# Cemetery Entrance Columns



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

There is some construction going on in my neighborhood right now, and when shopping at Curbies, I came across some thinner pieces of wood. So I decided to try my hand at building columns once again. (An earlier attempt left my frustrated...)

Here is my idea, I would build the frame from the thin wood, line it with cardboard, then create paper mache "stones" to wrap around the outside. Planning on leaving an "access hatch" available in the back, covered by a panel with stones on that, so that I can add/remove rebar to keep the durned this upright...

Any thoughts on how I might attach the stones to the cardboard? I want to "mortise" between them with paper mache clay or monster mud...


----------



## RoxyBlue

Gorilla glue or hot glue should do the trick.


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

Yeah, hot glue occurred to me when I was driving in this morning. Thanks!


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

Whole bunch of updates on this project. I've been busy, Busy, BUSY!! I apologize in advance for the image spam

Let's see...

Added the top and bottom caps:









Attached the first post of the fence:









Started attaching my paper mache and foam "stones":









Mortered between the stones with paper mache paste mixed with paper pulp


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

Added the first coat of paint to weather-proof:









Finished the Cemetery sign:









Painted the individual stones their own unique color. This was the fun bit! I did some splatter for texture and used my big air gun to mute down some of the colors.









Attached the cemetery sign:


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

Last steps I did on Sunday (colder than heck!) aging of the stonework:

























*Pay no attention to the main behind the stone column!*


----------



## Hauntiholik

The columns are a work of art!


----------



## RoxyBlue

Now this kind of spam I don't mind

If I hadn't seen the process documented, I would have thought that last picture was a shot not only of a real man, but of real stones as well Beautifully done!


----------



## autumnghost

Those are so cool. Ahem, I plan on snatching your idea.


----------



## fick209

Those came out fantastic! Wonderful painting!


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

Thank you! Snatch away! Ideas are free


----------



## Sblanck

Those are fantastic!! I love to build out of carboard but always held off on things that would be outside due to weather. I have been constructing a Bumblebee (Transformers) costume for my son using carboard and hot glue. What type of pain did you use to seal the carboard?

Again awesome work!!


----------



## mattt1977

Absolutely amazing, love the shapes and colors, you did an amazing job.


----------



## SPOOKY J

Wow. I'm amazed yet again with what can be made using paper mache. Great Job!


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

I got a gallon of "oops" Drylock from Lowes and coated the heck on the outside of the paper mache stones.

As far as the colors go, the week before I was ready to paint the individual stones, I would keep an eye out for natural stonework on the way to and from work and try to envision how I would replicate it...


----------



## trishaanne

WOW...these are amazing. I wish I had that artistic eye needed to do the detailing in the paint job. Perfect!


----------



## Bone Dancer

Very nice work, texture and color are spot on.


----------



## Denhaunt

I must admit when I first read your plan I didn't think the end result would be what you had hoped for..._boy was I wrong_. Those really came out great and, as previously stated, the paint job is spot on. Really nice work!


----------



## Creep Cringle

Very nice! Great detail!


----------



## morbidmike

awesome those have to be some of the best columns I've ever seen !!!!!


----------



## Dead Things

Absolutely brilliant, great job!


----------



## jfoster38122

there is a lot of good stuff this year that i can afford to make and feel like i can make it LOL
thank you for your idea and instructions


----------



## Spooky1

Those came out well. The aging really did the trick.


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

*Installation*

Finished rusting up my cemetery fence and their new finials. Here are the columns installed!


----------



## RoxyBlue

The fence looks great, and I still can't get over how real those columns look.


----------



## jdubbya

WOW! That is remarkable! No one would believe those columns wee made of paper/cardboard. Simply beautiful. I'd be interested to hear how they hold up outside for the next few weeks. Very impressive!


----------



## Lunatic

Wow, those came out fantastic! Nice tutorial. It's amazing the simple materials that were used versus the final effect. Great job!


----------



## Wildcat

The columns are amazing and the fence looks great as well.


----------



## beelce

Really like the final product....nice work man!!!


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

*Painting Info*

Notes on painting the stones...

I had several bottles of paints I would work from. Some browns, yellows, red ocre, white and even blue. I'd found an old abandoned glass panel from a convenience store that had gotten remodeled. This I used for my palette to mix paint.

I would make up a color by mixing in, say, some red ocre with brown then add white and apply it to one stone, then move to another randomly. As that color ran out, I would grab more of the component color and pour it onto my batch, which changed the color some. As long as the paint was still wet on the stone, it would blend.

