Nothing sets the Halloween mood like eerie headstones in your yard or home. Craft various sizes and shapes for maximum impact using affordable Styrofoam.
Start with a large Styrofoam sheet to create four substantial headstones at a fraction of the cost of store-bought ones.
Use carbon paper to sketch your design and epitaph. Secure the paper with tape, then trace with a pen. Reinforce faint lines with a marker for clear transfer to the Styrofoam.
In a well-ventilated space, trace pattern lines with a hot tool like a soldering iron (image 1). Move quickly as the heat melts Styrofoam instantly. For deeper cracks, linger and drag the tool (image 2). Use an X-Acto knife for precise cuts.
Mix drywall compound with tinted latex paint to make Monster Mud. Brush it over the entire headstone, covering all sides (image 1). Let each side dry fully—no Styrofoam should show (image 2).
Get instructions to make Monster Mud.
Once dry, use a damp brush with dark gray craft paint (or mixed black and white) on raised areas. Leave some mud visible for authentic stone tones.
Paint recessed or carved surfaces black with a fine brush to make details pop. Allow to dry.
With a dry, wide brush and minimal white paint, lightly drag across the surface. It catches on textures, mimicking aged stone.
For realism, drip brown craft paint from a wet brush starting at the top (image 1). Let dry. Your finished headstone is ideal for indoor or outdoor Halloween displays (image 2).
Expert creators Lynne and Shawn Mitchell run the website How to Haunt Your House and authored How to Haunt Your House books I and II.
