How to Create the Best Movie Night Ever at Home
Moviegoing can be downright expensive these days, especially for a large family that enjoys snacking in the theater. Why not create a memorable movie night for friends and family, hosted right from your living room? For relatively little money and prep time, you can create the best stay-at-home movie night ever.
Fill the Seats
Invite guests over for a fun family flick and some nibbles. The internet is filled with free movie ticket templates. Simply download, print, and mail. Sending your guests a snail-mail invite lets them know your party is going to be a blockbuster.
Set Up the Snack Bar
Part of a satisfying movie experience is indulging on soda, popcorn, and chocolate! For your movie night, dress up plain popcorn by serving it in bags decorated with movie reels. Do a quick internet search to find the movie reel images, then print, cut, and glue the reels onto simple paper bags. In addition to butter and salt, you can provide guests with paprika, cayenne pepper, or cinnamon and sugar so they can create their own flavors.
Something salty calls for something sweet. Try these simple-to-make peanut butter cups (recipe below) to accompany your popcorn.
Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients
1 12-oz. bag of dark chocolate chips
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. powdered sugar
Dash of salt
Instructions
Place chips in glass bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals for 2 minutes, stirring in between. Let the melted chocolate sit a minute. Spoon a portion of the chocolate into cupcake muffin cups, flattening into the bottom of the cup. Refrigerate.
Combine sugar, salt, and peanut butter in a separate bowl. Spoon peanut butter into each chocolate-coated cup, leaving room for a layer of chocolate. Refrigerate until hardened. Re-warm chocolate mixture and spread a dollop over the previous layers in each cup. Chill your candy cups to set the chocolate.
If you want to treat your guests to something heartier, consider this recipe for jalapeño poppers.
Let the Show Begin
A comfy sofa and chairs ensure everyone has the best seat in the house. A high-tech TV promises you and your guests won’t miss a minute of the action.
If you want to go bigger and you’re somewhat handy, try creating a homemade movie screen. Light a candle or two as “exit lighting.”
Now that your stay-at-home stage is set, it’s time for the hard part: picking a movie everyone will enjoy!