Cemeteries are one of the most popular Halloween scenes that home haunters create. It might even be safe to say that many home haunters began their own prop collection with just a few simple tombstones and a skull or two. One of the ideal bonuses with graveyard scenarios is that they are easy to add to year after year and never get old in the eyes of Trick or Treaters. Cemeteries and tombstones, as Halloween props, represent something most people fear terribly and that is death. And as we all know and love, that's what a fun and scary Halloween is all about! So, recreating a similar look and feel is the objective. One that leaves an eerie feeling in your scary bone!Imagine taking a short cut thru this cemetery at night, in the dark, alone. You hear noises, shadows move suddenly past the headstones and you're quite sure you are being followed!!...now, just recreate that same vision in your own version of the neighbourhood's scariest house cemetery. Think quality not quantity, little bits of this and that begin to look much like clutter and have less impact.
Graveyards are perfect for the home haunt because they are effective, cover alot of ground (or not), are easy to make and also affordable. To enhance the creepiness of your cemetery build an entrance with a gate and fencing then randomly place your tombstones. Rake leaves into long piles in front of each tombstone to appear like a fresh grave. Add lighting, fog, a live scare'actor' playing the Gravekeeper and of course, dead people (fake ones only!!).
How to Make Tombstone Props
Supplies reguired to build Tombstone Props
Scrap pieces of 3/4" plywood, scrap pieces of 2x2 for stakes (cut on angle), saw, nails 1 1/2", pencil, black and white outdoor paint, paint brush.
Steps Required
Use the pencil to draw the outline of your desired tombstone. Use saw to cut it out. Nail the stake securely onto the back of the tombstone. Paint a base coat of black and let dry. Using both the black and the white paint (which also makes grey) and put the details onto your headstones. Write quips on the tombstones that mark either the 'death' or current resting place of Jack the Ripper, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger or Carrie. Or get inventive such as You're Next, R.I.P., Former Neighbour, C U Soon!, Rise Again Doughboy, Wanted Dead or Alive, Died Yesterday!, Better Off Dead etc.
Tips
There are many different products you could use to create your tombstones so try to think about what you may have around the house. I have made them out of wood, styrofoam and cardboard the first one being the most durable and long lasting. Thick styrofoam will work but is very light and blew away all the time. So then I tried to glue a stick to it and then I'd poke it in the ground but the styrofoam melted away (wrong type of glue, not good!). Cardboard, well that barely lasted half the season once it rained and I've learnt, it always rains.
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