Create A Spooky Halloween Graveyard

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year, second only to Christmas. And it all begins with decorating.  Starting with a spooky Halloween Graveyard is a great way to set the tone for your Halloween home!

How do you turn your front yard into a graveyard?  Use these fun tips to make it unique and boo-worthy!

Decorating a front yard can be a fun family activity. With the growing popularity of outdoor Halloween decor, more and more families are getting in on the fun of transforming their front yard into a “spooktacular” scene.

Start with Headstones

First things first, you have to buy or make some headstones. While you can make them, most stores sell Styrofoam headstones that are very realistic and start out blank for you to personalize.

If making your own, add some fun, unique names. For those who have been on the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney Parks, outside the ride there are a variety of tombstones like “M.T. Tomb” and “Theo Later”. Have fun coming up with your own humorous names.

After you have worked out how to personalize them, it’s time to get started. Grab your permanent markers and get to work. To keep the writing even, you may want to use a stencil for the names. Give the markers to the person with the neatest writing for the epitaphs, and have fun. Even if you mess up a little, nobody’s likely to notice but you.

Mark Your Graves

Once you have your gravestones personalized, it’s time to put them out on the lawn. Space them a little closer together than you would for a real grave yard.

Add some spiderwebs and/or colored lights for a spooky glow.  Strew a few bare branches around and a couple piles of leaves.  You’ll now have the basics of Halloween graveyard.

Toss In Some Props

If you’re feeling really creative, you can scatter some plastic bones and skulls around.  Add an old fashioned lantern or other props.

A fog machine can be added to create a more eerie effect. Skeletons and mummies can also be added, along with some chilling music playing in the background.

You can even find skeleton dragons and unicorns to add a bit of cute and spooky.  Whatever you do, have fun with it. This is your creation.

Decorate Your Landscape

Bushes and trees can be great for Halloween graveyard decorating. Spread fake spider webs over trees and bushes. Then, attach fake spiders and other creepy crawlers.

Add some garlands of skeletons and pumpkins. If there is an electrical outlet nearby, don’t forget to add some strands of light.

Place a Halloween cardboard cut-out on the front door. Add some dangling spiders and bats that the kids must make their way through to get to the front door. Having a life-sized creature such as a ghoul or a monster propped by the front door can also add to the eerie fun of the night.