How To Make Tombstones For Halloween On The Cheap
Headstones 1—Brenda-Starr (Flickr.com)
If you don’t want to buy ready made tombstones you can make yourself some real authentic looking ones for a fraction of the cost. It doesn’t take much to turn your yard into an realistic looking graveyard.
One of the ways to get ideas is to do an online search for images of headstones, tombstones or grave markers. This will give you some excellent ideas for the shapes you want to make.
Once you come up with a few shapes you must decide what you want on them. You can let your imagination run wild here. You can amuse visitors to your yard by incorporating old epitaphs on your headstones. Just have some fun as you learn how to make tombstones for Halloween!
Materials you will need:
- Pink Foam Insulation Board
- Caulking Gun
- Liquid Nails
- Band Saw or Jig Saw
- Poster Board or Similar Type Board
- Stencils with Letters, Numbers and Patterns
- Push Pin
- Black Sharpie Pen
- Soldering Iron
- Drywall Compound
- Black Latex Paint
- Flat White Latex Paint
- Paint Roller & Roller Pan
- Paint Brush 2″ to 3″ wide
- Small Paint Brush 1/2″ wide
- Garden Hose with Sprayer
Instructions:
- Make your patterns to your liking on the poster board. Using your stensils, add the names, dates and patterns you want.
- Determine the size of tombstones you want and cut the pink foam insulation board to the size you want. Use 2 same size pieces per each headstone.
- Using your caulking gun, glue the 2 pieces together. Let dry.
- Cut out your basic tombstone shapes using a band saw or jigsaw.
- Lay your pattern on top of the tombstone and transfer your lettering to it using a pushpin. Trace over all the lettering on the tombstone with a Sharpie.
- Using a hot soldering iron, burn into the surface of your lettering and patterns.
- Add cracks in various spots to add an aging effect to the tombstone.
- Make up a batch of “Monster Mud”, using a mixture of the black latex paint and drywall compound. You want a very thick consistency. Brush this all over the tombstone. Let dry.
- Using some of the black paint, paint it into the recesses of the grave marker with a smaller paintbrush.
- Take the tombstone outside and coat the whole thing with your flat white latex paint. Using your garden hose and sprayer, set your spray nozzle to fine mist and hose the whole thing off.
- Let these dry and you will have yourself some professional looking special effects headstones!
Learning how to make tombstones is really not too difficult. Enjoy creating your own indoor and outdoor Halloween decorations!
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These tombstones are really kewl! They look so real. We’re going to have fun with these this year. Thank you for providing this information!
I thought they were pretty cool as well, Bernadette. I know I will be making some this year myself. You can have a lot of fun putting different epitaphs on them as well.
These tombstones are way cool! I love very much working with crafts for all seasons, and I know I will enjoy making these. Thank you for the excellent tutorial!
I’m glad you enjoyed the tutorial, Rochelle. I can’t wait to make a few myself!
I’ve got to say-these tombstones rock! I can not wait to get started making some of these man! Too ghoul!
I agree, Damian, they do rock! They look like “rock” too!
I have got to tell you, these are some of the most realistic looking prop tombstones I have ever come across. Thank you for providing this most excellent DIY tutorial. Your efforts are appreciated!
Crissy
I lovr these tombstones myself, Crissy. Some of the best and most realistic I have ever come across!