Carrington Oaks’ Spooktacular Patio/Balcony Decorating Contest is just around the corner on October 31, so if you haven’t decorated yours yet, now’s the time to get going. If you need a little help, check out our five decorating ideas below. Combine your own ideas and show the community just what you’re made of!

Ambience is Key

What kind of spooky scene do you want to set? The options are endless, but for the sake of brevity, we’re going to focus on a ghostly gallery of ghouls and other unpleasant residents. Black fabric or aged lace curtains hung from the railing and draped over any outdoor furniture and fastened to the door will help dampen the light and help people know where to look.

Set Your Web

Nothing screams “spooky” like spiderwebs all over the place. Especially if they’re giant! Cotton batting is the perfect material for making your own creepy, clingy spiderwebs. This step-by-step guide from eHow will tell you just what to do.

Throw in Some Bugs

Dump rubber spiders and other insects all over the place. Be sure to get plenty on the spiderwebs and atop any other decorations.

Invite Over a Few “Friends”

Skeletons are always scary – unless you’re a mad scientist or an orthopedist, and how many orthopedists are actually reading this blog? Mad scientists are another story. Anyway, get some skeletons up in there! Amazon has life-size plastic versions that are fairly cheap. Buy a few and dress them in dark, spooky clothing or last year’s fashions for a truly frightening effect.

Shine a Light on Things

Even the spookiest of spooktacular patios or balconies will have no effect if people can’t see why they should run away in terror. Add just the right amount of eerie glow with blue or red string lights, or light everything from below with a spooky black light.

For more tips on scaring your neighbors, visit the Carrington Oaks blog.