CREATING YOUR DESIGN

    The first thing you will want to do, obviously, is decide the style of cemetery you want. Are you going for a dark and gothic look, or a lighter humorous theme? Old West or early East Coast? Search the web for sites that have pictures of actual gravestones, or better yet, take your camera to an old cemetery. Memorial Day is a great day for this. Take a picnic. Old cemeteries are some of the most beautiful places in the world and can make for an enjoyable day with your loved one. 

After you have decided on your style, the next step is to design and draw out the basic shapes of the stones you want I have created a few templates from actual photos of old stones and have posted them  for you to download and print out if you like, but I have also used everything from trash can lids to garden hoses to create shapes. Be creative. Also search the web for other tombstone making sites, there are hundreds out there and mine is by no means the best.

DRILLING

With a 12" long 1/4" drill bit, drill two holes up from the bottom. This is where you will insert the metal posts that hold them in the ground. I do this first, as there's nothing more disappointing than spending alot of time creating a really nice looking stone--only to accidentally drill through the front of it.

Cut out the shape. I've used a hacksaw blade with a cloth or duct tape wrapped around one end will work. A "Wonder Cutter", available at most craft stores for under $10.00, is even nicer.

I make alot of tombstones, so I invested in a Hot Wire Foam Cutter from  Woodland Scenics (model number ST1435 $34.98). Yes, they also have nichrome replacement wire (ST1436 $1.98).  It runs on electricity, has a wider cutting wire and a thumb control on/off switch