After making my DIY Cemetery Columns a couple years ago, I also made a couple plaques to display the name of my cemetery and the year it was established. All in all, these were very cheap, simple and easy to make, especially since it required no power tools!
This content may contain affiliate links. I earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase. I may earn money, free services or complementary products from the companies mentioned in this post. All opinions are mine alone.
Supplies
- Old 5×7 or 4×6 frame
- Foam Sheets
- Foam Alphabet Stickers
- Black spray paint
- Antique Wax
- Gold Metallic Lustre
- Brilliant Turquoise Metallic Lustre
- Artificial Moss
- Elmer’s glue
- Gorilla super glue
Frame
To begin, I removed and discarded the glass from old wooden frames I purchased from Goodwill for a couple bucks. In this case, I used a couple 4×6 frames and one 5×7.
Next, I cut a craft Foam Sheet to fit inside my frame.
In order to keep things simple, I used the back of the frame to trace the size and shape onto the foam sheet, then cut along the lines.
Next, I placed the sheet inside the frame and replaced the back.
Plaque Lettering
After putting the frame back together, I then placed Foam Alphabet Stickers on the foam sheet to spell out my cemetery name and the year established. To illustrate, I used “Cottonwood Corner Cemetery” and “est. 1876”. Most recently, I made an additional plaque to place with my DIY Tombstones called the “Fischer Family Plot.”
In order to ensure the letters are aligned, you can draw grid lines on the foam sheet using a ruler. I’m somewhat inpatient and thus, just eyeballed it.
Painting the Plaques
Now that the letters were on, I used black spray paint on the entire frame, foam sheet, and lettering. The entire plaque should be covered, so with this in mind pay special attention to all the corners and crevices.
If as a result of using the spray paint, the foam bubbles up, this is okay. As a matter of fact, it just adds to the appearance of an aging plaque!
Aging the Plaques
After the paint had dried, I rubbed Antique Wax all over and then wiped it off before it was completely dry. As a result, and as the name of this stuff implies, it gives the plaques an antique appearance.
Next, I used Gold Metallic Lustre over the frame, the letters, and the foam sheet. A little of this stuff goes a very long way, so with this in mind, I just used my finger to wipe this on very softly.
I then used small amount of Brilliant Turquoise Metallic Lustre, placing this in various areas, notably on raised areas. Coupled with the Gold Metallic Lustre, the plaques obtain even more of a metallic, patina appearance.
Next, I glued a little artificial moss on in a few areas, accenting the plaques a bit further.
Finally, to mount the plaques to the cemetery columns, I first laid the columns down. I placed a generous but not overzealous amount of gorilla super glue on the back of the plaques and placed them where I wanted on the columns, as can be seen below.
Generally speaking, these were one of the simplest props I’ve ventured to make and were a lot of fun. Altogether, the plaques definitely accent the cemetery columns nicely. If you like this tutorial, be sure to check out the others on my blog, give me a thumbs up and subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post new material!
- 2017 Haunted Kansas Road Trip
- Stull Cemetery – History and Legend of the Gateway to Hell
- How to Prepare a Cauldron for “Bobbing for Boos”
- Easy Method For Rusting Metal To Look Old
- How To Transform Plastic Cauldrons to Look Authentic
Pingback: Terror House Haunt