This post is part of my Spooky Movie Night series, featured in the 2022 issue of Spooky Little Halloween—The Magazine.
The great thing about hosting a movie night is you don’t need a ton of décor to make your space feel spooky. It’s more about setting the mood.
In the 2022 issue of Spooky Little Halloween—The Magazine, Andrew and Devin from Your Best Halloween Ever and myself put together our own movie night. This week, we’re sharing all our best tips, tricks, and ideas with you to use all spooky season.
Why set the mood? It’s one of those little extras that honestly doesn’t take a ton of extra time, just a little attention to detail, but it can make the difference between a boring Tuesday night and a memorable spooky movie night — even if it’s a movie night for one!
And if you’re a Halloween lover like myself, Andrew, and Devin, I’m betting you already have everything you need.
How to create a cozy Halloween couch
Make every seat the best seat in the house
This one takes a bit of muscle, but before your movie night survey your space. Do all your seating spots point toward the TV? Do you have enough space for everyone to sit comfortably?
I’ve rearranged my furniture for the night before to accommodate everyone comfortably. It’s a little extra work, but it makes a difference and no one has to sit at an uncomfortable angle.
Bust out the blankets
I know you have one because I do too: all the Halloween blankets I’ve acquired from small businesses or too many Halloween hunting trips to HomeGoods. Now is their time to shine!
Place blankets over the arms of chairs or couches. Neatly fold them and place them in a spot for easy access. You can even stack them in a basket. You want to make them easy for your guests to access.
My favorite small business spots for blankets:
Throw in throw pillows
Give your guests lots of options to snuggle with for the movie screening. Add extra throw pillows for viewers to make their seat extra comfy.
Want to make it really cozy? Add seating on the floor via oversized pillows or even an air mattress piled high with extra pillows and blankets.
My favorite small business spots for blankets:
Coordinate Colors
If you have a lot of options when it comes to blankets and pillows, consider coordinating your colors. Picking all your purple items, then coordinating your lighting, is such an easy way to pull the entire room together.
Use Dim, Warm Lighting
Assuming you’re hosting movie night in the evening, keep your lighting on the dim side. The movie will be the focus, so turn down lamps or opt for soft lighting via string lights or candles.
A dim, spooky glow will give your living room the perfect ambiance for a Halloween or horror flick.
Here are a few of my favorite lights to achieve this perfect glow:
LED stage lights (what we used for our purple glow in all these photos)
LED TV backlights (the exact ones I have on two TVs)
Twinkle string lights (can never go wrong with these!)
Looking for more lighting tips and tricks? Check out That Halloween Bro’s lighting guides: Volume 1 | Volume 2
What would you add to a cozy Halloween couch?
Let me know in the comments. Then stay tuned for the rest of this series to build the perfect spooky movie night this Halloween season!
