Once upon a time (that time being 2012) we created our own custom graveyard for a photoshoot! I took photos of the process of how I made all the unique tombstones for the shoot and created this quick tutorial on making your own. I posted it back then also but it’s been quite a while, so it’s definitely worth revisiting. Tombstones never go out of style!

Materials:

-Polystyrene insulation. We used the 1/2″ thick stuff, we had 2 sheets of it. Can be found at your local hardware/construction shop fairly cheaply. It’s a firm sheet insulation of various widths, comes in blue and pink.

-Box cutter. Ideally you have one of those heat-up wire dealies for cutting foam, we did not and it’s tricky with a box-cutter, but it can be done.

-Water based primer paint. It has to be latex or water based, everything else disintegrates the foam. We used a light grey color, a dark grey would work also.

-Medium grit sandpaper. We used those nice little squares with the foamy middles as you can get 3 in a pack for like $1.50. A heavier grit would tear the foam.

-Paint brushes. Various sizes.

-Xacto knife or craft knife or some kind.

-Rags or paper towel.

-Acrylic paints.

Step One:

Cut out your tombstone shapes from the polystyrene insulation. Trace outlines in pencil onto the foam and then saw away with your blade. Remember tombstones come in all kinds of interesting shapes and sizes, try to vary the ones you create so they look realistic when arranged. This can be tricky as the foam is stiffer than it looks, be patient and saw (not slice) for best results. Sand the edges with the medium grit sandpaper for a smooth finish.

Step Two:

Prime the stones! Paint a thick coat of the primer over the stones and allow to dry completely.

Step Three:

Paint and distress your stones!

We started by layering shades of grey paint sloppily onto the stone and then scratched and distressed the paint with rags and paper towel to give it an uneven realistic look. Then we painted lettering and designs onto the stones with a darker grey paint (black is too cartoonish). Then distressed them some more.

Last we dripped light grey and medium grey watered down paint over the stones for a rained-on and weather-beaten look! We even sawed into some with a butter knife (tricky) to create false cracks (dab inside the cracks with paint or else the pink foam inside is visible which kind of dispels the magic, haha) to give the stones an abandoned feel.

We taped small wooden dowels to the backs to mount them in the ground. 🙂

Voila! Your very own graveyard! 

-Tae