# My weekend project...cemetary columns



## Hoopah1972 (Jul 4, 2011)

Hi all. Just thought I would share what I did this weekend. I wanted to step up my cemetary scene this year for Halloween, and last year I build 200 feet of fence for my yard, so I figured Id try my hand at two cemetary columns! There was so many helpful post on these forums already with pictures and how to's, so thank to everyone who shared your projects, it helped me a lot seeing how this is my first really big build. Heres some pictures of my progress so far.


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## murtermanor (Mar 11, 2012)

OMG, they are HUGE!!!!


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## Hoopah1972 (Jul 4, 2011)

They are 6' 6" tall. Next steps are paint, lanterns and gargoyles for the top. 8)


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## casadescareya (May 17, 2012)

I like them.Bigger is always better.


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Those are looking GREAT! They look similar to the ones I made using the Raven Manor design.


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## im the goddess (Mar 10, 2012)

Those are really nice. I like the design of the three protruding sections. Since they are wood, they should hold up very well.


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## gromit05 (Jun 25, 2008)

Those are looking great! Please keep us updated , as we love to see the end result! ^v^


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## jdubbya (Oct 4, 2003)

Nice! Very sturdy. Mine are made of wood as well. The sheer weight keeps them stable. Those look great!


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## Guest (May 31, 2012)

Those are built wonderfully! NIce work I will totally be watching this thread to see the final project.


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## Halloween Snob (Sep 4, 2011)

Hoopah1972 said:


> Hi all. Just thought I would share what I did this weekend. I wanted to step up my cemetary scene this year for Halloween, and last year I build 200 feet of fence for my yard, so I figured Id try my hand at two cemetary columns! There was so many helpful post on these forums already with pictures and how to's, so thank to everyone who shared your projects, it helped me a lot seeing how this is my first really big build. Heres some pictures of my progress so far.


Great Job. I too plan to build columns this year. Did you consider creating a door in them so that you might add a skeleton that pops out? What is the total weight of each column? What size plywood are you using and why not something thinner to reduce the weight? Do you plan to line these in foam? I look forward to following your build.


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## Hoopah1972 (Jul 4, 2011)

Hello all, thanks for the great comments.

Montco, I do have one of the panels in the back detachable, but its more for storage and electrical(for the lanterns), no skeletons popping out but thats a cool idea. The weight of each column has got to be 25-30 lbs Id say, I can weigh them but thats just a guess. They came out nice a heavy and sturdy, which I wanted becasue they will be outside and I dont want wind to knock them down. I planned on putting a sandbag in the the base of each also for weight, but Im not sure they need it. The plywood is just plain 1/2 inch plywood from Home Depot, nice and sturdy. I was thinking about lining them with foam and carving it, but I have other plans now for the exterior, but foam carving would be great to!


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## Trinity1 (Sep 5, 2009)

They look fantastic!!! Great job! Looking forward to seeing the finished product.


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## Raven's Hollow Cemetery (Jul 3, 2011)

Looking good! I'll definitely be following along to see how they turn out. This really is the year of the entrance


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

well, i would like to see the final result too. so i guess if i post something here, it will be easy to follow along. looking good there


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## Lazy D (May 14, 2011)

looks great.


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## doto (Nov 20, 2009)

These look like the beginning of some top notch columns, I am envious of the storage space you must have.


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## Hoopah1972 (Jul 4, 2011)

Heres a quick update. I added some molding to the top and bottom just to break up the long flat face of the columns, then I added some plain grey outdoor spray primer paint. I plan this weekend to paint them both and hook up the hanging lanterns. I may also do some texture with some expanding foam, I have seen some cool looking effects that people do with that.


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

hoopah, those are coming along very nicely. good job


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## Hoopah1972 (Jul 4, 2011)

Another quick update for those interested. I saw someone use spray foam to make a viney/dirty look to the columns, so I tried it on one and I really like the effect.


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## Phantom Blue (Sep 28, 2008)

Hoopah - Looking good. When I made mine, I used screws for the back panel so I could pop them off and add a speaker in one and a CD player and speaker in the other. That way when people are walking up, the get a good dose of Midnight Syndicate. Just an idea.

PB


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## frightmare studios (Sep 29, 2009)

reading all the earlier comments the only thing that came to mind was "thats what she said"

nice columns by the way!
im not a huge fan of the spray foam look. i think since its this early in the season your better off covering these in a 1" foam and carving an intricate stone patterns on them with a crazy stone look detail or even to cover the seams and "gaps" with a faux moss or vines from a craft store. the spray foam just looks very... tacky (sorry if thats harsh, no intent to be mean!!!) just my 2 cents.

its all in the detail!


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## cerinad (Jun 13, 2008)

Those are looking goody. Nice work!


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## Hoopah1972 (Jul 4, 2011)

Phantom Blue, I do like that idea a lot. I do have panels that come off the back for storage and electrical, but I really like the idea of having a cd player and some sound! Thanks for the idea I may use that.

Frightmare, I dont think it looks tacky at all. You got to remember, its going to be outside and being viewed by people at night, so that even adds to the effect. The GOOD thing about spray from, if it doesnt look good or if I choose not to keep it, its easily removed. It just pulls right off the wood and you cant even tell it was there. I did think about buying some foam panels and carving them like you said, but to be honest I think I have spent enough $ on these things already, easily over $200 in wood, paint, and electrical. Also, these things are 6'6" and heavy already! So I decided to try something different. I do appreiate your comment though than you.


