Backyard Movie Night Seating and Decor

Our backyard movie night series continues! This time around we’re sharing some of our favourite tips and tricks on hosting the perfect event for your family and friends.

In our previous posts we shared How to Host a Backyard Movie Night, and how to convert your Springfree Trampoline into a DIY Movie Screen. The following will help you put the finishing touches on your event.

Seating

When it comes to seating, there are a few options depending on how many guests you’re expecting. The easiest way to add seating to your backyard movie night is by using your patio furniture. Simply arrange the chairs or outdoor sofas in front of the screen in rows to give it an authentic theatre feel. Make sure to keep the area directly in front of the projector clear so it doesn’t obstruct the movie screening.

If you’re lucky enough to have lots of grass in your backyard then we suggest spreading out pillows and blankets and letting the kids lie on them to watch the movie. It’s super easy and requires very little clean up. You can also ask your guests to bring sleeping bags or their favourite blankets and join in on the fun.

The idea is to get creative! And for those more adventurous DIY’ers you can even make your own seating. We love this blog post from Not Just a House Wife. She has some great instructions on how to build seats using some plywood and hinges.

Small gathering?

If your movie night is just for the family, you can actually host it inside your Springfree trampoline. Simply follow the instructions for how to build a DIY Movie Screen but attach the sheet on the inside. Pile the kids in with their blankets and pillows and enjoy the movie. For full details, check out the Living Locurto blog. Just remember, no jumping!

Décor

Just like the delicious topping on the popcorn or the cherry on the sundae…the décor can often be what makes the whole thing come together. This is the time to get creative and figure out what kind of experience you want to provide for your guests. Although popcorn is a must, give some serious consideration to the other food and drinks you’ll want on hand. For an added bit of fun, consider setting up a popcorn bar for your guests, with different flavours of popcorn to choose from. To help make your movie night special we’ve included a free Printables Set. Simply print everything you need to personalize your event, from the invites to the labels.

Other Fun Ideas

To turn your Backyard Movie Night into a glamorous movie premiere you can add a red carpet to the event. Purchase inexpensive red fabric from your local fabric store and roll it out at the entrance where your guests will be arriving. Grab a camera and act as the paparazzi by snapping some photos of your guests as they arrive and walk the red carpet.

Or consider setting up a photo booth for the kids to take pictures. Simply grab some inexpensive costume pieces such as crowns, glasses, hats and boas and set them up as props. You can find wooden or cardboard cut-outs with handles at local craft stores as well. Bubble wands are also a fun idea to incorporate in the photo booth. Get the kids to pose with the items in front of your DIY Movie Screen as a backdrop and take some fun photos.