When all was said and done with this step, the colors were fairly bright and not very stonish. I then took an old stiff brush and loaded it with a color and ran my fingers over the bristles to splatter the paint onto the stones. Change colors and do it again.

Later I took my Spray Gun and loaded it up with thinned down pinkish paint. Very thinned down. A lot of stonework in my area seem to have a pinkish hue, so I lightly misted the brighter colors with this tint. That was the effected I wanted...

Finally I painted the mortar back to gray (first a darker then a lighter) and applied the aging to can see in the pix.

When I painted my fence to the rust colors, I made sure I drissled down the rest from where the metal intersected the stone as well. I got the rust idea from Jaybo's Rust It Up post. Thank you Jaybo!! :jol:


----------



## bohica

Great Job, incredible workmanship!


----------



## lisa48317

Bumping this up!

Beyond excellent columns!! They look so real! How did they hold up outside in the weather? And about how much did they weigh with all the dry-lok & stuff on it?


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

They held up rather well, all told. I could carry one myself, but they are a bit awkward and it's just easier to carry with 2... With the drylock, water was not an issue, and, knock on wood, I've never had to deal with vandals...

Addendum: Just re-read through the entire thread. Thanks for all the support and feedback. The one thing I would like to say is even if you don't think a project will turn out well, do it anyhow. The only true way to fail is to simply _not try_.


----------



## pagan

Fan-freakin-tastic!!! I am floored by your results. The resourcefulness of folks on this site never ceases to astound me..


----------



## Bone Dancer

You do excellent work. Thanks for sharing your ideas and all those great pictures.


----------



## hpropman

Wow what great work! I will have to try this.


----------



## steveshauntedyard

Crazy stuff truly a work of art


----------



## FRIGHTGUY

The columns look amazing MacabreRob! How did you make the Andersonville Cemetery Sign? I think it looks great and the lettering is perfect.


----------



## hawkchucker

See this is the stuff I missed being gone a year. Love the idea and jsut started raiding all the boxes in the recycle bin!


----------



## GrimleeFeindish

WOW! I just saw these for the first time, I dont know how I missed them before Halloween. Awesome work, very realistic and great artistry. I love the stonework, it really just makes these columns so nice and real looking. Look for this technique to be copied, but credit is due to you. Here is mine in advance. Thanks!


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

The sign is the 1/2" pick foamboard. I designed the layout using CorelDRAW and printed it out at full size, tiling the pages. Using an Xacto night, I outlined the letters and then carefully chipped out the recessed areas. This is pretty much how I do my gravestones.

Painted by filling the recessed areas with a flat grayish brown, the carefully painted the "polished bronze" letters and border using reference photos.


----------



## HauntCast

Nice work!


----------



## Revenant

As a former tuckpointer, I'm totally jazzed about the fact that you actually pointed in the "masonry." It's little details like that that totally make an effect rock. Awesome job.


----------



## Jaybo

MacabreRob said:


> When I painted my fence to the rust colors, I made sure I drissled down the rest from where the metal intersected the stone as well. I got the rust idea from Jaybo's Rust It Up post. Thank you Jaybo!! :jol:


You're welcome! Looks great!

Everyone else is either carving the shape of stones out of foam sheets, or skipping that entirely and making their columns solid with weathered paint jobs.

Not you.

You went and made your own bricks and then built the columns brick by brick. So you basically have the real deal, just made out of paper.

I love it!


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

I could build a house that way, would only have to beware Big Bad Wolves and ladies named Katrina...


----------



## corner haunt

WOW!!! Those are so good they make real ones look bad. lol I just found this from your "Blink" angles. I can't wait to see them when you are done. Just awesome work!


----------



## remylass

These are really amazing. I am quite impressed. 

In other news, one of your kids looks EXACTLY like my cousin Max. It really creeped me out for a minute. I kept trying to rationalize how you got a picture of Max in the thread, all while my brain was explaining it wasn't who I thought it was.


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

One thing I might add to them are lichens and mosses. I saw someone had posted a tutorial about adding realistic lichens using sand somewhere. Maybe this summer if I get bored...


----------



## Darkmaster

MacabreRob said:


> Last steps I did on Sunday (colder than heck!) aging of the stonework:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Pay no attention to the main behind the stone column!*


Very nice work. Looks real.


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

I wish that was my car in the background of that last picture... :jol:


----------



## CreeepyCathy

wow! Those are amazing! looks real!


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

Just don't tap on the "stones", you get a nice drumming sound...


----------



## MorbidMariah

I'm way late to the party, but DANG these look AWESOME! What a resourceful project! BRAVO!


----------



## Rahnefan

Don't remember if I chimed in yet, but that is very realistic!


