How to make a tombstone

A finished grey tombstone carved with RIP, standing on a mound with moss

How to carve a tombstone from Styrofoam and give it an aged stone finish.

A finished grey tombstone carved with RIP, standing on a mound with moss

Products used

Cut the shape

Choose a shape for your tombstone and sketch it onto a piece of Styrofoam. Then use a knife to cut carefully around the shape and remove the excess.

Once you have cut the shape, you can start to make it look more realistic. Cut out small bits, smooth the edges and scuff the surface to age the tombstone. Then add detailing, such as a ledge, an epitaph or carvings.

The front of a tombstone carved with a cross, in pale grey

We now stock dark grey Styrofoam, which is a better option for the base colour.

Seal and strengthen

Once you are happy with the look of your tombstone, seal and strengthen it. One great product for this is Foamcoat.

Foamcoat not only strengthens and seals, it can also be used to add texture. Once dry, it can be sanded and carved. You can also start to add colour at this stage by adding a small amount of black acrylic to the Foamcoat. Make sure you have completely covered the Styrofoam before you go on.

Paint it

Once the Foamcoat is fully dry, it is time to paint the tombstone. Apply a base coat of grey spray paint. You can hand paint it with acrylic, but it is easier to achieve a stone effect with spray paint.

Leave it to dry before adding the detail. This is best done with the dry brush technique: load your brush with paint, then remove most of it before applying the paint in layers. This gives a lighter and more realistic finish. Use this approach to highlight the edges, ledges and any other detailing.

To create moss effects, dry brush with green paint, then add small amounts of PVA, sprinkle with Green Texture and gently pad it down with your fingers. Once dry, dust off any remaining texture.

Continue using these techniques until you are happy with the overall effect.

The plain back of the tombstone, painted with a grey stone effect

Extra finishing touches

  • Make a base for it to stand on. We used a thick piece of wood.
  • Use off-cuts of Styrofoam to make the mounds at the base of the stone, and secure them with UHU Por.
  • Use dark brown Dirty Down ageing spray to give your tombstone an authentic look.
  • Add more Green Texture to create further moss effects.