[CemeteryHaunts]

Hey guys!

I wanted to share with you my YouTube page of me building some Tombstones. This IS NOT an attempt to sell stuff. This forum is for DIY'ers and I'm just sharing my work with other DIY'ers. I've been building my own Props for near 20 years now. And it seems year after year, walking into the Halloween stores, the Props are getting cheaper and cheaper. And not in cost, only quality! So, I've take making my own. Please, check out my YouTube page! Happy hauntings

 

[JW Halloween]

WOW! Your work is amazing - thanks for the video! And I agree that most of what you purchase in stores these days is crap!

 

[CemeteryHaunts]

Thanks so much for the compliment! You know, I’ve gone into only one Spirit Halloween this year and I’m far from impressed. Is it just me, or has the quality come way down? And I mean WAY down in the last few years. Everything seems super light, easy to accidentally break, paint detail is subpar and just overall too expensive for such crap. And the prices are rising. What’s going on??

 

[DeadED]

I thought mine were coming out well this year.

Saw yours.

I quit


Sitting back and watch Halloween pass me by now Great job.

 

[CemeteryHaunts]

Noooo, it’s not that kinda post! Lol!! I don’t want anyone to feel like their not doing a good job! Have fun making props! That’s what makes Halloween incredible for us! Halloween is my Christmas. And to be fair, this is my day job. This is what I do, I build props (and a music teacher in the evening). Only recently have I started to film them. It’s quite fun! Keep making your tombstones!! I just sent these 2 out. I really love the look they requested them to have

 

[Godcrusher]

Fantastic work.

 

[DeadED]

Noooo, it’s not that kinda post! Lol!! I don’t want anyone to feel like their not doing a good job! Have fun making props! That’s what makes Halloween incredible for us! Halloween is my Christmas. And to be fair, this is my day job. This is what I do, I build props (and a music teacher in the evening). Only recently have I started to film them. It’s quite fun! Keep making your tombstones!! I just sent these 2 out. I really love the look they requested them to have

Oh it is that kind of post! You showing those absolutely beautiful pieces of art. How could I not burn mine in tribute to superiority?

I can't even get the paper to stick with glue while routing You put two little pieces of tape and it just fine....

Oh I get it witchy powers

 

[DeadED]

P.S.

Not really burning them it is just the jealousy talking.

Subscribed because well I want to steal, I mean, er um, learn some techniques

 

[stick]

I want to say that your stuff looks GREAT and if you have been doing this for 20 years you must have started when you were in diapers.
I would also have to agree with you that the stuff that Spirit sells has drop in quality but the prices have gone thru the roof. Spirit gets the people that do not know how to make things or want to learn.

 

[CemeteryHaunts]

Lol! I wish I could tell you how I get them to stay put, they alway do! Lol! I don't mind at all sharing techniques with fellow haunters. There's tons to learn from each other! Art and music always just came natural. We've got strong art, music and carpentry that run on both sides of the family. Funny enough my sister has absolutely no skills at all. She always *****es that I got everything and she got nothing! For a while I just made my own Props because they looked more authentic and better quality than the stores. Plus I can't always find what I want. The stores suck anymore. Good for people who don't really get into the holiday and do t care about "cheesy". Not people like us who NEED it to look just right.

 

[CemeteryHaunts]

I want to say that your stuff looks GREAT and if you have been doing this for 20 years you must have started when you were in diapers.
I would also have to agree with you that the stuff that Spirit sells has drop in quality but the prices have gone thru the roof. Spirit get the people that do not how to make things or want to learn.

I'll take the diapers compliment over anything else! Thank you! But I'll be quite honest and tell you I'm 42. I'd take 24 any day!
I saw this headless girl static prop in spirit for $129. It looked cool from a distance and thought it would look good in the cemetery. But after closer inspection, the clothes were really thin and an even thinner armature with no real frame to give depth. And you what $129 for this?? I could make one for $20 in material. This is BS

 

[Bryan316]

Folks, don't look at someone else's work as an insult to yours. Don't come here to be let down. Come here to be inspired! Learn! Improve! Study! Experiment!

Seriously, everyone, we're sharing to help teach each other the coolest ways to achieve our goals and translate our imaginations. Even pros who do this as a job, cannot possibly sell their products to all of us here, simply due to logistics alone. Some of us are lucky to earn a buck. Some of us will never afford that buck, so we'd rather spend a few cents to try it ourselves.

