Make Your Own Movie Screen

It is quickly becoming a show point for many home owners to have their own home theater system in their house. The idea of such a room is to evoke a feeling of being at the movies, but without having to leave the comfort of your own home. While many people will simply use a large, flat screen television in order to achieve the "look" of a movie theater, why not go all the way? In order to do that, you will need to make your own movie screen. Here's how.

• Outside or inside? The very first thing that you will need to do is determine whether your "movie room" will be outside or inside. This actually makes a big difference, since you can purchase inflatable movies screens for the outside of your home. These are great since you can easily deflate them when they are not in use, and store them out of the way.
• Figure out the dimensions. To make your own movie screen, you will also need to figure out the dimensions for your personal screen. On the average, the typical widescreen movie screen will have a ratio of 2.35:1. This is easily obtained when making your own if you create a screen that will be 104 inches wide by 44 inches tall. To give you an idea of what it will look like, as well as to give you a "blue print" to follow, simply draw a little sketch of what you will have when you are finished.
• Get the materials. In order to build your screen, you will need to also get all the materials necessary. For this project you will need to visit two different stores. The first store will be your local home improvement store, and the second will be your local fabric store. At the home improvement store you will need to get the lumber you will use (cut to the dimensions in your blue print), as well as some ply wood for the corners, and some wood staples, and a staple gun. At your fabric store you will need to purchase about three yards of white curtain baking, also known as black out cloth.
• Assemble. Get your all your materials home, and then it is time to begin assembly. Start by building the frame. You will be making a simple frame box that is a long rectangle. This rectangle should be 104 inches long, by 44 inches wide. At each corner of the rectangle, you should place a small rectangle of plywood, and screw it down tight. This will help strengthen the frame and keep it from warping. After you have built the frame, begin stretching the material over it, much in the same manner that you would a poster or picture. On the back side of the frame you will staple the material, and then pull it tight to the other side, where you will do the same thing. Make sure that you have the material as tight as possible to present a nice flat surface.
• Enjoy. After you have finished stapling the blackout curtain to the frame, you have basically finished making your movie screen. All you have left to do is hang the screen from your wall, and begin watching the movies. Make some popcorn, invite a few friends over, and kick back and enjoy!