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Foam Tombstones for a Gothic Halloween Front Porch
- Goes in Staked into the lawn
- Weather Wind-sensitive; stake deep
- Best for Classic graveyard
A small graveyard sets the tone before anyone reaches the door. Foam tombstones are light, cheap and easy to move, and a group of three to five looks more convincing than a field of twenty.
What you will need
- Three to five foam tombstones in different shapes and sizes
- The plastic stakes that come with them, or longer ground stakes
- Gray, green and black spray paint, if you want to age them
- A rubber mallet
- Fishing line or zip ties for windy days
How to set it up
- Pick a patch of lawn beside the walkway, not on it. Group the stones close together, with a gap of one to three feet between them.
- Age plain white or gray stones: spray a light mist of green and black along the base and edges, and let them dry.
- Push the stakes in as deep as the ground allows. Wet ground takes a stake easily, and dry ground may need a few taps with the mallet.
- Angle two or three stones slightly so they look old and sunken, and set the tallest one at the back.
- On windy nights, tie each stone to its stake with a zip tie or loop fishing line around the stone and stake.
- Add a little low light: a battery LED uplight or a lantern in front of the group.
Where it goes
Weather
Foam is very light, so wind will tip an unstaked stone easily. Check the stones after a storm and bring them in if gusts are strong. Rain does not hurt foam, but standing water can wash out paint.
Mistakes to avoid
- Stones placed on the walkway or too close to it, where they get kicked or caught on a wheel.
- Short stakes that pull out with the first gust.
- A long row of identical stones, which looks like a parade instead of a graveyard.
Make it better
Add a low black iron-style fence behind the stones, a skeletal hand poking from the ground and a few dead stems or dried branches.
Where to buy
A set that fits a small graveyard: JOYIN 16-inch Halloween tombstones, 9-piece set with 18 metal stakes. These are plastic headstones, not foam, so they are a little sturdier in wind, but stake every one anyway. Keep the metal stakes well away from the walkway so nobody trips on them or catches a wheel.
Safety for every piece
- Keep an accessible route from the sidewalk to the door at least 36 inches wide, and wider if you can. Nothing sticks out into it, no cords cross it and no stakes line it.
- Light every step edge. Fog, webs and costumes make edges hard to see.
- Use outdoor-rated lights and cords, plug them into a GFCI outlet and keep connections off wet ground.
- Keep decor off the handrail, the door, the house number and the doorbell.