[Stabbo-J20]

Hi guys! Ive been lurikng on this site from awhile now, (mostly been on halloweenforum.com), and I love your posts!
Now I need help and hopefully some of you guys can help!

I just got the graveyard set at sams club for $99.00 and I am wondering how do you guys keep tombstones standing up? Do I buy something at Home Depot and pin them down?

Its my first year I am taking my outdoor decor serious instead of the usual cornstalk,pumpkin,hay,scarecrow etc.

 

[NickG]

I think the best method would be to glue a piece of thin plywood to the bottom of the tombstone (cut to the same size) and then using a spade type drill bit, drill 2 holes through the plywood into the tomstone and glue a length of 1/2" PVC pipe in the hole, then hammer some pieces of rebar into the ground and slide the tombstone onto them. Probably should paint or seal the plywood to protect it from moisture.

 

[Rod Rego]

You could also screw a wooden "stake" to the back of each tombstone, and just push it into the ground. That might not work too great with foam tombstones, but I'm actually using wooden tombstones this year, so I guess it depends on what kind of tombstones you have.

 

[Daphne]

Welcome to the forum Stabbo-J20.

Last year was my first "real" year to decorate also so I know how massive the learning curve is.

I made tombstones last year and the way I got mine to stand was maybe not the best way but it works. I shoved two sharpened dowels into the bottom of each tombstone. I pound a piece of rebar into the ground to form holes and just slide the dowels down into the holes.

 

[slimy]

I live in Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain......


I glue a length of pvc directly to the tombstone ( vertically), then I pound rebar into the ground and slip the pvc over the rebar. This has worked for me for several years. I then hit the pvc with some spray paint, and it looks great.

The problem with attaching stakes directly to your tombstone is: if you have hard ground, then you have to hit the top of your tombstone to make it go in the ground. If your tombstone is foam, it is considerably softer than the hard ground, and you will destroy the stone.

Good luck, and welcome to the forum.

 

[Sloatsburgh]

My method is:

I have about 6-8" of scavanged copper tubing glued into the stone. PVC/Conduit would also work

I have a piece of plywood cut to size of the botton of the tombstone.

4 holes are drilled into the plywood.

4 6" spikes are put into the plywood, 2 up, 2 down and the two down ones are pounded into the ground. The two up stakes are secured into position (and angle) by one or two 8-10p nails driven down to fille any gaps in the hole.

It's cheaper than rebar for me since I have the stakes left over from a landscaping project involving railroad ties and the stones take weird angles.