Do-It Yourself Graves
Making a Halloween Graveyard
by Kathy Wilson
Step One Supplies: Buy an appropriate amount of quick dry cement at
your local hardware store such as Quikrete. For Example, for a 2ft by
1ft headstone, one bag is generally a good amount. You will also need
a shovel or trowel to outline and dig the mold for your headstones.
Once the headstones are completed, you will need support to hold them
up. I like to use 1/2inch-3/4inch diameter wooden dowels that you can
find at any home improvement store, or even Wal-Mart!
Step Two: Making the Molds: Find an area in your yard where digging
small holes won't disrupt anything. I generally like to use the back
corner of my backyard where there it is a bit more open. Once you
find a good spot, trace an outline of how you want your headstones to
look with a stick, or even your gloved hand! Once you've done that,
Its time to start digging. Take your shovel or trowel, and dig out
the outline you have just traced. It doesn't need to be too deep; 4-6
inches should be fine. Once you have it dug out, lightly step in it
to compact the dirt as best you can. (Don't worry if the dirt is
still loose. It will stick to the concrete, but once dried, it
brushes right off!)
Step Three: Pouring the Cement: Carefully place a bag of quick dry
cement close by to each of your molds. Use the sharp edge of your
shovel to break open the bag using your foot as you step down on to
it, like shown. Once you've done this, carefully pour the bad into
each of the molds. Smooth out the mixture as evenly as you can
(doesn't have to be perfect.) Using a spray nozzle, gently wet down
the cement until it is thoroughly saturated. Depending on the
temperature of your region, it will probably take a couple of days
for your headstones to cure.
Step Four Cleaning: After a few days have passed, you can pull up
your headstones. They will be heavy, so be careful and lift with your
legs . Once you get them in place, you will need to clean off the
excess dirt and ground material before you can paint. I used a wire
brush that many people use to clean the grill of a barbeque. If you
don't have access to that, a steel wool pad or a Dobe pad should work
just fine. Allow the headstones to dry before your move on to Step
Five.
Step Five Painting: Once the headstones are dry, it is time to paint.
There are so many options for this step. You can use the
classic "RIP". Or you can find other phrases on the internet such
as "Gil T Conscience" or "Sonny Cydeup Buried face down." The
possibilities are endless. Once you have decided on what your
headstones will say, use a paintbrush and free hand the wording. (It
gives the spooky effect of a cemetery. No need to be perfect
handwriting. However, you can always use an alphabet stencil of
choice if that better suites you.)
Step Six: Putting your Graveyard together: Now comes the fun part,
making your headstones into a spooky graveyard! As we talked earlier
in Step One, you will be using the wooden dowels to prop up the
headstones. I find it easiest to sharpen one end of the dowels to a
point (not too sharp, just enough to get it into the ground with
ease.) The best way to do that is to carefully use a razor blade and
use a fluid motion and take little strips off at a time. Like I said,
you don't want them to be to thin or a sharp point. Also, the dowels
are pretty long, so you can cut each one in half and save some money
by only needing one dowel per headstone. Once you have your dowels
ready, gently tap them into the ground at an angle with a hammer,
careful not to split them. Once you have them sturdily in the ground,
gently lean the headstone against it and Ta Da! You have yourself
your very own Graveyard!
Photos can be found at
http://www.thebudgetdecorator.com/halloween_graves.html
Kathy Wilson is a home and garden writer, author and consultant and
is the home decorating expert for LifetimeTV.com. Visit her for more
home and garden ideas at
http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com and
http://www.TheGardenGlove.com.
Also visit her at http://www.Women-on-
the-Net.com where any woman can learn to make money on the internet!