Cozy season is finally here, friends! Crisp nights by the fire, hot apple cider, falling leaves, pumpkins and—you guessed it: outdoor movie nights! What better way to celebrate the season than to host a festive evening under the stars while watching your favorite fall flicks!
How to Create an Outdoor Fall Movie Night
Movie nights are an autumn tradition for us, so I’m “spilling” all my tips and tricks on how to make the most memorable outdoor occasion for your family and friends.
Set the Scene
Scope out your yard or patio to find an area that has a large backdrop. For us, it’s our tall privacy fence.
Next, set up your screen and projector (we purchased ours as a kit from Amazon). If you don’t have a large wall or fence, there are available screen options that come with stands. Also, if you’re looking to save some cash, you can always use a white sheet or drop cloth.
Once your screen and projector are set up, arrange cozy seating around the screen. Our main seating is our outdoor sectional, but I also like to create a large, cushy bed on the ground and use haystacks for the backrest.
Concessions and Coziness
You can’t watch movies without plenty of tasty snacks! There are so many options of fun, fall-themed foods to serve, but my favorite is to create a delicious cider bar.
However, this is no ordinary cider bar; it has something for everyone: pumpkin donuts, caramel corn, candy and, of course, hot apple cider.
I also like to assemble an autumn-inspired charcuterie board for a variety of sweet and salty snacks. But if you’re looking for something simpler, consider ordering pizza, popping popcorn and handing out candy.
Once you have your plate full of fall treats, you’ll want to get cozy. Be sure to have lots of blankets and pillows to cuddle up in. Our movie nights are always beside our firepit, which provides the utmost cozy experience.
Lights, Camera, Action!
It’s almost time for the feature presentation, but first …
It wouldn’t be a motion picture experience without some cool special effects. Create ambiance by having several types of mood lighting. I like to use a combination of dimly lit bistro lights, uplights and candlelight. And because it’s fall, you could even use jack-o-lanterns.
Last, but not least, make sure you address your audio situation. We always set up Bluetooth wireless speakers, and it’s even better if you use at least two speakers for a surround sound experience.
I hope you have a fantastic fall that’s full of magical movie nights, sweet friends!
xoxo,
Kara
Light it Up
You can create welcoming ambiance with solar lighting.
Hose link was founded more than 20 years ago by Australian innovator and family man, Tim Kierath. Still a family-run business, Hoselink provides first-class service and more than 150 quality products for gardeners in both Australia and the U.S.A.
Hoselink’s new range of solar lighting options are easy to self-install and turn on automatically when the sun goes down—no electricity needed.
Here, Kara displays the Fiesta Solar Festoon Lights in Warm White that feature 25 glass bulbs. The motion sensor solar path lights emit a dim light continuously from dusk until dawn; and when motion is detected, a brighter light is triggered for 20 seconds to brighten the way.
“The lights are super-easy to install, are of excellent quality and emit a lovely and cozy warm light,” Kara says.
To see a wide variety of products for your garden and outdoor spaces, visit hoselink.com or Instagram: @hoselinkusa.
For more on Kara, read “Proudly Introducing Our 2022 Brand Ambassador, Kara Williams,” and visit her on Instagram @littlehouseonchestnut.
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