Taylor Family Haunt 2007

How to build a cemetery entrance for your home Haunt. Really adds the extra touch! As a bonus, it gives you a place to put things out of the weather!

I added several lights, outlets and shelving for my stereo, but really you could pretty much anything or nothing in there.

Step 1 First: Sketch what you want this to look like...and make a short parts list

I always like to have a basic idea of what I am trying to accomplish with these projects. It doesn't need to be very detailed or to scale at all. I use this as my blueprint for when I have to figure out how I am going to do this.

I usually have more than one idea sketched out, so I go back and figure out what I think I can afford.

The first idea involved making a accordion structure that would segment the walkway to my front door to create "rooms" as the kids walked up. I still may do this, but not this year - last year was too spooky and some kids would not come up the walk so I am trying to tone it down...

Back to the project - after I sketched the cemetery gate, I estimated what I would need in minimums.

2 - 4x8 sheets of cheap plywood
20 - 10' 1/2 PVC pipe (schedule 40 - sprinkler pipe)
4 - 2x4 8' long
6 - 1x4 8' long
6 - PVC 3/4" to 1/2" T fitting (close up to follow)
6 - PVC 1/2" end caps
1 - 4x8 sheet of pink (or blue) home insulating foam board
Foam board glue
Drywall screws
Spray paint - cheap stuff $.99 black and gray (gray is double what the black is but you only need 2 cans - I used 12 cans of black on this project)

I needed other stuff too - but I have a pretty good stock of random parts and hardware as I have been doing this for about 20 years now...

Comments

[timsbro2000]

in looking at your pictures i notice you already have a lot of brickwork: house, mailbox, etc. did you ever consider decorating your columns to coordinate? just a thought.

[AKmoosenugget]

Thank you for such a great plan.
The only difference I did was painting the rocks gray. I kept having trouble with overspray in the cracks and it would drown out the black. I finally resulted to using a roller.
Great results. I just sprayed the roller and then painted the rocks.
I also made a spider web gun. Awesome results. It covers the rocks and encases the skulls in cob webs.

[ThaNorwegianDude]

LOL @ the last pic R.I.P. Ronald McDonald hahah

[Dead Things]

Very Cool! I like the Burtonesque look. I need to build some as well and I am tempted to use your idea.  Hope you don't mind.

[MacGyver1138]

This looks great.  Your house looks like a good style for this type of thing, too. 

Do all of your decorations take a ton of storage space when disassembled?

[IX Smith XI]

You know you should add blood to the dead run over body. Use a blood shooter.

[Mexicanjedi]

cool

[Hallowennie315]

Wow! That is a great idea with the fake column shape on top of the rectangle column stand/holder for your lights/speakers. I used a flicker circuit on some old wall sconces to put them on some cemetery columns but I didn't think i would get the chance to make them for this year. These columns are sooo easy! (do you mind if i use your idea?) THanks, and they look great!

[canida]

That looks awesome. Nice job!

[tiki_robot]

Thank you! It is always nice to be appreciated! Check back as I will post our next projects earlier!

[tiki_robot]

BTW, we plan on using these for a Tim Burton costume ball early next year...fitting.

[zuixro]

Man, Those are freaking awesome. I'd love to build a set, but I have neither the budget, nor the space to store them. Abbey Normal... Would that be a reference to Young Frankenstein. I love that movie. Great instructable, very clear.

[tiki_robot]

Thanks! Yes...Abbey Normal - I have made it a tradition to allow the kids to name the tombstones, regardless of how bizarre the inscription. For many years we had a tombstone that said "Combro - he was a good boy". My son Dylan came up with that one when he was 5 and we just kept it around. He has no idea where it came from. The kids are both old enough now to start drawing from the bounty of bad horror movies (or good) so our ideas are blossoming! Too bad we all grow up! Not!

[TeacherOfTheWays]

Wow this is extremely cool!, did a lot of people get freaked out?
It looks pretty impressive, too bad i didn't have the time to do this =(
Well, great instructable!

[tiki_robot]

Thanks for checking it out. Last year we had a few kids that wouldn't even enter the yard so I took it down a notch and added more lighting - this year everyone came into the yard and only one wouldn't knock on the door... I spent probably a week after work and two weekends full-time working on everything, but it so worth it when the kids get there! Thanks again!