We hosted a dress-up movie night for Halloween and I thought I’d share some tips as this makes for a cool birthday party theme as well.

Five tips to hosting a dress-up movie night on a budget

Pick a theme

We went with a Halloween theme because the kids have been wanted to, but this could work for so many things. Dress up in Disney costumes for a classic Disney movie night, cosplay as a superhero for a new Marvel movie, the options are endless.

Pick a setting

We have a projector so like to do our movie nights outdoors – it adds to the ambience. But if you don’t have one of the weather does not allow for outdoor movies, just kit out your TV room with pillows and blankets for a fun night in.

Organise your decor

We went very basic with our decor. Paper ghosts made out of thin white paper (I used snack bags). You can DIY basic decor, honestly, a banner is often enough

Get some snacks

Our snack bags are part of our decor. (Video on insta) For a movie night, popcorn and soda are more than enough, maybe some candy if you are feeling generous. Because our theme was Halloween we were quite generous on the candy. If you are hosting this for a Birthday party a hot dog or fries are a good option.

Get dressed up

For costumes, we kept it basic. Face paint is always an inexpensive winner. A fun headband can transform a basic outfit into a costume, they are also pretty affordable and don’t take up too much space so you could have a little collection of headbands for your dress-up needs.