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## Miss Phantom (Jul 13, 2010)

I like it! I think if you glue peat moss on that foam, maybe painting a greenish brown first, it would look super creepy. It's only a dollar a bag usually at the dollar store.


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## Lord Homicide (May 19, 2012)

Cool. What was the material cost at home cheapo?


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## Hoopah1972 (Jul 4, 2011)

Miss Phantom, yes I plan on doing just that. I have some green paint and will make it look like overgrown moss and vines. I also have some soanish moss and of course spider webs that will be added. 8)

Lord Homicide, (haha nice name), the wood from home depot was about $150. I used 4 sheets of 1/2 plywood @ $19 each, and the 2x2's ans 2x4's were about a total of $50. Then I bought 2 lanterns for $15 each, $30 in the moldings and $40 in paint. So about $230 so far. Which isnt bad seeing as I will have them probably forever as they are sturdy and strong.

--Tony


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## Hoopah1972 (Jul 4, 2011)

Another update. Wanted to get some paint on one of the pillars and get the lantern attached to get an idea of how they are going to look. This isnt finished yet, need to add moss and other paint colors and spiderwebs, but this gives a basic idea. Hope you like.


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## Phantom Blue (Sep 28, 2008)

Hoopah - Pillars are looking good. Don't know if you like this idea, but I have these on my pillars and thought that they might look good on yours too?










Here is the link if you want to check them out.

http://www.designtoscano.com/product/code/NG31564.do

PB


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## crazy xmas (Dec 30, 2008)

Hoopah1972 those look awesome very nice!!!


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## Terror Tom (Nov 3, 2008)

Great job on the columns! I wish my yard was big enough for some.


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## znelson710 (Apr 20, 2009)

Man I bet those are heavy!


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## Hoopah1972 (Jul 4, 2011)

Thank all for the kind words, glad you like them!

Phantom Blue, I don like the gargoyle thing you posted. I may look into that. 8)


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## Lord Homicide (May 19, 2012)

Hoopah1972 said:


> Lord Homicide, (haha nice name)


Heh, thanks!



Hoopah1972 said:


> Which isnt bad seeing as I will have them probably forever as they are sturdy and strong.
> --Tony


Not bad considering what you'd spend to buy these from a Halloween retailer... they really know how to gouge us.

I really, really like the way they've turned out.


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## Scary Firefighter (Sep 13, 2009)

I'm going to bring this thread back..... 

I'm building bigger, improved entrance pillars for my graveyard this season and I'm basically going to steal your design. I figured this would be a good place to post picture updates and get some suggestions and feedback as I build them. 

Your columns look great by the way.... I wouldn't be ripping off your design if I didn't love it.


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## Deadview (Aug 9, 2011)

That one looks really good. I like the effect from what looks to be Great Stuff. Am I correct ? Nice job.


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## Hoopah1972 (Jul 4, 2011)

Yes, Great Stuff the spray foam! The stuff works great and you can do sooooo much with it.

--Tony


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## geemee (Sep 8, 2010)

Hi you mentioned gray paint for the primer to start, what did you use to finish it off? What color is that on the columns it looks creepy?

thanks


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## H82GO55 (Oct 12, 2011)

Question for you Hoopah, how did you wire your light. Did you wire it to a outlet, say inside the column and then plug an extension cord to it from an outside electrical box? 

I am thinking about doing this, not sure how hard it would be, I'm not great with electricity.


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## Hoopah1972 (Jul 4, 2011)

Hi HG2G055

The lights are meant to be connected to a power source from the house, like your normal front porch light. But, there was no way I was going to try to run a power wire form my house to two columns at the ends of my driveway, haha. What I did was I took out the insides that came with it and discarded them, then I took two of those cheap painters clip lights you get from Home Depot and took the aluminum light deflectors off, that leave you with a cord with a plug, and a lightbulb holder. I just inserted the lightbulb end into the lantern and sealed it tight with spray foam, plugged in flicker lights and ran the cords out an little hole I made in the center of the columns. The cord ca be run down the inside of the column and then just plugged into a normal extention cord. I hope I explained that clearly, if not I can show a pic.


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## atwalt (Mar 8, 2012)

You can also just cut the end off of a three-prong extention cord & strip back some insulation on all three wires. Then just connect to the wiring in the porch lamp. I have done this a couple of times to make use of old household lighting fixtures.


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## Castart (Aug 29, 2010)

Mine look almost the same, I put a "started" in them so they flicker. I run arches over the sidewalk and put the entrance pillars on the other side. This means I run an extension cord over the arches and thus reach the gate pillars. I actually have thought about mounting a power bar inside the gate pillar and using it for all the electrical elements on that side of my sidewalks. 

Another think I have done is taken white foam and texturized it with a wire brush, glued it to the wood and made it appear to be stone. The only issue is they can be top heavy. Lots of problems this year, normally I drop them over a post hammered into the ground to keep them upright. Going to set them on concrete next year so have some new ideas about stability. 

I loved the gargoyle and ring... would love to know where they came from.

PS: The wireing is easy, just go to a home depot or lowes etc... you can buy a plug and it is all doable with a basic tools. I actually cut a cord off an old lamp and wired it directly into the lights per the instructions on the lamp. I inserted an electronic starter inline, this gives me the flickering effect. A flicker blub would of been easier, but did not have one.


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## StormyNightDesigns (Nov 18, 2015)

These are great! I Plan to make some and also add an arch connecting the two together.


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