Read all directions before starting this project.
This one sounds really
expensive, but if you break it down and consider that you can get up to seven or more stones out of one 4X8 foot sheet of
styrofoam the cost of each one is reasonable. How you may ask? Click on the grid page link to the left and you'll
go to two of my quarter inch grid layout sheets. In reality your tombstones don't have to be "life" size to be good props.
However if they are to small you'll lose the effect. It's best to keep most sizes between two and four feet tall.
STEP ONE
With your quarter inch
grid paper and ruler draw out a four by eight inch rectangle. Mark each inch as a foot ( 4 on the short side, 8 on the long).
This makes each 1/4 in. square equal to 3 inches. Now draw in you tombstones. Make sure to keep even the narrowest one
no skinnier than 15 inches and your shortest one no shorter that 2 feet.
It may be hard to
imagine the size of each stone until you start transferring there measurements to the styrofoam. You might want to check out
a few of your designs on newspaper. Cut them out and pin them up. Take a good look. If you like them, there good. Also
it's easier to very the style of tombstones once you start transferring the stones to the styrofoam.
STEP TWO
Now place your 4x8
sheet of styrofoam on a large work space with no obstructions. Starting at one corner, measure out the first tombstone. Make
sure you keep it's height and width just like it is on your grid paper. Don't mark the styrofoam any more than you have to.
The black ink may bleed threw your paint. Measure out your remaining stones. A trick to keep the inner ones straight is to
mark there positions on both sides of the outer edges and use a tape measurer to position them where they need to be..
Live and learn. Use
a black marker for all your tombstones. Red or blue will bleed threw the paint and are hard to cover up.
STEP THREE
When cutting our your stones
there are a few things to keep in mind. One, styrofoam is messy. Make sure where your working can be easily cleaned up. Two
is your knife. It should go all the way through the styrofoam in one cut. Three, when cutting a curve cut the hole curve in
one pass. Stopping and starting will only leave a ridge. Four, take your time. Don't get too upset if you can't
keep the knife straight all the time. Any small angle isn't going to be noticed by anyone but you. Cut out all your
tombstones.
STEP FOUR
With a large brush or roller
and tray paint your tombstones with the flat white exterior house paint. It is very important to completely cover the raw
edges of the styrofoam with paint. Any moisture that gets in will warp the stone. Let dry. You will need more than one coat
to keep the aluminum from showing through. Because our stones are in the front yard and we didn't want them seen from the
street I painted the backs flat black. This hid the wooden supports as well. I started with a flat white because most of the
old graveyards around here used limestone.
STEP FIVE
Now you will need the black craft pain.
The flat exterior house paint. A small boll and paper towels. And something to mix the paint with. In the small boll add a
dollop (about three table spoons) of your white paint. Mix in enough of the black paint to make a light gray ( a little goes
a long way ). Wad up a paper towel and lightly dip one end into your gray paint. Moving in the direction your tombstone
will stand smear the gray paint on. Don't cover up all the white. Add more black paint to your gray to darken it and add this
new color to your stone. This will give it better texture. You don't need to get as carried away with this as I did. I admit
that my stones are a bit cartoony. Remember, less is more.
You can also very the color of you tombstones
by adding different color paint to the gray.
let this dry Tint or use what color
looks best in your area.
STEP SIX
Finger Painting Fun!!!
All I did to get the detail on each tombstone was to mix black and white paint to get a deep dark gray and a 1/4 inch paint
brush. Paint on a small section and while the paint is wet smear it downward with your fingers. To get a 3D R. I. P.
and cross use the outlines bellow.
STEP SEVEN
You will need two pieces of
wood for each stone. One to be glued to the back of the stone and one to be uses as a spike. To set the stone up you’ll
pound the end of the spike into the ground and then use wood screws to attach the two pieces of wood together. Don't try to
pound the wood on the back of the tombstone into the ground. This will damage your stone. Rip a 2x4 into three pieces
length wise. ( 2 at 1 1/4 inch and on at 1 inch ). Or cut a 2x2 to size. The length of wood to be glued to the back
of the tombstone should be no less than 1/3 it’s height. For tall stones it’s a good idea to have longer spikes.
This will give the stone more stability. After determining the length of wood you’ll need cut them out and paint them.
to match the back of the tombstone.
