In order to DIY all of the important elements of a fun movie night in, you have to create invitations, your own theatre, decorations, snacks, and popcorn.
Staying in and watching a movie can have many unexpected benefits for your personal life and well-being, especially feel-good comedy and adventure films.
However, deciding to have a fun movie night in will mean that you have to DIY some elements like the invitations, the projector and the screen, decorations, snacks, and the popcorn.
The benefits of staying home to watch a movie
Having a quiet night in where all you do is watch a movie may be slightly boring, but it can actually have many unexpected benefits for your overall well-being.
While it is a well-known fact that curling up to watch a movie can be quite relaxing, this activity actually has benefits for your mental health beyond just reducing stress levels.
Watching a movie with motivational characters can actually inspire you to make changes in your own life. Not to mention the increased social interaction and emotional bonding that happens when you watch movies with other people, like your S.O.
5 DIY ideas for a fun movie night in
However, to take full advantage of the benefits that having an at-home movie night can have, you need to plan it properly.
The additional bonus of organising a family movie night, friend movie night, or movie date night in your own home is that you will have complete control over all of the different elements.
This means that you will be able to avoid the unpleasantness of slow-moving ticket desks, long lines at the concession stand, sticky floors, crowded bathrooms, or uncomfortable movie theatre seats.
Instead, you can surround yourself with the guests that you choose, and theme all of the snacks, drinks, and entertainment around the movie that you have chosen through creative DIY-projects.
In fact, this will allow you to customise just about every aspect of your movie night so that the whole night turns out to be as enjoyable as possible.
This means that you can choose whether to host the movie night in your living room, or switch things up and create the ideal outdoor movie night under the stars. You can also adjust all of your planning based on who your guests will be.
For instance, a family movie night might feature a Pixar or Disney film and kid-friendly games in the intermission, whereas a movie night with adults might feature a classic film and subtle decorations.
The most important thing is to ensure that you have all of the most important elements that are necessary to make the movie night a huge success.
Important elements for hosting a fun movie night in
The good thing about deciding to unleash all of your best movie night ideas is that fun and entertainment are pretty much guaranteed, as long as you have selected a movie that all of your guests will enjoy.
As for the other elements, if you are planning to make them or set them up yourself, it is best to ensure that you work through each element one by one, as follows:
| Step | Element |
| Step 1 | Create themed invitations |
| Step 2 | Set up the projector and big screen |
| Step 3 | Create themed decorations |
| Step 4 | Create movie theatre-inspired snack trays |
| Step 5 | Get the popcorn ready |
1. How to DIY themed invitations
Whether your movie nights are regularly-scheduled events or it’s a sporadic one-time event, sending out invitations to your kids, friends or whoever you want to attend the evening is always a good way to get people into an exciting mood.
Here, your options range from simple and easy pre-printed invitations to over-the-top customised pyjamas, pillows, and blankets which you can customise with your guests’ initials or even with character patches for family movies.
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Another way to do this is to print your own movie tickets that guests will have to hand in at the entrance when they arrive.
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2. How to DIY a projector and movie screen
The simplest way to emulate the look and feel of a real movie theatre in your home is to purchase a projector and show it against a blank white wall or white sheet.
However, if you are planning on doing an outdoor backyard movie night, then getting a blow-up screen or standing screen may be a great way to create your own DIY big screen cinema.
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3. How to DIY themed decorations
There are endless DIY decorations that you can make for just about any type of movie night in, but a “Now Showing” board, movie posters, and concession stand menus are some of the simplest.
To make all of these DIY decorations, all you need are three poster boards, a printer, or poster marker, and themed stickers.
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Then, you simply need to print or write out “Now Showing” and the name of the movie that you are showing, the poster for the movie that you are showing, and the names of all of the concessions that you have for your guests to choose from. Finally, decorate the boards as you wish.
4. How to DIY snack trays
Creating a snack bar with snacks ranging from candy, sodas, and cupcakes to chocolate and lemonade can be a great way to ensure that your guests can choose their favourite snacks to have throughout the movie night.
You can even include snacks like nachos, fries, make-your-own pizzas, and hot dogs for parties with adults.
A great way to ensure that your guests can enjoy these snacks mess-free is to create DIY snack trays by cutting holes in boxes into which you can fit your snack bowls and keep them secure.
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5. How to DIY custom popcorn
Every movie needs popcorn, and this is one of the elements that you can really take advantage of to take your movie night to the next level.
The best way to do this is to create a DIY popcorn table, where you supply guests with popcorn and bags, as well as a variety of different popcorn spice toppings with flavours like butter, powdered cheese, candy, or even gourmet popcorn flavourings so that they can create their own custom popcorn flavour to enjoy throughout the movie.
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