Halloween Village Cemetery

Rundown Spooky Cemetery

No Halloween display is complete without the rundown spooky cemetery

Whether you are crafty or not, a rundown cemetery is easy to create. It requires minimal materials, time, and effort. And, mistakes only add to the creepy rundown feeling. 

Most cemetery figurines by Lemax and Dept 56 are detailed, cute, and reasonably priced, so purchasing pieces is an option if you don't want to make your own.  

Headstones

Headstones vary quite a bit and your village will need multiple headstones,  so they are a good piece to DIY. If you mess up your first attempt at a DIY headstone, include it in your village. It will only add authenticity to the rundown creepy cemetery look. So let your creativity flourish. 

Headstones can be flush with the ground or can be a stone structure of varying sizes and intricacies. Some are large ornate stone monuments honoring the person buried below and others simply indicate there is a body buried below. Include a combination of headstones for the most authentic feel. 

TIP: Portray a rundown cemetery by having overgrown weeds surrounding broken worn down headstones. Place the top half of one headstone propped up on the base half and fill-in with dead weeds. (see my foliage tutorial)  

Fence and Entrance

  Most cemeteries have at a surrounding fence and entrance. 

Some surrounding fence style options are tall stone walls adorned with wrought iron embellishments, waist-high wrought iron fencing,  picket fences, and board, post, & rail style fencing. 

For a Halloween diorama, I prefer the look of the old board, post, and rail fencing, complete with broken boards and missing sections. There are a few ways to make your own. You can use sculpting clay, foam, or popsicle sticks to create a fence. 

Additional Elements 

Additional features might be a mausoleum, walkways, and gathering area. 

Hint: To fill-in, any sparse areas of your Halloween Village place a  small cemetery. Spooky and simple!