Weathered lettering and uneven edges turn slate pieces into DIY garden memorial markers that add a clever, naturally spooky touch when tucked between overgrown, fading plants in the Halloween garden.
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The story continues in the pollinator garden for Halloween. After putting together my Gothic Mourning Hanging Basket, I started to add some of my decorations back into the garden. First, I concentrated on weathered cement statues. Then, I added some simple silhouette haunted house garden stakes. But to pull the whole “forgotten” look together, I decided to create a couple of tombstones out of slate.
I had a couple of slate pavers that were perfect to turn into old, worn out tombstones. I wanted the tombstones to feel as if they had been left behind and slowly reclaimed by the garden. The weathered statues, fading flowers, and overgrown plant life already gave the garden a slightly eerie feeling, so I wanted the tombstones to have that same natural but creepy vibe. Rather than making traditional Halloween tombstones, I decided to turn my tombstones into clever garden memorial markers.
For the first garden marker, I chose the phrase “Here Lies What Summer Left Behind.” It perfectly describes what’s happening in the garden as summer fades into fall. For the second garden marker, I chose the phrase “Do Not Disturb” as a nod to leaving the leaves and not cleaning up the garden just yet. This year, I’m embracing the change and making the faded flowers and dried seed heads part of our Halloween decor.
DIY Slate Garden Memorial Marker
What I love about this project is that the garden memorial markers don't have to look perfect. In fact, you don't want them to! They should look weathered and imperfect, like they've been sitting among the overgrown plants for years. Plus, they come together in just a few easy steps.
We had slate pavers laying around, so I used two of them to create my tombstones. They were already a bit worn and uneven around the edges, which was perfect for this project. I gave them a quick spray with the hose and allowed them to dry completely.
Next, I used a pencil to sketch my lettering on each piece of slate. Then, I went over it with a white paint marker.
To give the tombstones more of an aged look, I gently rubbed fine-grit sandpaper over the lettering. At this point, you can spray a clear matte sealer, but I wanted the tombstones to wear over time so I left them as is.
All that was left to do was tuck them into the pollinator garden. I made sure to place them semi-hidden among the plants. They're the perfect finishing touch to my gothic-inspired, "forgotten" and "abandoned" garden.
SUPPLIES
- Slate pavers, or pieces of natural slate
- Pencil or piece of chalk for sketching the lettering
- Permanent white paint marker
- Fine-grit sandpaper
- Optional: matte outdoor sealer
STEPS
- Choose slightly uneven slate pavers or natural slate. Make sure the slate is clean and dry.
- After deciding what to paint on each piece of slate, lightly sketch the lettering with pencil or chalk. The lettering doesn't have to be perfect. In fact, it's better if it's not.
- Use a paint marker to go over the lettering and allow the paint to dry.
- To give the lettering a distressed look, lightly sand it with fine-grit sandpaper.
- If desired, protect the lettering with a matte outdoor sealer.
- Then, tuck the tombstones into the garden. They don't need to be straight. You want them to look like they've been there a long time.
- Optional: For an extra aged look, rub the slate markers with a bit of dirt.
These simple slate garden markers are the perfect ending to my pollinator garden's spooky story. The weathered slate and worn lettering make them feel like they belong among the faded flowers and dried seed heads. As the season changes, I think they'll become even more at home among the plants, slowly becoming just another little part of our forgotten, gothic garden.
Did you make this DIY Slate Garden Memorial Marker project? Share it on social media using the hashtag #holokahome. Don’t forget to tag me @holokahome!
