How to Make Wooden Headstones

Wooden headstones are inexpensive and simple to make. They can be used to decorate your lawn or haunted house for Halloween, or to mark the graves of a beloved pet.
Messages can be carved into the wood face, but wooden letters in many fonts can be bought at craft stores. These are as attractive as carving and require less time and skill.

Things You'll Need

• 3-foot by 1½-foot board, 1 inch thick
• Wooden letters
• Wood glue
• Finishing nails
• Hammer
• Hand or power saw
• 80-grit sandpaper
• Stain and varnish
• 2 three-inch paintbrushes
• Soft cloth
• 120-grit sandpaper

Instructions

1. Draw a half-circle close to the top edge of the board. Cut along this line with the hand saw.

2. Sand the whole board with 80-grit sandpaper, paying close attention to the cut at the top. Use the sandpaper to round all cut edges. Wipe the board down with the soft cloth and stain it. Allow the stain to dry and sand again with 80-grit sandpaper.

3. Varnish the board and allow it to dry. Sand once more with 80-grit sandpaper and wipe the board with a soft cloth. Varnish again, allow the board to dry and sand with 120-grit sandpaper. Wipe the board down again.

4. Stain the letters if desired. Arrange the letters on the board without gluing them down. When you have them where you want them, glue one down at a time, picking them off the board, applying glue and pressing back onto the board.

5. Secure the letters to the board with finishing nails. Use two or three nails per letter.

Tips & Warnings

• Leave about 1 foot of board to be buried in the ground. Don't arrange your message too low on the board. If desired, stain the letters on a piece of newspaper before gluing them on. Stain them a contrasting color to the headstone so they stand out.

• Always wear eye protection and use caution when using cutting tools. Keep fingers well clear of the path of the blade.

References

• Halloween Tombstones