Saturday night (NOT) at the movies!

craft diy downloads lifestyle

This whole lockdown life is tough at times, so I wanted to share something to bring a little joy and silliness to your day.  Because staying in is the new going out!
Here at Chimps Tea Party, I like to celebrate the little things, and love being at my home in Bristol!  Making a little extra effort can make just another day in the house into a really special memory.
This begins a series of lockdown special blog posts, giving you ideas and inspiration for spending time at home without getting bored.
One of the things I miss most is being able to go to the cinema, so I thought I'd try and recreate the experience in the comfort of my living room.  Read on for tips, ideas, free downloads and craft D.I.Y's to turn your house into the best picture palace in town!

Now Showing

The first step is to choose your film.  Perhaps write up a list of choices, then get everyone to vote for their favourite.  Pick a showtime, and print out this poster to fill in for your wall!

Print at home cinema showtime poster

Let me show you to your seat
It wouldn't be a trip to the movies without a ticket, so I've designed a vintage style one for you to print out for each person.
And of course, you need someone to be the usher, or the tickets would be completely pointless.  Try making this D.I.Y ushers hat to add to the experience.  All you need is some coloured card/paper and glue.  
I used red card for the whole hat, then stuck on a strip of gold paper I had in the drawer for a bit of extra pizazz.  If you don't have any coloured card, you could make it from some recycling and paint it however you want.
Now they look the part, get them to stand in the living room doorway, take your tickets and show you to your seat using a torch.

Print at home cinema tickets

Snacks!
It wouldn't be a trip to the movies without popcorn.  My favourite is always the salty and sweet combo.  Or maybe I'm just indecisive!
Try making your own salty sweet popcorn:
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan.  When hot, add 1/2 cup of corn and stir once.  Put the lid on, and let it pop, shaking occasionally.  When the pops decrease, take it off the heat.  Add a sprinkle of sugar and salt, put the lid back on and shake it.
If you fancy something more unusual, check out my Pinterest board full of popcorn and movie snack recipes here.
Once you've made your popcorn, you're going to need some genuine cinema style boxes to serve it in! My popcorn box design is all hand collaged, and scanned in to make a free download for you to print, cut and stick together.  
You can put your usher to work again, by making them bring you your snacks in a vintage style tray.  Here's a D.I.Y to make your own, as well as a design to print out and stick on the front.  All you need is a cardboard box from your recycling, and a bit of wide ribbon or string so they can wear it.

DIY Popcorn Box

Shhh...
All the important bits are now in place.  But if you want to go the extra mile, here are my top 5 tips for recreating a genuine cinema experience at home:
1. Crush a few bits of popcorn into the carpet near where you're going to be sitting.  
2. Get a family member to look at their phone and talk loudly during the film so that you can shush them. 
3. Put some red fabric across your TV, and reveal the screen when the film starts.
4. Pour your drink into a extra large vessel, such as a bucket or vase, and use a straw.
5. Sit really close to your TV so that the screen appears bigger.
 
I'd love to see if you try any of the tips from this post, so please tag me in your pics on instagram! 
Now sit back and enjoy your film! (If your family members let you)

Dog trying to steal popcorn

 


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  • Claire on

    Pippa, I’ve found my way here from Lisa’s lollipop club chat group, it’s my husbands birthday on Thursday so I think I’m going to treat him to a cinema night! Thanks for all the downloads and the tips!!!! Claire. ❤️


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