To mark our first Halloween in the new house we’re throwing a fancy-dress party! To decorate the house, my boyfriend had the genius idea to make DIY tombstones out of breeze blocks.
I couldn’t believe how easy this was, and it’s also really cheap and quick too. All you need is a couple of breeze blocks (about £1.50 each), which you can buy from Wickes, as well as a few tools.
You will need:
- Breeze blocks (aerated blocks) – 1 brick makes two tombstones
- Saw, or jigsaw (optional)
- Hammer (for distressing the edges)
- Chisel or screwdriver (something with a sharp pointy edge)
- Pencil (optional)
How to make:
Start by sawing your breeze block in half (making two thin tombstones). Next, mark in pencil the shape you want to cut – you might want a rounded end, a rectangular end, or even a cross shape.
Depending on the shape, use a saw or jigsaw to remove the excess, and then use a hammer, saw or any other blunt instrument to chip away at the right-angle edges, leaving them looking ‘distressed’.
This will create a bit of dust, but it’s easy to sweep up at the end. Next, think about the message you want to inscribe on your tombstone. You can go with dates, messages, or even your guests’ names, to really freak them out.
We went with a simple ‘RIP’, and also an old year, ‘1806’ – no idea why, that one just came to mind. Using a chisel, or any sharp instrument you can get your hands on, scrape away the letters you want.
This is super easy, and you don’t have to be skilled or particularly accurate, as any mistakes you make only add to the ancient graveyard authenticity; the more rugged, the better.
Once done, you can place your tombstones in the garden to give trick-or-treat’ers a fright. To help them stand up (if your lawn isn’t flat), use a drill to partially insert a screw to act as a stand.
These took about 10-15 minutes per tombstone, and you can personalise them how you wish. They cast great shadows on the lawn by day, but you could also light them up to cast eery shadows by night.
What are you up to this Halloween? Share your Makes below.
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Shelley Makes 