How To Build Your Own Halloween Graveyard

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Ranked #109 in DIY, #2,110 overall

DIY Tombstones

Here you will learn how to build tombstones to transform your yard into a Halloween graveyard.

Sure, you can just go to Target, Wal-Mart or some other store and buy tombstones, but then your graveyard will look like everyone else's. 

The store bought ones usually have just a basic "R.I.P." or "Happy Halloween" on them.  I like more realistic tombstones with funny or scary epitaphs and also enjoy decorating the house for Halloween, so a few years ago I decided to build my own graveyard.

Choose A Material 

I built my tombstones using two materials: plywood and styrofoam.

Styrofoam is good because you can buy it in larger thicknesses (2" or more) at your local crafts store and it's already textured so it looks more like a grave stone from the start. Sheets of styrofoam insulation from a building supply store can also be used. Styrofoam can be tricky to do the lettering on, is more fragile and thicker pieces get expensive.

Plywood is easy to work with, durable and you may already have scrap pieces buried in your garage. A standard 4'x8' sheet will be enough for about 6-10 tombstones depending on their size and shape.

There are other materials you can use (stone, resins, etc) but I don't have any experience using those so I'll focus on plywood and styrofoam.

Choose A Design & Epitaph 

Tombstones come in many shapes and sizes. You can look at the sample pics below to get some ideas. I recommend starting with a basic and simple design such as the one pictured here. It's simply a rectangle with the top corners rounded off.

Next, select the epitaph or saying you want on the stone. You can get ideas for this from websites, sayings you've seen elsewhere, Disney World or your own morbid creativity.

Where To Find Epitaphs 

There are many sites on the web with listings of epitaphs. Most of them are redundant. These two will give you a pretty complete listing of what's out there.
Eerie Epitaphs
One of the sites I used when I built my tombstones. Lists epitaphs by categories.
Funny Stones To Tickle Your Funny Bones
A good long list of epitaphs, many that I haven't seen on other sites before.

Build The Tombstone 

1. Determine the size of your tombstone. 18"w x 24-30"h is a good size for a basic stone. Make sure there is enough room to write the epitaph.

2. Trace out the design of the tombstone on your plywood or styrofoam. A French curve or cans of various sizes are good tools to help with drawing curves.

3. Cut out the stone. A jig saw works well for plywood. You can try a keyhole (drywall) saw or large utility knife for styrofoam.

4. Paint the stone. For plywood, start with a base coat of grey or off-white. Next, apply a coat of stone texture spray paint to give it a weathered appearance. For styrofoam, you can just use the stone texture paint.

5. After the paint has dried, paint the epitaph and any other design elements (skull, scrollwork, etc) on to the stone with a small brush and black paint. For styrofoam stones, it helps to press the letters into the foam first before painting them.

6. The last step is to attach mounting stakes to the back and place the stone in your yard. Use whatever you have available to keep your tombstones in place. For styrofoam stones, plant stakes pushed into the bottom work well. For plywood stones, you can screw shelf brackets into the back then use tent stakes to secure them into the ground.

Handy Tools For The Project 

These tools will help you make your own gravestones.

Black & Decker JS500K Variable Speed Jig Saw Kit

This economical little saw is just right for cutting plywood tombstones.

Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009) Buy Now

FRENCH CURVE SET 4/CASE

A good set of French curves will help you draw any curves you want to make on your tombstones.

Amazon Price: $6.75 (as of 07/06/2009) Buy Now

10 Pc Hobby Paint Brush Set

To use when painting the epitaph or design on your gravestones.

Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 07/06/2009) Buy Now

Graveyard Accents 

Tips to add a creepy atmostphere to your graveyard...
  • Don't mow the grass for a couple weeks to give it a neglected look.
  • Spread fallen leaves around.
  • Leave dead flowers on some of the graves.
  • Place fake bones, hands and skulls around the graveyard.
  • Position lanterns or electric candles in front of graves.
  • Make a "Danger" or "keep out" sign from a scrap piece of wood. Use a jig saw to cut jagged edges on the ends for a broken look.
  • Use a fog machine or dry ice to cloak your graveyard in a blanket of fog.

Skulls For Your Graveyard 

Discovering a skull near one of your graves will give someone a treat.

Other Props For Your Graveyard 

To give it a spooky, haunted feel

Halloween Cemetery Fence

Rickety sections of fence will add a little spooky realism to your graveyard.

Scary Sounds

Add some sound effects to your graveyard.

Eliminator Small Application Fog Machine - EF-400

A fog machine helps create an eerie atmosphere.

Tombstones From Disney's Haunted Mansion 

The Haunted Mansion at Disney World has always been one of my favorite attractions there. Its graveyard with the funny tombstones was the inspiration for making my own.

