Make your own Halloween Tombstone using Direct Colors Inc. products! It's easy!

Tools Required:
• Large Piece of Cardboard

• Front of Our Cardboard Tombstone is 25" tall, 21" wide and 3" deep

• Craft Knife
• Small Putty Knife
• 2 Metal Stakes

• We cut metal electrical conduits a few inches taller than the full height of the tombstone

• Small Foam Brush

Direct Colors Inc. Products Required:
• Sprayable Satin Finish Sealer
• DCI Concrete Overlay
• Deco Gel Concrete Acid Stain
• DCI Acetone-based Concrete Dye
• Preval Aerosol Sprayer

Additional Products Required:
• 3M Multipurpose Adhesive

Time Required: 3 Days

Step 1: Measure Flattened Cardboard to Preferred Width, Height and Depth

• Our tombstone is 25" tall, 21" wide and 3" deep

Using a craft knife, cut your cardboard to desired specs. Make joints in the cardboard by scoring the topmost layer, leaving the rest of the cardboard intact. Bend cardboard away from the score line to create a clean joint.

Cut additional pieces of cardboard for supports. Score and bend the support pieces for clean joints.

Step 2: Tape Interior Supports

Tape interior supports to the inside of your cardboard tombstone to maintain the shape of your box and support the weight of the concrete overlay.

Once interior supports are in place, tape your concrete tombstone closed.

Step 3: Design Your Accents

Design and draw accents onto spare pieces of cardboard.

Using a craft knife, carefully cut out the cardboard accents and attach to your tombstone with 3M Multipurpose Adhesive.

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Step 4: Seal the Cardboard to Prep for Concrete Overlay Application and Protect From Adverse Weather

Seal the entire project (front, back and sides) using Sprayable Satin Finish Sealer.

*Note: Allow project to dry for at least 24 hours before proceeding.

Step 5: Mix and Apply DCI Concrete Overlay to Tombstone

Mix DCI Concrete Overlay and apply to cardboard tombstone using a small putty knife.

*Note: Allow DCI Concrete Overlay to dry for at least 6 hours before applying any colorant such as Deco Gel Acid Stain or DCI Concrete Dye.

Step 6: Use Colorant to Define Your Tombstone

Define your concrete tombstone with a colorant such as Deco Gel Concrete Acid Stain and DCI Acetone-based Concrete Dye.

• We used Shifting Sand Deco Gel Acid Stain and DCI Concrete Dye in Charcoal and Ash Brown.

*Note: When using Deco Gel Concrete Acid Stain, be sure to follow all directions regarding application, activation times and neutralization.

Step 7: Seal Again to Protect the Color

Seal your project again using Sprayable Satin Finish Sealer to protect the color.

*Note: Allow project to dry for at least 24 hours before proceeding.

Step 8: Make X Cuts on the Bottom of the Tombstone to Attach Metal Stakes

• We made cuts near each bottom corner of the tombstone so our stakes would support the project.

Step 9: Cut 2 Metal Stakes Roughly 6 Inches Taller Than the Height of the Tombstone

You can use re-bar, metal conduits, etc. as stakes.

• We used metal electrical conduits for our stakes (they just happened to be on hand at the time)

Step 10: Find a Spot to Display Your Faux Tombstone

Measure the location of the X cuts on the bottom of your project, make a mark in your yard where your stakes should be set, then drive the metal stakes into the ground using a pretty solid hammer

Carefully match up your X cuts on the bottom of your tombstone with the location of the grounded stakes.

Gently apply pressure so the stakes are completely inserted into the tombstone and the tombstone touches the ground

***This may take a little trial and error***