Halloween Tombstones

I got some ghosts at the Dollar Tree and hung them in the backyard. I kept looking at them and thought, tombstones. There needs to be tombstones. So I went back to the Dollar Tree. They had one. Not one style. One. I went to three other stores. No tombstones. So I decided I'd make them. 

I started with a large piece of foam core board. Then I went online and found some tombstone designs I liked and couple of good names for them. 

Here's how you do it:

YOU WILL NEED:

• Large foam core board (I made two stones from one sheet)
• Knife or exacto to cut the board
• Dark grey and light grey spray paint
• Black and white acrylic paint
• Wide flat brush
• Paint mixing tray
• 2 bamboo skewers per tombstone
• Weather proof acrylic sealer spray - matte finish

CUT THE BOARD

Draw the stone shape onto the core board. Lay it on a thick piece of cardboard and cut the shape out with a knife or exacto blade. Trim any flapping ends.

PAINT THE STONE

Place the pieces in a large box. This will prop it for the paint and help to contain the spray. 

Spray with the darkest shade first. It doesn't have to fully cover. Spots of white showing through is ok. Next, paint with the lighter shade. When you're finished, you'll have what looks like an old, cement stone. Allow to dry.

DETAILING THE TOMBSTONE

Using a pencil, lightly draw the design you want your headstone to be. I made two and sketched them at the same time.

Next, get your supplies ready. I use an old dish towel under the piece and to corral all my supplies. 

Put the black paint in the center of the paint mixing tray. You'll need a large amount of black. On one the of the side wells, place a small amount of white. Carefully mix in some black so you have a gray shade.

Using the larger flat brush, carefully brush a line on the penciled areas. 

Put the brush in some water and begin to pull some of the paint from the line to the area around the element. Keep working the area until you have a line with an area of semi-blended black below it.

Using the gray paint, gently brush the top of the element to give it a little pop.

It's easier to work the lines in segments so you can pull with the water while it's still wet. The more marbling the better. 

Using black paint, write the name on the stone. As you can see by mine, I'm not that great at lettering, but they will be outside at a distance. 



Allow the paint to dry.

SEAL THE PAINT 

Using a weather proof sealer, spray both sides of the stones. Allow it to dry and give it a second code. 

FINISHING

After the tombstones are totally dry, push the wooden skewers into the bottom of the piece, using the pointed end. 

And there you go!

Happy Haunting!