How to Make a Faux Graveyard for Halloween

Nothing says Halloween like a creepy graveyard. Following the steps below you can create your own.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Choose a suitable site. Don't locate the graveyard in a place where it will be in complete darkness at night. This could cause someone to fall and get hurt. Be sure to add a light or place it in a lighted place so the graveyard will be visible at night. Also flat sites tend to work better than sloped ones.

2. Make or buy some tombstones and set them up. If you choose to make them, use styrofoam or plywood. The styrofoam ones are easier to make but less durable. Cut out the tombstones with a knife if you are using styrofoam and a jig saw if using plywood. You can then paint the tombstones with a textured paint that resembles stone. When dry, use black paint and a small brush to add lettering. To make your tombstone stand upright use a metal bracket to attach a wooden plant stake to the back of the plywood. For the styrofoam ones you can use a piece of rebar or a plant stake. Pound the rebar into the ground and then stick it up through the styrofoam.
   
   Another method to create a handsome headstone is to buy the tops typically used with concrete block or use large paving stones. These are very inexpensive and there is no cutting involved. You can paint and letter them just like the wood or styrofoam ones. Just set them partway into the ground for support. Setting some of them into the ground at a slight angle will add to the spooky look.

3. After you have set up your tombstones then add more spooky items.
   
   You can buy plastic skulls and skeletons and scatter these around. Drape a skeleton over a tombstone or lay it out on top of the 'grave'. You can also disassemble the skeleton and scatter the parts about. You can also use faux body part such as eyeballs or severed hands.
   
   A plastic fence can add to the creepy look as well. Surround one or more of the graves with the fence or encircle the whole graveyard. Drape these with faux cobwebs you can purchase.
   
   You can arrange some faux flowers in garden urns on the graves. It would be a nice touch to spray-paint the flowers black first! However, if you use white ones they will glow in the night.
   
   Any sort of broken garden statuary would look good here. Even statues that aren't broken would work as well.
   
   Use locally found rocks or stray bricks to place around the graves or encircle the graveyard.
   
   You can add a garden bench and drape a skeleton on it. You can also dress the skeleton in scary clothing, such as a long cape.
   
   Hang ghosts made from old sheets from nearby trees to 'haunt' your new graveyard and complete the spooky atmosphere.

4. Add some spooky music to draw attention to your creation. However, be sure and protect any boom boxes or CD players from the elements.