----------



## SoCal Scare

I missed this thread last year. Those Colums are amazing, great work.


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

One of the ideas going through my mind is to finish off the look of the fence. It looks great with the entrance columns I built last year, however it just sort of ends abruptly. My idea is to make smaller columns similar to last years to end the fence, the build a collapsing stone wall that will take the fence to a good finish

Nice thing of having done this before, I don't need to spend time experimenting. I got the frames mostly knocked off in a night.









_The great frame-up_


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

Worked on the cemetery fence's end columns this weekend. Since the rough frames were done, it was a matter of adding the top and bottom caps made out of 2x4 studs and wrapping both of them in cardboard.









_Added the top bottom caps, wall interface and wrapped with cardboard_









_Close up of the wall interface_


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

Next step was attaching all the boxes I had with superglue. I had a nice foam piece that I was using to try to get the vertical spacing consistant between the "stones". It was mostly successful.









_Attached the cardboard "stones" to the column._









_The cardboard "stones", showing the gap that the wall will fit in_









_Close up of the wall interface, showing the gap the wall will slide into_


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

After all were attached, I then coated the "stones" with paper mache. Once my scant supply of newspaper ran out, I switched to the colored paper I got from my kids school at the end of the school year, changing colors randomly. You can only take so much pink at a given time...









_Added a layer of paper mache to the "stones" to start to smooth out their appearance. Very colorful._

While the columns dried, I switched gears and started to frame up the crumbling walls that will attach to them. I tried to make the interface consistant between both columns so it wouldn't matter which wall went with which column. Mix and match.









_Began construction of one of the walls. This shows how the column and the wall will interlock._

I initially started to use full 2x4 studs, but quickly realized how thick the resulting wall would be. Got out my trusty table saw (in truth, it's been out, being used as a work bench with a board on top of it) and split the 2x4s in half.

Once they were roughed out, I started to wrap them in cardboard, only to quickly run out. Fortunately I had lots of old manilla folders lying around. I used some spray glue to double their thickness and did a lot of overlapping.









_Finished framing one of the walls and wrapped it in cardboard (and manilla folders when I ran out)_


----------



## debbie5

nice! impressive scavenging too.


----------



## MorbidMariah

I really love the box method of making stones. Really cool idea and it looks great!


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

Finished creating the interface between the smaller end columns and the collapsed wall. I had to add to the stones on the columns at the point of the interface so that they all came out to the same level, so that they would be consistant on both columns. I did this in order that the seam would be as invisible as possible.









_Finished creating the interface between the smaller columns and the collapsed walls._









_The wall inserted into the column_


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

After having to move the wall segments around my garage, I came to the conclusion that there was no easy way to do it without running the risk of crushing one or more of the stones with my big ham-hands. In order to facilitate moving them, I added a hidden eyebolt to the far end with the idea that I can attach a rope lifting handle. With that in place, moving them around becomes a breeze.









_Showing the eyebolt used to move the wall around_









_The stone in place, hiding the eyebolt_

Once all the "stones" were added to both wall segments, I turned my attention to creating the free-standing segments. These will run up the side of my yard until Halloween night, when I will move them to be in-line with the wall segments attached to the end columns, and go across my driveway. This will help funnel people up my front walk, instead of having some of them go around.









_Added all the stone boxes to the collapsed walls_









_The wooden frames for the free standing segments of the wall_


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

Been busy adding my paper mache mortar to the new stone columns and the brick walls. Be glad to be done with this step. Of course it's been > 100 deg up until I need the mortar to dry, now it's in the 60's. WTHeck?









_Column all mortared up._









_Shoring up the stone walls_


----------



## Draik41895

I thought your columns were good by themselves, but this is going to be amazing!


----------



## Victor

That is awesome work!


----------



## RoxyBlue

Do enough of these and you'll be able to build a very affordable and cool looking summer cottage:jol:


----------



## Sawtooth Jack

These are looking great. The paper-clay mortar is a terrific idea—may have to borrow!


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

Got a lot of work done on painting the end columns and some of the walls. I have both columns and one of the walls ready for color, and most of the others a fair percentage done. I built 4 rubble piles to hide the legs on the free-standing walls, and they have their first coat done as well.









_Lot of work done, getting the walls ready._









_A pile of rubble that will hide the support legs of one of the walls._


----------



## Arastorm

Very nicely done, did you seal them just in case it rains?


----------



## jaege

Truely impressive! I am blown away. That is going to be one nice wall. Beats the heck out of a fence. Please post pics of your finished product.


----------



## IMU

AWESOME work!


----------



## trishaanne

Beautiful!!!!!


