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Gravestones are simple to make. They can be simple
headstones or giant monuments, detailed with moldings and intricate designs, or
made to appear weathered and neglected. They can be painted any color you wish
with an exterior grade paint, which should keep them weather-proofed. I've
painted some of my stones with fluorescent paints and lit them up with black
lighting to create an errie, glowing effect. Whatever you are trying to
achieve, here are some methods that worked for me. Once you get the basics down
there's no limit to your detail and creativity! |
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Here's how I build gravestones. Start with these
materials:
1. 2" thick Foamboard
insulation
2. Small hacksaw or similar cutting
tool
3. A Dremel Tool or similar
item
4. Long nails, 3 or 4 inches in
length
5. Scrap pieces of 1/4 inch thick
plywood, cut in 2 inch by (length of your stone) pieces
6. Caulking gun and Liquid Nails
brand adhesive
7. Assorted exterior grade
paints |
Start by selecting the brand of Foamboard you want to
work with. There are lots of different kinds available. I buy mine at Home
Depot, only because they carry a certain kind of Foamboard that I think is easy
to carve and shape. Some kinds of Foamboard have a styrofoam texture, and I
avoid these because they break apart in chunks when you try to cut them. They
come in standard 4 feet by 8 feet sheets, so if your vehicle is small, bring a
hacksaw to cut the sheets in half so they will fit in your car or truck.
There's a great tool you can use to do this. I'm not sure what it's called, but
it looks like a plastic handle that holds a standard hacksaw blade. Foamboard
also comes in different thicknesses - find the 2 inch thick stuff, it creates
more realistic props. It should also be noted that the Foamboard sometimes
comes covered with a foil backing, which is a pain in the ass to peel off. I've
viewed some Websites that say this coating needs to be taken off, or your paint
job might be ruined. In my experience, take off as much as you can, use enough
paint, and you should have no problem. |
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Begin by laying the Foamborad on a flat surface and
drawing the shapes of the stones out with a marker. It always helps to draw
your designs out on paper first. If you need inspiration, search for tombstones
on the Web, or, even better, visit your own local cemetary and take pictures of
the stones that interest you. Once you have the shapes drawn, cut them out
using your hacksaw tool or Dremel tool. The tool I use, a Rotozip drywall
cutter, is dispalyed on the left. I like it because it has a depth
gage. SAFETY ALERT:when you cut and grind this stuff it produces a very
powdery cloud of dust that goes everywhere - do your work in the garage and
wear safety glasses and a dust mask. I guarentee you, breathing this stuff is
not healthy! Once you have the shapes cut out, you can start carving
in cracks, epitaphs, death heads, whatever you like. Additionally, if you want
more detail, you can cut scrap pieces of the Foamboard to use as molding
accents, trim, and other details. Glue these pieces on your tombstones with
Liquid Nails brand adhesive, or any other type of glue that adheres to foam
products. |
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When the glue has had enough time to dry, the stones
are ready to be painted. Use an exterior grade paint to weatherproof your
stones. Do the cracks and engravings in black with a small brush first - don't
worry about neatness, just slap it in there. When the engravings are dry, you
can apply the base color with a small, flat roller, which will not allow the
paint to seep into the cracks and epitaphs. Use different colors & patterns
to create texture. |
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Now you need a way to place your stones upright. Some
Websites have suggested placing a small section of 1/2 inch PVC pipe inside a
hollwed out stone, then mounting the stones on pieces of rebar, which are
pounded into the lawn like tent stakes. I'm sure this works great, but I didn't
want hollow stones, so I took some scrap pieces of 1/4 inch plywood that fit to
the bottom of my stones, pounded some long nails through them (it might help to
drill pilot holes in the wood first), then glued the piece to the bottom of the
stone with liquid Nails. It works great so far- I haven't had to reinforce this
method for over three years. One drawback: the nails are sharp! When you put
your stones in storage, be sure to keep them somewhere where nobody can trip
over them or bump into them. For taller stones, like the large crosses, I had
to buy a few 2 foot-long metal dowel rods, sharpen the ends with a grinder or
file, coat them with Liquid Nails, and carefully insert them into the bottom of
the crosses, trying not to punch through the exterior of the stone. It helps to
hold the stone flat against a wall when doing
this.
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Now that you know the basics, you can start building
elaborate tombs and monuments as well! Just remember, unless you plan on
leaving your stones up all year, which I'm sure your neighbors would love, keep
in mind you need lots of room to store all your props. It won't be long before
you have a yard full of graves! |
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