Disney haunted mansion tombstone. by BoredTrini

Good Old Fred

Wathel R. Bender by *Reegee

Wathel Bender

Graveyard by *Reegee

The Mansion Graveyard

Brother Claude by Miss Shari

Brother Claude

Sweet Leota by canno1979

Sweet Leota

DSC_0158.JPG by devilelephant

Master Gracey...

Here Lyeth His Loving Wives by Miss Shari

...and his loving wives

Beware of Bears by Clikchick  (Tracy Allyn Photography)

Brother Dave

The Grave of Captain Jack Sparrow 

Be the first graveyard in town to have the authentic grave of Captain Jack Sparrow.

Pirates Of The Caribbean Tombstone

Store Bought Gravestones 

After Halloween Sales 

Prepare for next year by hitting the stores right after Halloween. Most retailers discount their Halloween merchandise by 30-75%.

Watch How A Tombstone Is Made 

A good video showing how to make gravestones from styrofoam insulation.

How-To make Tombstones for Halloween

Make an entire graveyard for the cost of one store-bought headstone with this step-by-step video from the makers of Big Scream TV.

powered by YouTube

Real Tombstones & Graveyards 

Tombstone by A.M. Kuchling

Tombstone in Satnitz (Djakovacka Satnica) by iproduit

Boot Hill cemetery. Tombstone. Arizona. USA. January 2006 by The Horror

Gravestones by Ben Adlin

Gravestone in Salem. by The Erice Cellphone Photo Extravaganza

Charleston, SC, 2005 by sweetest_brittany

Tynemouth Priory, Tynemouth, UK by Doctor Beef

Woodstown 3 by PeggyT

antiquity by shaishai

Want to learn more about Graveyards? 

Cemeteries everywhere are rich in history, art and interesting stories. Take some time to explore and appreciate them. Here are a few books to get you started...

Some Homemade Halloween Graveyards 

the whole halloween graveyard by merideth

Halloween Graveyard - Frontyard by gruntso

Halloween 2006 by Tammra

DSC_0189.JPG by A Quinn Martin Production

Graveyard by Vox Sciurorum

Graveyard by day by earthdancer13

frontgraveyard by jerib28806

Haunted House by mikemariano

Halloween by alexander_boden

This family likes to keep their loved ones close. by edavid3001

HALLOWEEN YARD by kazandrew

P1010022.jpg by Ack Ook

More Props For Your Cemetery 


Cemetery Arch Gate Prop
Cemetery Gate

Scary Graveyard Tales... 

Was this lens helpful to you? How did your Halloween graveyard turn out?

spirituality wrote...

Great lens - you've been blessed by a squidoo angel :)

ReplyPosted April 27, 2009

heehaw wrote...

hehe funny ideas, i love it.....

ReplyPosted November 06, 2008

garywgoldstein wrote...

That's very cool! I wish I have seen this before the Halloween. Great lens anyway.

ReplyPosted November 03, 2008

Culrec_Zandier wrote...

You've got some great resource material here.

ReplyPosted October 27, 2008

nancydodds1 wrote...

Very informative and children will enjoy this type of lens lot. My 5 stars for you. Thanks for sharing valuable information.

ReplyPosted October 26, 2008

silverbar wrote...

Gotta Love Halloween...Cool stuff! Thanks for the read

ReplyPosted October 26, 2008

TerriLorah wrote...

Great ideas and thanks for a 5***** lens.

ReplyPosted October 21, 2008

fakerockguy wrote...

Great lens, and of course the perfect time of year for this. I'll have to incorporate it into my Halloween plans.

ReplyPosted October 19, 2008

CCB wrote...

People come from miles around to see my Halloween Graveyard. Its been a work in progress for years.
Great lens. You gave me some more ideas.
CCB

ReplyPosted October 19, 2008

Lensmaster

svphelps wrote

this is fabulous!! I have some great ideas thanks to everyone. I will try to upload my finished product as soon as I learn how. Again Thank you!!

Reply Posted October 17, 2008

Belindance wrote...

I think kids would just love this Halloween project, fun Lens idea.

ReplyPosted October 16, 2008

Lisa-Marie-Mary wrote...

Great lens - very helpful! Hubby wants to make a graveyard in our front yard next year. (He thought of the 'letting the grass grow in a spot' too late this year...) So I'm putting this lens in my faves so we can have some great ideas for next year!

ReplyPosted October 13, 2008

prosperity66 wrote...

After having read this lens, making graveyard seems easier than I thought...
Deserves 5 stars!

ReplyPosted October 11, 2008

Kitsune64 wrote...

Great lens! Love the pictures and the how-to. Nice job!

ReplyPosted October 09, 2008

Lensmaster

Jen wrote

Got the graveyard idea from this site and pulled off a scary halloween party for the kids. They talked about it all year, waiting for the invitations to come out for this years party. Had about 60 kids at the party.

Reply Posted October 03, 2008

 
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