We all come here, to show off, to everyone's benefit. Remember that.

 

[CemeteryHaunts]

Folks, don't look at someone else's work as an insult to yours. Don't come here to be let down. Come here to be inspired! Learn! Improve! Study! Experiment!

Seriously, everyone, we're sharing to help teach each other the coolest ways to achieve our goals and translate our imaginations. Even pros who do this as a job, cannot possibly sell their products to all of us here, simply due to logistics alone. Some of us are lucky to earn a buck. Some of us will never afford that buck, so we'd rather spend a few cents to try it ourselves.

We all come here, to show off, to everyone's benefit. Remember that.

Well put! It's all about the love of the holiday and being creative. Learning different tricks along the way. We're here cause it's fun to learn, fun to make our own stuff and show what we've created.

 

[Dminor]

Lol! I wish I could tell you how I get them to stay put, they alway do! Lol! I don't mind at all sharing techniques with fellow haunters. There's tons to learn from each other! Art and music always just came natural. We've got strong art, music and carpentry that run on both sides of the family. Funny enough my sister has absolutely no skills at all. She always *****es that I got everything and she got nothing! For a while I just made my own Props because they looked more authentic and better quality than the stores. Plus I can't always find what I want. The stores suck anymore. Good for people who don't really get into the holiday and do t care about "cheesy". Not people like us who NEED it to look just right.

Beautiful work! What are you coating the foam in?

 

[CemeteryHaunts]

What are you coating the foam in? Joint compound?

If it was going to be an exclusive indoor prop like most Halloween or Friday the 13th fans go with, joint compound would be the best. Since that isn’t outdoor friendly and would fall apart the moment dew hit it. I go with ready mixed concrete. That is guaranteed to hold up

 

[rmayer121]

These are absolutely amazing! How much time does it usually take you to do these? So for outdoor stones you use bags of concrete and put a thin layer over the foam? I guess you don't have to worry about cracking since that would just add to the effect.

 

[Pumpkinhead625]

Folks, don't look at someone else's work as an insult to yours. Don't come here to be let down. Come here to be inspired! Learn! Improve! Study! Experiment!

Seriously, everyone, we're sharing to help teach each other the coolest ways to achieve our goals and translate our imaginations. Even pros who do this as a job, cannot possibly sell their products to all of us here, simply due to logistics alone. Some of us are lucky to earn a buck. Some of us will never afford that buck, so we'd rather spend a few cents to try it ourselves.

We all come here, to show off, to everyone's benefit. Remember that.

I agree. Ten years ago I couldn't even imagine building some of the stuff I'm building now. I've learned so much, and had such inspiration from the folks here. If you do a little research, you'd be surprised how easy some of these props are to build, and I've found that most of the folks who build these masterpieces are more than willing to share their expertise.

 

[CemeteryHaunts]

I agree. Ten years ago I couldn't even imagine building some of the stuff I'm building now. I've learned so much, and had such inspiration from the folks here. If you do a little research, you'd be surprised how easy some of these props are to build, and I've found that most of the folks who build these masterpieces are more than willing to share their expertise.

Here here!!! Your absolutely right!

 

[CemeteryHaunts]

The Lady Baltimore stone took 24+ hrs to make. I’m just guestamating there. Normally anywhere from 3-6hrs. The video shows most of everything I do. It is sped up 800% and it’s still a 13min video! Lol! But I only put the concrete on stones that I double up thickness. This way it hides the seam and looks like stone too. It’s a win win in the art world! Lol! Everything else that looks like concrete or stone/weathering/pits is all done by shading and blending techniques. So everything you see is a totally flat surface. It’s all paint

 

[CemeteryHaunts]

I agree. Ten years ago I couldn't even imagine building some of the stuff I'm building now. I've learned so much, and had such inspiration from the folks here. If you do a little research, you'd be surprised how easy some of these props are to build, and I've found that most of the folks who build these masterpieces are more than willing to share their expertise.

The Lady Baltimore stone took 24+ hrs to make. I’m just guestamating there. Normally anywhere from 3-6hrs. The video shows most of everything I do. It is sped up 800% and it’s still a 13min video! Lol! But I only put the concrete on stones that I double up thickness. This way it hides the seam and looks like stone too. It’s a win win in the art world! Lol! Everything else that looks like concrete or stone/weathering/pits is all done by shading and blending techniques. So everything you see is a totally flat surface. It’s all paint