How to make cheap tombstones for halloween? Halloween is the perfect time to transform your home into a spooky scene, and nothing says “haunted house” quite like a creepy graveyard. Creating your own Halloween tombstones is a fun and cost-effective way to add a touch of eerie realism to your outdoor decorations. With a few simple materials and some creativity, you can craft tombstones that will impress your neighbors and give trick-or-treaters a fright. In this guide, we'll walk you through how to make Halloween tombstones, from selecting materials to adding those final spooky details.
Materials You’ll Need
Before you start crafting your tombstones, gather the following materials:
- Foam Board or Styrofoam Sheets: These are the main materials for your tombstones. They are lightweight, easy to carve, and readily available at craft stores or home improvement stores.
- Utility Knife or Hot Wire Cutter: For cutting and shaping the foam.
- Paint: Gray, black, and white acrylic paints will give your tombstones a realistic stone appearance. You may also want to use moss green or brown for added aging effects.
- Paint Brushes and Sponges: For applying paint and creating texture.
- Wooden Dowels or Stakes: These will be used to anchor your tombstones into the ground.
- Marker or Pencil: For sketching out designs and epitaphs on the foam.
- Sandpaper: To smooth out rough edges on the foam.
- Glue or Caulk: For attaching decorations or reinforcing weak areas.
- Optional: Stencils, Moss, and Halloween Decorations: To add extra details like cracks, names, dates, or spooky embellishments.
Step 1: Design Your Tombstones
Start by deciding on the shape and size of your tombstones. Traditional tombstone shapes include rounded tops, cross shapes, or simple rectangular designs. Sketch out your design directly onto the foam board with a marker or pencil. If you're not confident in your drawing abilities, you can find templates online or create stencils from cardboard to trace onto the foam.
When designing your tombstones, think about the overall theme of your Halloween setup. Are you going for a classic haunted graveyard look, or something more humorous with funny epitaphs? The choice is yours, and this is where you can get creative!
Step 2: Cut Out the Tombstones
Once you’re happy with your design, it's time to cut out your tombstones. Use a utility knife or a hot wire cutter for this step. The hot wire cutter is especially useful for making clean, smooth cuts through the foam. If you're using a utility knife, make sure to work slowly and carefully to avoid jagged edges.
After cutting out the tombstone shapes, you may want to use sandpaper to smooth out any rough spots. This will give your tombstones a more polished and realistic appearance.
Step 3: Carve the Details
With the basic shapes cut out, you can now add details like names, dates, and epitaphs. Use your marker to sketch out the text and any additional designs, like cracks or skulls. Once you’ve mapped out your design, carve the details into the foam using your utility knife or hot wire cutter.
If you want to add a three-dimensional effect to your tombstones, consider carving deeper into the foam or even layering additional foam pieces on top. You can also use glue to attach other decorations, like fake spiders, bats, or moss, to give your tombstones a more aged and haunted appearance.
Step 4: Paint Your Tombstones
Painting is where your tombstones will really start to come to life. Start by applying a base coat of gray paint to the entire surface of the tombstone. You may need to apply two coats to ensure even coverage. Once the base coat is dry, you can add shading and highlights to create a realistic stone effect.
Use a dry brush technique to apply black paint to the edges and any carved details. This will give the appearance of shadows and make the text and designs stand out. You can also use a sponge to dab on lighter shades of gray or white to create texture and the look of weathered stone. If you want your tombstones to look old and mossy, lightly brush on some green or brown paint around the edges and in the cracks.
Step 5: Add Finishing Touches
Once the paint has dried, it's time to add any finishing touches to your tombstones. If you haven’t done so already, glue on any additional decorations, like faux moss, spider webs, or small Halloween-themed embellishments. You can also use stencils or a fine paintbrush to add smaller details, such as cracks, or even spray the tombstones with a matte sealant to protect them from the elements.
If you want to go the extra mile, you can create a weathered look by lightly sanding certain areas of the tombstone after painting. This will give the effect of worn stone, making your tombstones look like they've been sitting in a graveyard for centuries.
Step 6: Secure Your Tombstones in the Ground
To keep your tombstones upright and secure, attach wooden dowels or stakes to the back of each tombstone using glue or screws. Leave a portion of the stake exposed at the bottom so that you can easily insert it into the ground. Once your tombstones are secured in place, you can adjust them to ensure they’re standing at the desired angle.
For added stability, especially in windy conditions, consider using longer stakes or securing the tombstones with additional supports.
Conclusion
Making your own Halloween tombstones is a fun and creative project that adds a personal touch to your Halloween decor. With just a few materials and some time, you can craft tombstones that are not only spooky but also unique to your haunted setup. Whether you’re going for a creepy, realistic graveyard or a more lighthearted, humorous display, these DIY tombstones will make your Halloween decorations stand out. So, grab your foam, knives, and paint, and start crafting the perfect graveyard for a hauntingly good Halloween!
