Add a Few Bones

• You can't have a boneyard without a few bones. You can purchase boxes of fake bones or whole skeletons from most Halloween decoration stores. But, if you're the crafty or handy type, save yourself some money and create the fake bones yourself. Fake bones can be made from a wide range of different materials, including cardboard tubes, but since a boneyard is typically outside, you'll need something a little more sturdy. To make a bone for outdoor use, take a piece of standard plumbing PVC pipe in a smaller diameter, such as 1-inch, and cut it about 2 to 4 inches shorter than you want your bone to be. Put a ball or square of carvable foam on each end of the PVC pipe. Apply a little adhesive if you need to. Then, use a pocket knife or other small knife to carve each piece of foam to look like a joint. To finish it off, spray paint your "bone" a neutral color for maximum realism.
  
  

Fence It In

• If your boneyard is front and center in your Halloween decor, fence it in like you would a cemetery. You can create a variety of different basic fences to surround your boneyard. Use wooden dowels, 1-by-1 wood stakes, rods or pipes to create a basic, simple fence with style. If you want something a little creepier, cut down slats from a loading or moving pallet to the proper height to form a more rickety and creepy Halloween fence. If a fence isn't possible in your space, draw attention to the area by placing a row of hay bales on either side to draw the eye, or create a 6-inch deep pit of turned over soil where you intend to put your bones. Then, place your bones in the turned soil so they're partially sticking out.
  
  

Make an Entrance

• Whether you decide to fence your boneyard or keep it simple, you can make an entrance to the place. Create or purchase a basic entrance-style garden trellis, if you want a quick project. Paint the trellis a creepy color, like gray or black to give it a vibe that's more Halloween-esque. Then, make a dilapidated sign out of old boards. Call your boneyard something funny or go super creepy with the name depending on your style. For a different or more believable entrance and a little less work, purchase a dark metal trellis and the entrance will look like an true portal to a frightening boneyard. It can serve double duty as a real trellis in the spring, and you don't have to paint something that's already black.
  
  

Make It Special

• For a boneyard the draws compliments and impresses the neighbors, make it special. Create a story around your boneyard. If your boneyard is the result of a weird, creepy killer, have someone play the killer, digging into the boneyard on Halloween night. Create a grim reaper theme, and make or purchase a moving, mechanical grim reaper that stares out at the audience, ready to add another person to the boneyard. The story itself is up to you. Keep in mind as you decide on your story the types of people who will see your boneyard. If the neighbors across the street have a 5-year-old who's liable to end up with nightmare, you may want a less creepy story to go with your boneyard to keep from causing nightmares.
  
  

Don't Forget the Critters

• Once the rest of your boneyard is complete, don't forget to add the critters. Place paper or plastic bats in the trees. Have killer squirrels gnawing on the bones, or create ghosts, who represent the departed, fly above the boneyard. If you're going with a tamer boneyard, put a black cat along the edge of the bones, or make creepy, crawly spiders and other bugs to hang from the trees. For a special creepy effect, use modeling clay, blood red fabric or another medium to make it look like there's still flesh on the bone. Then, add a fake wild dog or other scavenger to the scene, and have it gnaw on the bone.