16. Distressed Styrofoam Gothic Tombstones
Skip the cheap, flimsy store-bought plastic tombstones and craft your own realistic, heavy-looking gothic grave markers using rigid foam insulation boards. Cut the foam into various classic shapes, such as arched slabs, crosses, or ornate obelisks. Use a soldering iron, a utility knife, or a wire brush to carve cracks, chips, and weathered textures into the foam, along with classic epitaphs like “R.I.P.” or custom spooky names. Paint the entire tombstone with a base coat of textured grey paint, then apply a dark wash of black and brown acrylic paint mixed with water, letting it run down the cracks to simulate years of dirt, mold, and weathering. Secure them to your lawn with wooden dowels inserted into the base.