How to Build a Movie Screen

what you'll need

Staple gun and staples, white blackout fabric, two 10' 2x4s, 4 screw-in eye hooks, rope, tall buckets or garbage pails (ours were 22" high), 2 to 4 bags of .5 cubic feet pea gravel, 4 tent stakes

make it

1. Staple white fabric to one 2×4, leaving a few inches of board exposed at the top. Staple other end of fabric to second 2×4.
2. Attach anchoring ropes: Hand-screw two eye hooks into either side of the top of each 2×4, then tie ropes (each at least 15' long) to hooks.
3. With the help of a friend, stand one 2×4 up in a bucket and pour in gravel so 2×4 will stand upright. Repeat with second 2×4 and bucket.
4. Stretch fabric taut by moving the two buckets away from each other.
5. To stabilize the screen, pull ropes out at an angle and tie to tent stakes, then push stakes into the ground.

Originally published in the July 2014 issue of Parents magazine.