DIY Tombstones

Each year I love to create a spooky graveyard display for trick or treaters. While I used to be able to find sturdy, creative designs in big box stores, the past few years have left me disappointed.

This year, I want to try to make my own custom foam gravestone. I have scoured the internet to find some tips and tricks for DIY tombstones. Let’s take a look together and try something new!

The Supplies

To build your own tombstone, you will need a variety of materials:

Thick Insulation Foam Board
Acrylic Paints
Gorilla Glue
Sealer
Pencils
Sharpies

Common tools used include:

Utility Knife
Heat Gun
Paint Brushes
Rotary Tool
Surform Shaver

After many years of working with them on haunt conventions around the country, I also highly recommend Hot Wire Foam Factory. Stocking foams, tools, glues, and finishes, Hot Wire Foam Factory has everything you need to make professional-quality DIY tombstones. You can often find their representatives at haunt & horror conventions offering DIY Tombstone Make & Takes. Find a trade show or convention near you and see if they will be exhibiting! Their workshops are informative and excellent ways to learn new techniques – and they often have great deals on starter kits.

Tutorials

Here is a tutorial by Wicked Makers (one of my favorite Halloween DIY channels) on how to make a foam tombstone from scratch. It is a wonderful step-by-step guide.

But perhaps you already have a store-bought foam tombstone that is less than ideal for your dream set-up. Wicked Makers have you covered there too! See their video below for easy ways to bring that subpar prop back from the dead.

Enjoy Your DIY Tombstones!

I hope that these resources helped spark your creativity! Have you tried making your own DIY Tombstones? I would love to see them! Share your pictures and videos with me on Facebook or Instagram.

Want more DIY Halloween inspiration? Check out some of my favorite tutorial channels here.

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Halloween DIY Videos

Get ready for inspiration from some of my favorite Halloween DIY videos.

Halloween is a time for self-expression and creativity. Why settle for store-bought decor when you can make something unique and 100% you? Below are some how-to videos from talented creators who bring their dreams (or rather, nightmares) to life.

Never be afraid to try something new. Even though you may make mistakes and it may not come out perfect the first time, practice makes perfect. I am constantly inspired by and in awe of people who aren’t afraid to make something themselves. I hope that the below videos can do the same for you!

Autumn Bat Lamp - Christine McConnell

I first fell in love with Christine McConnell‘s dark and vintage style years ago when I received her cookbook, Deceptive Desserts: A Lady’s Guide to Baking Bad. While the book showcased gorgeous cakes and baked goods shaped to perfection, throughout McConnell kept reiterating that it was all about practice. She encouraged readers to just try things and not be afraid to fail. It started me on my journey to be a better baker and led me to try my hand at cupcake, cookie, donut, and pie decorating. I put my photos on Instagram and started to add recipes to this blog.

In 2018, I binged her Netflix series, The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell, where in between skits and Jim Henson Studio puppetry, she once again showed how to be a perfect horror homemaker, baker, woodworker, etc. Basically, everything she touches turns into a flawless vintage-inspired horror masterpiece. Sometimes that perfection can be daunting, as many of her projects are aimed more at master DIY-ers, but they can spark so many ideas and provide lofty goals as you level up your skills.

One DIY project I would love to work up to is her Autumn Bat Lamp. See the video below:

Watch all of her videos on her official Youtube channel.

Follow her on Instagram at @ChristineHMcconnell

Yokai Chochin Obake - Alexsandrea Kagachi

Recently I stumbled across Alexsandrea Kagachi’s Haunted Homemaking Youtube Channel. Her videos are the perfect mix of my two favorite themes: Halloween & Japanese folklore. She has the same dark vintage feel as Christine McConnell, but her DIYs are much more accessible to the beginner/moderately competent crafter. She also makes an effort to make her videos fun and whimsical with some puppet pals and fanciful set design. My favorite of her videos is this one in which she creates a life-size Chochin Obake yokai from a paper lantern.

Watch all of Alexsandrea Kagachi’s Haunted Homemaking videos on her official Youtube channel.

Follow her on Instagram at @alexsandreakagachi

Foxy Animatronic - Wicked Makers

Are you ready to upgrade your yard and home haunt displays? Jaimie and Jay of Wicked Makers have a myriad of DIY videos to teach you how to make unique animatronics from the ground up. They have videos for many different skill-levels – from how to plus Spirit Halloween animatronics, to building your own from scratch.

While they tackle all sorts of projects, they excel at making life-size versions of some of the most iconic horror video game characters. From Five Nights at Freddy’s to Poppy Playtime to Bendy and the Ink Machine, they have brought some of the best horror video game villains to life. My favorite creation of theirs is a Foxy Animatronic.

Watch all their videos on their official Youtube channel.

Follow them on Instagram at @WickedMakers

Vintage Halloween Party ideas from the 1920's - Nikk Alcaraz

While the Halloween homemaking DIY space is dominated by women, one man has truly stood out with his decor and baking – Nikk Alcaraz of Practical Peculiarities. Alcaraz’s Youtube channel is full of baking and vintage crafts to get you in the Halloween mood. 2024 saw the release of his first cookbook, Peculiar Baking. He leans heavily into vintage-inspired recipes and decor – while finding ways to make them appeal to modern horror/Halloween fans.

His videos are fun to watch and provide great guidance for beginner to moderate DIY-ers. Of course, if you have advanced skills, you can go above and beyond as well! I highly recommend starting with his Vintage Halloween Party Ideas from the 1920’s video to get a sense of his personality – and to try your hand at vintage-inspired decor and treats.

Watch all his videos on his official Youtube channel.

Follow him on Instagram at @practicalpeculiarities

Black Cat Decoration - Christopher Hiedeman

Christopher Hiedeman does not focus solely on Halloween DIY, but I really enjoy his vintage Halloween-inspired decor videos. He does a good job of breaking down the crafts into easy-to-follow and easy-to-replicate steps. They often utilize supplies that you either have on hand or can easily get at a craft store.

Here is a video on how to make a vintage-style black cat decoration with paper eyes & mouth that can be back-lit for a spooky mantle display.

Watch all his videos on his official Youtube channel.

Follow him on Instagram at @christopherhiedeman

These are just a few of the channels and videos I turn to for inspiration. With more creators sharing their projects daily, I look forward to discovering more.

Do you have DIY projects you love? I would love to see them! Share your pictures and videos with me on Facebook or Instagram.

DIY Tombstones

The Supplies

Tutorials