Easy Mausoleum for Halloween

Today you will learn how to make a Mausoleum prop for Halloween! It only takes a few hours and uses very little parts. This setup will allow full unobstructed use of the garage door.

When making Halloween props my 2 goals are;
1: It has to look big
2: It has to disassemble and fit into a small space.

This fits the build perfect! It's the size of my garage door and when I'm done it fits into a bag to be stored into the attic.

OK let's get started!

Step 1: Tools and Parts

Tools Needed:

Utility knife
Gorilla glue
Med paint brush


Parts needed:

White Styrofoam installation panels (found at your local hardware store)
Magnets of your choice (I used ones I found at the local hardware store) 
Large letter stencils 
Grey spray paint 
Black latex paint

Step 2: Building It

Take the foam board and cut it to the desired size and glue 4 magnets on one side and let dry (see pic)  

Once the glue has dried turn over and use the grey spray paint and lightly "dust" paint. (if you go heavy the foam will start to dissolve) Once dry keep "dust" spraying till you get the desired coverage don't forget the edges, Let dry.

While you wait for the paint to dry you can use this time to come up with names or sayings for the stones.

Once the grey paint is dry lay out the stencils and use brush and black paint and dab on the paint. If you load it on it may take longer before you can move on to the next letter so be careful.

Step 3: Install and Enjoy

Now that everything is done all you have to do is place each stone on the garage door evenly spaced apart. Add some light effect and enjoy. I have had lots of great comments from the neighbors!

Comments

[yokeddruid]

Love this we never know how to "hide " the garage during Halloween.

[wirenut1980]

Thank you for the comment. I didn't post it but I have since made an upgraded version. It uses the blue foam board due to it holding up better long term. If you decide to make something like this I would enjoy seeing the pictures.

[smurfettechick]

We are going to make this. Do you have any new or tips after all these years?

[GregS256]

Awesome! I do have a few tips. Use the blue foam board, it's easier and sturdier. Keep it simple, I tried to make a full wall on the door with longer moving panels that overlaid the lower door panels. I wanted to still be able to use the door. It kept sliding down, the wind kept getting underneath and removing panels. So smaller is better and get a good feel for the magnets. Add the amount I used on a test piece, the place on your door and see if it feels like it will stick well. Some garage doors have different metal grades that are thicker or thiner or different metal mixes. You can always add a few more magnets if needed. Post a pic of your project, I'd love to see it!

[smurfettechick]

We could not find the foam board so we used plastic that is as thick as poster board. This is the final result. We ended up having to buy more magnetic tape than we planned for because it is windy where we live. Thank you so much for the extra tips.

[GregS256]

That looks awesome! I love the names you chose as well. You should make an instructables on how you made yours and enter it into the Halloween contest.