# Flat-Pack Funerals DIY IKEA Coffins By Cowbag | Published 2008-09-12 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ikea-coffin-artistic-response-to-death References: [ilovebadthings](http://www.ilovebadthings.com/2008/08/ikea-coffin.html) & [thingsthatfall](http://www.thingsthatfall.com/coffins-3-2.php) It was only a matter of time before [IKEA](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ikea-life-collection) ventured into coffins. Artist Joe Scanlan has created [simple coffins](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coffin-shaped-engagement-rings) for $15,000--or a book for $27.50 that tells you how to make your own coffin from [IKEA parts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ikea-revealed) for less than $400. Joe Scanlan's artist statement advocates staging death in times of personal turmoil or rebirth like changing careers. "Whether natural selection, death with dignity, or suicide, intimations of death have gotten artists through many a hard night. Staging death is also an effective way to express a wish, foment resistance, or change careers. You can enjoy the same piece of mind by investing in your eventual demise. Here at Things That Fall we offer three different burial options. Custom is an elegant and unique vessel crafted in Australia entirely from Tasmanian Blackwood and shipped to you." **Implications** - Joe Scanlan's IKEA coffin piece is an example of pop culture icon adaptation that is sweeping the art industry as a modern alternative to political cartoons. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.8/10 - Popularity: 69% | Activity: 68% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Furniture](https://www.trendhunter.com/furniture) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Pop Culture Icon Adaptation:** Joe Scanlan's IKEA coffin piece is an example of pop culture icon adaptation that is sweeping the art industry as a modern alternative to political cartoons. - **DIY Funerals:** The DIY trend in funerals, as highlighted by Joe Scanlan's DIY IKEA coffins, opens up disruptive innovation opportunities for products and services that cater to individuals who prefer a more personalized approach to end-of-life arrangements. - **Sustainable Burial Options:** The concept of using Ikea parts to create affordable coffins presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the funeral industry to offer more sustainable burial options. ### Where This Applies - **Art:** The art industry can explore innovative ways of using popular culture icons, such as adapting them into funeral artifacts, to captivate audiences and drive engagement. - **Funeral Services:** The DIY funeral trend showcased by Joe Scanlan's IKEA coffins creates an opportunity for funeral service providers to offer packages and support for individuals who want to personalize their own end-of-life arrangements. - **Sustainable Materials:** The use of sustainable materials like Ikea parts in coffin construction presents an innovative opportunity for the materials industry to develop eco-friendly alternatives for burial-related products. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Biodegradable Burial Caskets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/loop-biotech.md) - [Life-Size Casket Coolers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/casket-cooler.md) - [Design-Forward Funerary Urn Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/funerary-urn.md) - [Humanizing Furniture Catalogs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ikea-life-collection.md) - [Coffin-Shaped Beverage Containers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-casket-cooler.md) - [Repairable Flat-Pack Sofas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/flatpack-sofa1.md) - [Deep Sea Funerals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/deep-sea-funeral.md) - [Video Game-Inspired Furniture Catalogue](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ikea-australia-1.md) - [Eco-Friendly Pet Tree Burial Kits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ecofriendly-pet-tree-burial-kit.md)