference and seasonal availability. Rooted in the natural growth rhythms of the Hudson Valley’s flora, our plant dyes are created using bioregional plants, often ethically wild-foraged by hand. This connects families to the local landscape and honors the season in which each shroud is made. For the natural dyeing process, each shroud is carefully weighed, washed, and pre-treated with pure soy milk and 100% natural, plant-derived mordants, allowing the plant pigments to bind deeply to the cellulose fibers. The fabrics are then dyed with seasonal plant pigments in a slow, meticulous, and skillful process, before being tailored to order according to your measurements.

Many of the natural dyes used in our shrouds are hand-processed and ethically gathered from local plants, such as the goldenrod shown here.

Each Shroud includes:

A uniquely handcrafted cotton muslin shroud, naturally dyed using local plants whenever available.

Pricing:

$350 + tax (calculated based on your county) for individuals between 5'0" and 5'11"

Please inquire for custom pricing outside of this height range.

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