Cardboard Tombstones
Turn shipping boxes and scrap cardboard into a hauntingly realistic backyard cemetery. With some clever cutting, texturing, and painting techniques, simple cardboard can mimic heavy, weathered stone that has stood for centuries. This project is highly customizable, allowing you to write your own spooky, punny, or classic gothic epitaphs on each marker.
Cut out various tombstone shapes from thick cardboard. To add realistic texture, cover them with a thin layer of paper mache or spray them with textured stone spray paint. Once dry, apply a base coat of charcoal gray paint. Use a dry-brush technique with light gray and white paint to catch the raised edges, creating a three-dimensional stone effect. Add faux moss, plastic spiders, and dark gray washes in the crevices to simulate decades of decay. Secure them to your lawn using wooden garden stakes taped securely to the back.