How to Make Gravestones for Halloween Decorations
Decorating for Halloween can be exciting and allow you to show off your creativity. Gravestones are the perfect way to decorate your yard for All Hallow's Eve to create a spooky and fun atmosphere. The gravestones can be as intricate as you want, and you can use several types of material from wood to cardboard to foam, depending on the availability and skill levels. Wood would obviously need to be cut with a saw, so kids would either not be able to use this material or need adult guidance. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Wood approximately 2 by 3 feet
- Jigsaw (if using wood) or foam boards or thick cardboard pieces
- Scissor or razor
- Sand paper
- Glue
- Gray and black paint
- Paint brush
- Sponge
- Wooden stakes
Instructions
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1
Choose a material for the gravestones. Wood is the strongest material and would last the longest. However, a jigsaw is needed to cut the wood and curve the edges. If wood cannot be used for this reason, foam or thick cardboard can be substituted.
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2
Cut out the gravestone shape. The gravestones are approximately 2 feet wide by 3 feet high, so be sure to have enough material. If using wood, be careful with the jigsaw. Cut out the shape, either with a curved top or a flat top with rounded edges. If using foam or cardboard, double up to make it thick. Glue the panels together, then cut out the shape with scissors or a razor.
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3
Use sand paper the smooth out the edges. This will work for the foam and wood, but not the cardboard. Then use gray paint on the gravestones, either with a paint brush or spray paint. When the paint is dry, use a sponge to lightly add black paint in very small amounts. You can even use the paint brush to splash some black speckles onto the gravestone for a marbled look.
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Wait for the paint to dry again. Use the black paint to write on the gravestone. Be creative. Write names and "last words." This is can be funny, scary or just plain odd.
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5
Flip over the gravestone and attach a wooden stake toward the bottom so that it can be placed in the ground easier. You can use wood glue or hot glue to attach it. When that is dry, the gravestone is ready to reach its destiny as a Halloween yard decoration.
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Tips & Warnings
Be creative. Add cracks, spiderwebs or even plastic spiders to make the gravestones look even creepier.
Be careful when using the jigsaw, it can be very dangerous.
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Comments
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PCFriendly
Oct 05, 2008
Spray paint will melt your styrofoam gravestones quickly. You can purchase 4' x 8' x 2" styrofoam at your local hardware supply for cheap (I bought mine at Home Depot for less than $20 each). I used Foam core (Got some leftover chunks from a framing store to create 3D effects like skulls, swords, bats, etc. on my gravestones. I used a roller with grey paint and then sprayed flat black paint lightly to create aging, followed by Portland Cement with a roller to give it a realistic look. I used stencils to spray paint the lettering. They turned out Awesome!
