Killer Tombstones, Pt 1 -- Lettering

Learn how to create Halloween grave markers with epitaphs that look carved in stone.

In Parts 2 and 3, we'll show you how to distress and paint them to look spooky and aged.

Category:

Howto & Style

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• make halloween tombstones
• make halloween headstones
• halloween graveyard
• halloween cemetery
• tombstone tutorial
• how to make tombstones
• halloween tombstones
• halloween
• graveyard
• tombstones
• lettering
• text
• type
• cemetery
• grave markers
• tutorial
• carving
• letters
• words
• headstones
• how to

[SynAndVice]

I've been making my own foam tombstones for nearly two decades. I only recently bought a Dremel (love it!), but no router attachment. This spring, I think.

My question is this... although I love the use of the laser print (since toner is actually a plastic and not an ink and melts under heat), why not use the iron-on heat transfer papers and an inkjet printer?

[DevonTT]

@SynAndVice: Sounds like that would work, but it could be expensive if you're doing a lot of tombstones. What I didn't mention in the video is that many of the larger tombstones required lettering taller and wider than 8.5" x 11", which meant that I had to tile the printing onto 4 sheets of paper. Multiply that a few times and you could easily go through $20-$30 or more in transfer paper. Using laser paper is cheaper and allows you to make mistakes without going broke! :)

[lykaina1]

You said the iron was set to "three" -- what cloth setting is that? (On my iron, three is permanent press/polyester/cotton blends.) Looks great, can't wait to try it!

[DevonTT]

@lykaina1: Great question! On my iron, "3" is Polyester/Rayon. "2" is Nylon/Silk and "4" is Cotton blends. Hope that helps. Let me know how your project goes!

[lykaina1]

@DevonTT I'm not sure if it made the difference or not, but I'm using white styrofoam (the beady stuff) not the extruded pink stuff you used. I used a scrap and tried transferring with the iron set to 3 and it melted the foam. It transferred the letters, but badly melted/compressed the foam, and I wasn't pressing hard. I reduced the temp to 2 (nylon) but I couldn't get good transfer. I've decided to freehand lettering with a soldering iron. Won't have the nice fonts, but I couldn't make it work.

[DevonTT]

@lykaina1, yes, I suspect your foam is a different material and can't handle the temperature. The foam I used is very dense, not pebbly. It's not packing or craft foam but rather made for insulation (R10 insulation value). Google "FOAMULAR 150 2in Rigid Foam Insulation" and you'll find it. Sorry it didn't work out for you!



[lykaina1]

@screaminscott Thanks for the suggestion! I actually used a soldering iron, not a Dremel, for my lettering, and was trying to marry the idea of the transfer and heat carving. I ended up penciling on the letters freehand and using that as a general guide for using the soldering iron. My lettering wasn't very elaborate (or even) as they might have been with the fancy fonts, but it worked. (Tried using a woodburning "pen" through paper, more like your suggestion - didn't work well.)

[screaminscott]

@lykaina1 You might want to try cutting right through the paper into the foam. I also use a dremel tool, but I print the epitaph normally (not a mirror image) and paste it right-side up with repositionable spray adhesive. This adhesive only sticks temporarily (like a 'Post It' note). Then you just carve right through the paper, and peel it up after you are done. The only drawback is that I'm not sure a dremel tool will work well on the beaded foam.

[lykaina1]

@lykaina1 There's all kinds of reasons why it might not have worked: Different kind of foam, my iron is old and the temp settings might be wonky, the photocopies I had weren't very dark, etc. I'd like to try your technique again on extruded foamboard, and see if that works better.

[smromanc]

Thanks for the great idea!!!