When I was little, I used to LOVE movie night and building forts in my parents’ living room with any blankets and sheets I could find. I would bring all of my favorite toys and snacks and spend the entire day holed up in my fort. Now that I’m all grown-up, why not make take this childhood memory and turn it into a fun adult activity?!
Building a movie night fort is super simple and can easily be done with supplies you already have in the house. All you need is some yummy snacks, Netflix & chill. I’ve put together some simple steps to build your indoor escape and two of my favorite “healthier” snack recipes for the perfect movie night in your very adult fort.
Planning another gathering? Check out some of my other hosting ideas
STEP ONE: GATHER THE MOVIE NIGHT SUPPLIES
You will need lots of sheets, blankets and pillows to make your fort extra comfy and cozy. I suggest 3-4 large sheets to drape for the fort structure and 1-2 blankets to lay on ground for comfort and warmth.
STEP TWO: BUILD THE MOVIE NIGHT FORT
You can tie your fort off to just about any piece of furniture in the house, but chairs, sofas, barstools or ladders work really well. I used a ladder and two bar stools to create my fort and secured them to the furniture by tying a knot and fastening safety pins for extra support.
I draped and tied the corners of two sheets from the top of the ladder and tied the other end of the sheet to a barstool on each side, making a V shape from the ladder with the sheets. Then, I draped another sheet on top between the two barstools and the ladder to create the top canopy.
You can get really creative here and make the fort as big or as small as you want, its all about trial and error!
STEP THREE: MAKE IT COMFY
Now that your fort structure is complete, add lots of pillows and blankets so it’s extra comfortable for your movie marathon. If you want some extra light (or ambiance) inside you tent, drape some string lights across the fort or add some candles.
STEP FOUR: PREPARE THE SNACKS
The MOST important part. You can’t have a movie night without movie snacks. I love to indulge, but without the guilt of processed snacks. This is why I’ve put together two of my favorite “healthy-ish” snack recipes that are super simple and much better for you than junk food!
ROSEMARY PARMESAN POPCORN
The perfect savory snack that upgrades your typical microwave popcorn with a rosemary and garlic-infused olive oil, a dash of spices and parmesan. It is seriously addicting and my go-to for movie nights!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 package Microwavable Sea Salt Popcorn
- 1/8 cup Olive Oil
- 2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary
- 1 large Garlic Clove, minced
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- freshly ground Black Pepper
- pinch of Cayenne Pepper
- 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Place 1 rosemary sprig, the minced garlic glove and olive oil in a small saucepan and turn the stove on low heat. Add the salt, garlic powder and black pepper and stir. Heat the mixture until it is very warm but not simmering.
- Turn the heat off and let the mixture sit. Pop the popcorn according to the instructions on the package.
- Meanwhile, pull the leaves from the second rosemary spring and finely mince.
- Once your popcorn is popped and still warm, add it to a large bowl.
- Remove the rosemary sprig from the olive oil mixture and drizzle it over the popcorn. Toss to coat the popcorn.
- Sprinkle the popcorn with grated Parmesan, the freshly minced rosemary and additional garlic powder, salt and black pepper, to taste. Enjoy!
GLUTEN-FREE DARK CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY S’MORES
These are extremely decadent, but they made with healthier alternatives to your regular old-school s’mores… so less guilt! The raspberry and dark chocolate make for a great contrast with the sweetness of the marshmallows, but you can add in different types of chocolate, jams or nut butters to customize these on your own!
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 squares of Gluten-Free Honey Grahams
- 1 bar Steevia-Sweetened Original Dark Chocolate, divided into four
- 4 Large Vegan Marshmallows
- 2 tbsp No-Sugar Added Raspberry Preserves
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Heat the oven on broil to 400°F.
- Place the graham crackers on a large sheet pan. On four of the graham crackers, place 1/3 tbsp raspberry preserves with 1/4 of the dark chocolate bar. On the remaining four graham crackers, places 1 large marshmallow.
- Heat in the oven for 2-3 minutes until the marshmallows and chocolate are melted.
- Let the graham crackers cool for a minute before placing the two sides of the s’mores together (one with raspberry preserves and dark chocolate, one with a marshmallow). Enjoy!
STEP FIVE: PICK THE MOVIE & ENJOY!
Now that your perfect indoor movie fort is prepared, time to pick out something to watch on Netflix and get cozy in your little hideaway. If you built your fort around your TV, perfect! If not, no problem! Just use your laptop or computer monitor.
Who doesn’t love a good movie night fort for the perfect date-night activity or a girls night with friends?
