• Fake tombstones add spooky fun to your yard for Halloween.flaking tombstones image by Stephen Orsillo from Fotolia.com
  
  Decorating your house for Halloween doesn't have to be expensive. Get into the Halloween spirit by making tombstones to give your trick-or-treaters a fright. Involve the whole family and enjoy making this Halloween craft using items you find at home or buy at a craft store. Tombstones give your yard a creepy effect that kids will love. Add extras such as fake skeleton parts, flowers, or dirt around the tombstones to add authenticity, and don't forget the funny epitaphs.
  
  

Styrofoam

• Make styrofoam tombstones using two-inch-thick foam sheets. Draw the desired shape of your tombstone onto the styrofoam and cut it out with a serrated-edge knife. Coat the stone with a gray textured paint. Write the epitaph with black paint, or carve out the letters with a small cutting tool. Lean the stones against trees in your yard or anchor them in the ground using dowel rods. Mound dirt around the stones for a more realistic look.
  
  

Cereal Boxes

• Kids can easily make cereal box gravestones. Brush gray craft paint onto cereal boxes. If you don't have gray, mix black and white paint to achieve the shade you want. Use markers to write epitaphs on the stones. Place rocks or other heavy objects into the cereal boxes to weigh them down, then arrange them in your yard.
  
  

Stenciled Cardboard

• Use cardboard boxes and your computer to make stenciled tombstones. Long, thin boxes work best. Prime the cardboard with white spray paint. When it dries, paint the box a gray shade. Using a word processing program, write a clever epitaph in a large font and print it out. Cut out each letter, then secure them in place on the box using rubber cement. Add a coat of black spray paint, concentrating on the letters. Next, peel the letters off to reveal your epitaph written in gray. Apply a sealer to the box so it won't get ruined if it rains.