DIY Tombstones

I've been wanting to try these for awhile. They're cool because it doesn't require an exacto knife or cutting into the Styrofoam and making a huge mess. You just have to have some skill with a glue gun.

I found some unused insulation/Styrofoam in a box that was a good size. I cut out the rough shape of a tombstone, and drew some designs on them with a sharpie. The first one was pretty basic--R.I.P. and a couple cracks here and there (Have I mentioned the lack of artistic skill? Yeah--there's none). The second one I tried some Celtic designs, some skull and bones crosses, and a more elaborate outline.

Next step--fired up the glue gun and started tracing over the marker in hot glue. The main thing to remember--especially for the letters, is to go slowly, and squeeze until you have the width you want. This creates a more seamless line, as opposed to going back and forth over the entire length. I made that mistake on the 'R' and it turned out kind of wonky.

The spider on the second one was actually pretty easy--though the skull and bones were a little difficult. The Celtic pattern was very easy, and I was wishing I had done a more elaborate design.

After they had been given time to cool and were firm to the touch, I headed out to the garage to do some spraypainting. Because the insulation was pink, I opted to do a thin layer of (flat) black first. The stone/texture paint doesn't have as good coverage, so it made it easier if I ran out of the paint. Plus, it tends to give it an aged/mottled look.

I just have to attach these to some stakes and they'll be all set to put out on the cemetery.