Few activities are as enjoyable as movie night on the cheap!
As summer night temperatures warm up, people start thinking about how to watch movies and be outside.
If you don’t have a movie projector, fear not! You can still project a movie outside without one.
Of course, projectors are beneficial, but not everyone wants to spend the money renting one or spending the money to buy one.
And there is something satisfying to using your own projector too!
This is also a fun activity to involve your kids in and is even somewhat educational.
Anyway, here are some ways to project a movie outside without a projector.
How to project a movie outside with a smartphone
Yes, your smartphone may be small, but do you know there is a way to hack it into a projector?
Here’s how.
First, you will need:
- A shoebox (or something similar)
- A knife (penknife or craftknife)
- Black paper
- A magnifying glass – this will be your lens
- Sticky tape
- Smartphone
- A phone stand (you can make one if you like)
- A white wall or white sheet to be your screen.
Here is how you turn all of these things into a homemade smartphone movie projector:
- Take the handle off of the magnifying glass so the lens is completely detached from the stem. You may need a hacksaw to remove it. If you have an old camera lens, you can use this instead.
- Glue the shoebox flaps shut if there are any, and seal any other areas where light can get in.
- Carefully trace the outline of the lens into the shoebox and use your penknife or craft knife to cut that out. This is going to be the lens of your projector.
- Put the lens (the magnifying glass) inside this hole and tape it in, or hot glue it if you have that available.
- Also, cover the inside of the box with black paper. This will help improve the clarity of the image you get in your projector.
- You will need to make a stand of tape or wood for your smartphone. Whatever you use, it needs to be secure so your phone does not slip out of position and ruin your movie!
- Now on your smartphone settings, you will need to adjust the setting to mirror the image on the screen (this will allow you to view the image properly when it is projected). Open up Settings and go to Display, then choose Smartphone projector under the heading “Mirroring.”
- You will also need to lock the rotation of your device using the rotation lock.
- You can now slide the smartphone into the shoebox at the opposite end of the lens. Be sure that you have the brightness on maximum (and that you have a full charge on your device!)
- Now you are ready to walk in a movie theater around your wall or a screen!
Extra Tips:
- Sync the smartphone to a Bluetooth device, so you can pause the movie without going into the box.
- Start the movie at the best quality possible, so it does not become blurry through the projector.
How to project a laptop screen onto a wall when you don’t have a projector
Another device you can use for projecting a movie is a laptop.
To do this, you’ll need:
- A laptop computer
- A mirror
- A magnifying glass
- A cardboard box
- A knife or scissors
- Matte black color or thin paper
- A ruler and a pencil
- Tape
- Brush
- Glue
How to set up your laptop to project a movie:
- First, you need to find a cardboard box that is the right size; this is usually the biggest challenge! The shoebox must have the width and length equal to the diagonal size of the laptop screen.
- Also, the width of the magnifying glass is the same size as the width of the shoebox.
- Cut the flaps on the shoe box and then fold them in so that you have a standard rectangular box.
- Cut a hole (rectangular) on one end with the scissors or knife- the size of the hole can be adjusted based on the size of the magnifying glass.
- Now cover this hole with the black paper and secure it with tape.
- Use the pencil and ruler to draw a box on the black paper as the same size as the laptop screen.
- Put the laptop screen on the grid with the laptop in portrait mode.
- Start with the mirror and place it in front of the laptop so that it covers the entire screen.
Other options for projecting a movie outside without a projector
This setup is adaptable and can adapt into other devices.
For instance, if desired, instead of using your phone, you could alternatively use a tablet, ie. an iPad.
Alternately, you could not use your laptop or computer to project a movie outside, you could simply use your MacBook.
Screen options
If you don’t have a flat surface on which to project your movie. There are some ideas you can use. Ideally, you would have a screen, or even a white wall to project onto.
However, a white bedsheet pinned against a fence would work well too!
You could even paint a piece of plywood with white paint, or, if you have some pieces of cardboard you could whitewash that too.
Don’t forget about the sound!
If you project your phone, tablet, or laptop, you will not hear sound using the built-in speakers.
If your device is in a box, the chances of hearing anything are nil, and if you could hear it, the original racket of the outdoors would drown it out.
The ideal sound device would be Bluetooth.
If there’s not a Bluetooth sound device available, then you may have to make a hole for the wires to come out of the box without interfering with the image and lighting.
If there is only one person, you can easily use headphones.
Projecting a movie without a projector FAQs
Where is the best place for a DIY projector to be placed?
As a starting point, you will need some darkness (or shade within in a dark spot). To achieve optimal projection, you will need to project onto a flat, white surface.
If you do not have that, you can hang a white bed sheet to a fence, and secure it tightly using some clothes pegs or duct tape. You can use other items like old loft boards, spare plywood, or plastic sheeting.
As long as have some comfort-ability to sit in front of the screen (and not in line with the projector), then you can put your DIY projector wherever you please.
Can you use a tablet or iPad to project a movie?
Certainly! A tablet can have a similar concept as a smartphone. You will, however, need to download something like Reflector or Airplay and then follow the steps described for a smartphone above.
What is the best way of projecting a movie outside without a projector?
The majority of people believe a laptop is the better option because it’s bigger, more durable, and it won’t get annoying notifications popping up during the movie.
Plus, you won’t wake up the other people trying to watch the movie if you need to answer a call!
Is making your own projector worth it?
This can vary. However, if you don’t have the budget for a projector and actually enjoy some us-ability, then it is for you!
It is extremely annoying to get the set up just right! And, if you have kids, do not tell them what you are doing until it is nearly completed!
Can you use a projector during daylight hours?
Unless it’s a dark and dreary day, it’s highly unlikely you’ll see anything on the screen in daylight hours (well, unless you have a DIY projector).
So, unless you have some sort of tent, dark outdoor space, etc., you are probably best off waiting until dusk to have any chance of seeing the movie!
Final thoughts on how to project a movie outside without a projector
Watching a movie without a projector is not an easy thing to do.
If you like being crafty and doing DIY, this will be a perfect project for you!
This will give you something to do for an hour or two while you wait for the sun to go down, and your kids can get involved too!
If you follow the directions in this article, you will be able to project a movie or your favorite show onto a wall or a makeshift screen.
Feel free to adapt the process so that you get the best results. Projectors are pricey, so if there is a way you can create a DIY projector for free, then you are definitely onto something!