----------



## Howlinmadjack

WOW!!! I somehow missed this thread last year, but that is truly amazing work!!! My hats off to you sir!!!


----------



## nixie

WOW!!! Amazing work!! I just finished some "stone" work on one of my props, and I was rather happy with the results...until I saw this. lol.


----------



## HallowEve

Absolutely Beautiful!! What a great way to recycle too!! =)


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

Got the stone blocks for all the wall segments painted. The colors are a little loud, but the next step will to mist them with a thin coating of pink with my air gun. I got one side of one wall misted, but I was forced to do that in my garage, due to the rain. Probably not the most wise choice of locations. Waiting on the weather to clear before I finish the rest...









_Wall segment, just after the stone blocks were painted._









_The stone wall, after being misted with paint to mute the color._


----------



## RoxyBlue

The misting technique definitely gives a more natural look - although I think they looked good before misting as well


----------



## MrGrimm

Just. So. Cool.


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

Got the columns painted. Just need to speckle and mist them. Then need to color the mortar on all the walls/columns and age them and I AM DONE! Just in time for the weekend installation. Now the only thing I need to worry about is killing the grass...


----------



## Manon

Holy Hallowe'en batman, those are awesome! I'm going to be working on columns this weekend and next and I might have just come up with a few new tricks thanks to you!!!


----------



## Headless

They do look absolutely sensational. Amazing work!!


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

Mind you, this technique does take a fair bit of time to do. You still have time before Halloween.

All the color work on the stones has been finish. Misting to mute the color is finished. Remaining is to paint the mortar gray and to age the stonework with a wash of black. On the column, I will also need to attach the post that connects to the fence and rust up the visible bolt.









_All the wall segments and both columns._









_One of the end columns and a pile of debris._









_The other column and another pile of debris._









_Looking down the length of all the wall segments. Height is pretty uniform._


----------



## Volscalkur

Wow those look fantastic *MacabreRob*!
Yet another excellent use for mache! The wall looks great!


----------



## gypsichic

absolutely fantabulous!


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

Stupid weather is messing up my timing. Came home last night just as a storm came out. Knocked over one of the walls into my son's bike and tore open a small hole. Easily fixed, but still.


----------



## sparky

Those look great ...nice job !!!!!


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

Set up the entire cemetery fence Saturday, attaching the pvc/wood fencing to columns on either side of it. No way the wind is going to knock it down this year! The wall segments that attach to the end columns needed a little work to make it so they would mate properly, the cardboard on the interface had expanded and was blocking the tabs on the columns. With a little quick work with my knife, all is well.









_Here I am hooking up the fence._









_Sliding a wall segment into the end column_









_End column and stone wall successfully added to the fence._


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

I set up the freestanding segments in the driveway to get a feel of how they would look on Halloween night. The go across and cover the driveway almost as if they were meant to be there. 









_The entire length of the fence, with the movable wall segments in the driveway._









_The wall segments moved along the side of the driveway._

As I was doing this, my cat, Annie watch on with detached amusement. Maggie ran around with the camera, taking photos like she was paparazzi.









_Annie, my Halloween kitty, supervises my work._









_"Back to work, cretin."_


----------



## pagan

Amazing work.. It looks great! The wall is new since I looked at your tutorial last, and it is an equally impressive addition.


----------



## RoxyBlue

"Back to work, cretin" - LOL

You've got a fortress going there, Rob


----------



## Howlinmadjack

WOW!!! Man that is truly impressive, you do fantastic work!!! I bow to you sir!!! You are truly talented!!!!


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

I just found an old bag of spanish moss that I never opened in my basement tonight... Muh-huh-hahahaahha!


----------



## jdblue1976

Amazing work! So where does it get stored when it ain't October?


----------



## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

In the basement. My only concern is those wall segments, but they are only 5' wide, so they should fit through the door. I'm just worried that they will get banged up making the U-Turn on the stairs...


----------



## randomr8

Nice!


----------



## kiki

Brilliant work...


----------



## karen936

Very nice


----------



## mustbehardtospel

Your fence/wall is amazing. There are so many brilliant little details that I hadn't thought of. My favorite is probably the piles of rubble covering the supports. Clever.

I will definitely be thinking of this when I take the recycling out tomorrow. It is full of boxes, but this year has too many projects to do, as it is. Maybe next year.

Thanks for sharing this.


----------



## debbie5

If you have a wife, please tell her she is a wonderful, wonderful woman for letting you collect all those boxes.  

Everything turned out great!


----------



## QueenRuby2002

Finely a use for all the boxes my mom collects! Now someone got something for soda cans?


----------

