I've seen people try to make them work. My clever neighbor has attached what looks like cheap butter knives absconded from local diners to the backs to replace the long broken wire "stands" these usually come with. It holds up fairly well and but still requires maintenance throughout windy October.
The polystone and resin tombstones that have come on the market lately are pretty impressive. Some are downright gorgeous (I'm looking you Grandin Road) but they can be rather expensive. I've picked some up over the years at end of the season sales and even then they're not cheap. They're durable though so I think worth the investment when timed right.
These weren't as readily available when I reached my threshold on the cheap foam one's after once again chasing them around the yard during a strong Santa Ana. Necessity drove that google search that day and ultimately I stumbled upon the answer. Concrete Tombstone Molds on eBay.
There's lots of designs, some unique to the vendor as well as those you see made out of foam. It's a pretty easy process for the DIY inclined, even if you haven't used concrete. There's the option of using plaster as well if you're more comfortable with that. I liked the concrete because once dried it was already well on it's way to looking authentic. Just a bit of black spray paint to help highlight the details and it was done.
Over the years I've picked up about 10 designs. The variety adds to the impact and is more effective overall. What real graveyard has exactly the same stone for every one of it's residents?!
I use Sand and Topping Mix from Quikrete available at most home improvement stores (I tend to find smaller bags at Lowe's and larger bags at Home Depot.) This is based on both trial and error as well as a recommendation from the company after the first few attempts weren't as perfect as I wanted.
Grease the inside of the mold with oil to make it easier to get out when dried. I used both baby oil and veggie oil. I liked the baby better mostly due to it's smell.
Mix the concrete according to the directions on the bag. It takes a bit of experimenting on how much each mold needs. I therefore typically prepped 2 or 3 molds and mixed 2 bags to ensure I had enough to fill a mold without leaving me with lots of left over, ready to pour concrete and no where to put it.
Fill about 1/3 and then shake and tap the mold to release air bubbles. I had a square of old carpet I laid down on the ground to protect the mold with a soft place to hit when tapped. I also found it was good to have some small wedges of wood around to keep the edges up. The weight of the concrete sometimes caused the mold to bend just a little, warping the stone. By placing blocks under the edges it kept things all in line.
Fill 2/3 full after you feel you've released all the trapped air and repeat the process. Fill to just under the upper edge of the mold. As the concrete settles, water will make it's way to the top so it helps to have some space for it to pool. This also helps keep the stone looking clean and authentic.
Let dry according to the package. Once dry, gently turn the mold over and tap the stone out. The piece of carpet comes in handy again here.
To give it that aged look and help define the details, spray with a flat black spray paint holding the bottle at an angle from the side, trying to just give areas a dusting of paint.
Landscape or surveyor stakes can be used to prop them up. Paint the stakes grey or black to help them blend in. I have yet to do that, over the years the one's I used have aged well enough they don't seem to need it anymore.
So there you go, a graveyard you can set and not worry about all month long. And it looks SO much more realistic! When not in use, store the stones outside so they continue to age. If you live in a nice, damp, mossy area consider partially burying them to encourage moss to grow. Frankly, if you do this I would LOVE to see pics. I tried but it's just too dang dry here in LA.
50 days till Halloween...plenty of time to build a graveyard.
