Turn Your Terrace Into an Outdoor Cinema

A warm Maltese evening, a few soft lights and a sheet to project onto are all it takes to turn a terrace or roof into an open-air cinema. Whether it is a film night with friends or a puppet show for the children, the setting does the work.

Setting the scene for movie night

Pick a sheltered corner of the terrace or roof and let it become your cinema for the evening. Guests can bring their own chairs, settle into garden armchairs, or sink into poufs that double up as storage once the night is over. Scatter cushions and throws nearby, since evenings can turn cooler even after a hot day, and add a side table for the popcorn bowl. A string of lights or a few LED candles around the seating area adds atmosphere without needing a power socket nearby, and keeps the whole space feeling relaxed rather than formal.

Building a stage for a children's show

A film is good fun, but a live performance on the terrace brings its own excitement. Set up a small platform as a stage, with a snack table alongside, ideally both on castors so children can move and arrange everything themselves without help. Push the stage towards the centre, arrange a few chairs or let everyone sit on rugs and cushions, and the show is ready to begin. It is a simple way to make an ordinary evening feel like an occasion, and it keeps children happily occupied outdoors while the air is still cool.

JÄRRESTAD pouffe, with storage/Tonerud dark beige, 46 cmTOLKNING pouffe with storage, handmade rattan, 50 cmGLOSTAD 2-seat sofa, Knisa dark grey, 121 cmSANDARED pouffe, beige, 45 cmALSEDA stool, banana fibre, 60 cmGLOSTAD 3-seat sofa, Knisa dark grey, 171 cm

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A stage curtain and a cast of soft toys

A proper stage needs a proper curtain, and a length of fabric hung from a clothes rail stand makes a convincing one, easy to put up and take down again afterwards. For the cast, IKEA's DJUNGELSKOG soft toys and glove puppets are well suited to improvised theatre, sturdy enough for small hands and varied enough to cover most storylines a child might invent. Keep a small table of snacks and drinks to one side so the performance can carry on without interruption, and let the audience applaud as the curtain opens on whatever adventure comes next.

DJUNGELSKOG soft toy, brown bearDJUNGELSKOG soft toy, orangutanDJUNGELSKOG soft toy, lionDJUNGELSKOG soft toy, mini/orangutan, 20 cmDJUNGELSKOG soft toy, mini/elephant, 12 cmDJUNGELSKOG soft toy, mini/tiger, 13 cm

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A few cushions, some gentle lighting and the right props are enough to turn a Maltese terrace into a cinema or a stage. Browse the range online and have it delivered to your door.

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