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Halloween Family Plot

This Halloween family plot, decorated with cheeky, ornate tombstones, will yield more giggles than screams. Mix and match four fun-to-make tombstone designs.

Tombstones made from foamboard are easy to create, lightweight and look eerily realistic. Turn your front yard into a Halloween family plot with four different tombstone designs. For extra spook, add fresh dirt, a shovel, and skull at the base of tombstones.

Step-By-Step Instructions to build the "Myra Mains" tombstone.

These instructions can be easily adjusted to create the other tombstone designs.

1. Using the PDF cutting diagram as a reference, cut the 4x8-foot foamboard insulation sheet using a jigsaw or Kobalt 3-in-1 Multi Hand Saw.

2. Fill the score marks on the foam board using spackling and a putty knife.

3. Round off the foam edges with a wood file to create a timeworn look.

4. To add cracks in the tombstone, score foam with a craft knife.

5. For a more professional look, use a computer to print the desired name. (We used a 175-pt Palatino font from Microsoft Office). Alternatively, use pencil and paper to create your message.

6. Using tape, attach paper with desired name to the foam board.

7. Using a ballpoint pen, trace over letters with enough pressure to cause an impression in the foam.

8. Remove the paper. Using a craft knife, score and crosshatch the foamboard inside the letters, then carve out the excess foam.

9. Drill three holes in the bottom of the foamboard (with name) and insert 5-inch long wooden dowels.

10. Using the foamboard cutting diagram as a reference, make the tombstone base. Glue base pieces together using construction adhesive.

11. Push wooden dowels into foam base

12. Apply a base coat of Valspar interior flat brown ‘Seine’ paint with a paint brush. Let dry.

13. Spray tombstone with Valspar “‘Santa Fe Sand’” Stone spray paint. Let dry.

14. For a weathered patina, paint the edges of the tombstone using watered-down brown ‘Chocolate Turtle’ Valspar paint (2 parts water to 1 part paint). Let dry.

15. Spray tombstone with Valspar “‘Santa Fe Sand’” Stone spray paint. Let dry.

16. Arrange tombstones in front yard. Weigh down lightweight tombstones with rocks or sand.

Good To Know: Other options for tombstone names...
Seymour Dirtz
Anita Amanda Cook
Fester N. Rott
Bill M. Lader
Ima Buzzkill
Will Knott Rest
Helen Bach
Seymour Coffin

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By:Shaggy

(read all my contributions)

Posted: October 15, 2011

By:Shaggy

(read all my contributions)

Thank you for actually including name brand products and colors for people with little artistic skills.It helps take the guess work out of the project and cuts down on the time it takes to complete.
PS.I have been doing yard huants for close to 20 years
I have found that one thick dowl up the center of the tombstone allows the wind to move the stone slightly instead of destroying it.It also makes it easy to adjust to diff. light situations as they change.

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Other fun, spooky and exciting Halloween projects!

Project Template (pdf)

Skill Level: Beginner

Rough Time Estimate: 4 hours

Tools You’ll Use

Jigsaw (or a Kobalt 3-in-1 Multi Hand Saw #247218)
Craft knife
Wood file
Spackling
Putty knife
Ballpoint pen
Tape
Drill
Paint brush
Sponge

Lowe’s List (to make "Myra Mains" and "Anita Newhart" tombstones)

1 2-inch-thick 4x8-foot sheet of foamboard #14541
Construction adhesive #16610
5 wooden dowels cut to 5 inches (3 dowels for Myra, 2 for Anita) #27546
‘Seine’ Valspar paint #6005-2B
Stone Spray Paint ‘Santa Fe Sand’ Valspar #14057
‘Chocolate Turtle’ Valspar paint #3001-9A

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