Zombie Pumpkin - Part Three, Clay Headstones

I made the headstones using air dry clay.  Until this past year I hadn’t used clay since I was in elementary school.  That was back in the day when we made our parents ashtrays for Christmas, whether they smoked or not.  I’m pretty sure you’re not even allowed to say ashtray or Christmas in school anymore.

What I’m trying to say is that it doesn’t take a lot of skill to make simple headstones.  And less is more, it’s an old cemetery so they’re weathered and dilapidated, it’s only natural that a lot the detail has been lost.

I rolled and cut out the big pieces using Play-Doh toys.  I used a hat pin for the lettering.  For the taller headstone with the cross I got really fancy and used a Play-Doh press with different attachments for the base and trim details.

I dried the headstones flat separate from their bases, scoring both pieces a little where they would later be joined.  Then I glued them together with a little bit of slip applied with a paint brush.  Those are all the big words and techniques I remember from my ashtray making days. 

I painted everything flat black, pushing paint into all the little crevices and then sponged on some dark grey and then some light grey.

Coming up next will be Part Four, Wire Trees