What better way to take advantage of the warm summer evenings than by hosting your own open-air movie night? Picture it: you are reclining on your sun-lounger, wrapped in a blanket, a glass of something refreshing to hand, watching your favourite film, under the stars – perfect!
So, how do you go about setting the scene? Actually, it’s pretty easy – something you could do in half a day.
How do you make an outdoor cinema in your garden? Follow these 5 steps
1. Find the right location in your garden for your home cinema
Firstly, you need to find the right spot in the garden for your home outdoor cinema. A good rule of thumb is to find an area that’s dry and not too exposed – anywhere too breezy is a no-no. You want to make sure there are no lights shining onto the screen too, so keep away from the glare of lights.
2. Decorate your outdoor cinema garden
You want your outdoor garden cinema to feel relaxed and inviting. So, when it comes to decorating the space, start by thinking about seating. Your seating area should be as snuggly as possible, especially if you’re watching a movie in the evening, when the temperature drops. Here, we created a Moroccan-inspired space, with lots of squidgy cushions and faux-fur throws.
3. No outdoor home cinema is complete without snacks and drinks
Somehow, watching a movie just isn’t the same without something to sip and to snack on. Of course, popcorn and soda is the classic combination, but you could go for nachos with cheese and chillies. On the other hand, if you’re settling down in front of the screen after a big meal, why not go for a more sophisticated spread – cheese and biscuits with olives on the side.
4. Create the ultimate garden cinema experience
If you’re going to the trouble of setting up a cinema in your garden, you might as well push the boat out and make the evening one to remember. An ice bucket is essential if you’re planning on sipping something bubbly. Or why not create your own cocktail bar and mix up something special to go with your movie?
To make the evening really memorable, why not have your children create and cut out some old-fashioned cinema tickets that you can keep as a memento?
5. The technical side of creating an outdoor home theatre
Probably the most important bit of kit you need to create a garden home cinema is a projector. This might seem an expensive extravagance, but you’d be surprised how cheaply you can pick one up, especially in the sales. Then you simply connect your projector to your film source – typically your smartphone or laptop. You can project the picture onto pretty well anything that’s white, even an old sheet tied between two trees or fence posts.
