Last year I made a cemetary arch, and it wasn’t my easiest DIY. I LOVED the end result. But man, there were things that I would have changed— so I did! This was my round two, where I made needed changes and loved the end result. This arch sits perfectly on top of my DIY cemetery pillars and I couldn’t be happier with my DIY Cemetery Pillar Arch Modifications.
Supplies needed for your DIY Cemetery Arch:
– 23/32″ Plywood Sheathing
–Rustoleum spray paint
-2×2 wood
Tools needed for your DIY Cemetery Arch:
–Jigsaw
-Drill
-Miter Saw
Step 1: Plan it out
I knew I still wanted to cut the design out of plywood, similar to what I did in my last design. I wanted to change it around so it was stronger, add more lighting, and adjust how my arch was attached to the pillars.
Last year’s arch had a more drastic curve. I made the arch less curved this year so it would be stronger. And even though my old arch had the catchiest name, I shortened it this year. That decreased cutting time. I love a time saver. Added bonus- having fewer letters cut out of the plywood makes it a lot stronger.
Step 2 – Cut it out
I used my jigsaw to cut out all of the letters in cemetery then laid down my trusty tarp, and spray-painted it black. (I also think this textured design paint would look awesome).
This was probably the most time-consuming part of the project. It took me about an hour and twenty minutes to cut out my cemetery sign. If you have a clever cemetery name and a steady hand, it probably won’t take you too long.
Helpful tips: Make sure you have fresh blades on that jigsaw! Sharp blades will cut down on your time behind the saw. Also- make those letters pop! Last year it was really hard to see the black with the tree branches in the air. So I used white paint to line the inside of the letters to help them stand out.
Step 3: Assemble
This is another place where I changed it up from my older design. I used a 2×2 on the front of the arch to give it more stability on the pillars.
One of the things I love the most about DIY is that you are never done learning. I took a project that I already loved, and made it even better this year. It’s never boring around here, that’s for sure!
I made it my own with these awesome bats, my skeleton family, and of course lanterns and Halloween lights!