Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
I Built a Blanket Fort for Holiday Movie Nights and Nobody Wants to Leave
36
items Every December we'd pile onto the couch with a single throw blanket and squint at the TV while someone complained about being cold. Last year I snapped and built a full blanket fort in the living room. Now the kids beg for it starting November 1st an...
Sections
6
Blankets and Throws That Actually Hold Up as Fort Walls
Fort Structure and Support So It Doesn't Collapse at the Climax
Lighting That Makes the Inside Feel Like a Snow Globe
Cozy Floor Setup So Nobody's Back Hurts by Movie Two
Snack Station So Nobody Leaves the Fort for an Hour
The Screen and Sound Setup That Makes It Feel Like a Real Theater
Blankets and Throws That Actually Hold Up as Fort Walls
The first year I tried using our regular bed blankets and they kept sliding off everything. These are thick enough to drape and pin without collapsing every ten minutes.
Grab this one for the main roof section. It's heavy enough to stay draped over chairs without sliding off every five minutes. If you've ever had a fort collapse mid-movie, you know the frustration.
U by Bedsure Sherpa Fleece Throw Blanket Grey
Use two of these for the side walls. They're lightweight but not flimsy, so they pin easily. Perfect for families who build and rebuild the fort all season long because someone keeps adding rooms.
Twin Size Blankets for Cozy Bedding
Keep this one inside the fort, not as a wall. My feet were ice blocks during Elf last year. Plugged this in and my toes were warm in about four minutes. Stock up before December, they sell fast.
Sunbeam Heated Throw Blanket - Sherpa Fleece TRF4200
Toss this over the entrance like a curtain. It drapes beautifully and makes the whole thing feel like an actual room. My six-year-old calls it the magic door and honestly I don't correct her.
Better Homes & Gardens Textured Velvet Plush Throw
Snag a few of these in different colors for layering. At under ten bucks each, it doesn't matter if someone spills hot cocoa on one. We ruined two last year and I didn't even flinch.
Mainstays Cozy Fleece Throw Blanket, Gray Paw, 50 in x
Splurge on one nice blanket for the floor of the fort. This is where everyone sits, so it needs to feel cozy, not scratchy. Worth it for the person who refuses to sit on anything but soft surfaces.
Pendleton, Reversible Plush Throw, 50" x 70"
Fort Structure and Support So It Doesn't Collapse at the Climax
Nothing kills the mood faster than a blanket falling on your head right when the Grinch's heart grows three sizes. These keep everything standing.
Try this if you want a frame that actually holds shape. My husband was skeptical until he saw how solid it was. We've rebuilt it every weekend in December for two years and nothing has broken.
Crazy Forts! Kids Indoor Toy Builder
Use a couple of these between doorframes or walls to create ridgepoles. Way sturdier than broomsticks balanced on chairs. Learned that lesson the hard way during Home Alone 2.
Mainstays Adjustable Spring Tension Curtain Rod
Stick these on the wall to anchor blanket corners up high. They peel off clean in January and save you from putting actual holes in the wall. For renters, these are a lifesaver.
Command™ Large Utility Hook | 3M United States
Pair these with any blanket edge that won't stay put. They grip tight and don't leave marks. I clamp at least twelve spots and the fort survives three kids crawling in and out all night.
Mr. Pen- Spring Clamps, 4 Pack
Wrap these around chair legs and table corners to pull blankets taut. The fort went from droopy sad tent to actual structure once I started using bungees. Total difference.
Hyper Tough 20 Pack, 10 inch Mini Bungee Cord Set
Bring in two or three of these to create the outer walls. They're tall enough to give you headroom inside and fold flat for storage. Way better than dragging dining chairs across hardwood floors.
Mainstays Deluxe Fabric Padded Metal Folding Chair, Black
Lighting That Makes the Inside Feel Like a Snow Globe
Overhead lights kill the vibe immediately. The right glow inside the fort is what makes everyone put their phones down and actually watch the movie together.
Run these along the ceiling of the fort for a warm glow. Set them to a soft amber and it looks like firelight without any fire hazard. My kids think we live in a fairy tale every December.
DAYBETTER 50ft LED Strip Lights,Color Changing Music
Drape these across the entrance and along the floor edges. They throw off just enough light to see your popcorn but not so much that it washes out the screen. Sweet spot.
Brightown Indoor/Outdoor LED String Lights
Set this outside the fort, not inside, for safety. The pine smell drifts in and suddenly your living room smells like a cabin. For anyone who can't afford a ski lodge trip, this is the next best thing.
Yankee Candle Balsam & Cedar Large Original Jar, 22 oz.
Keep one of these near the entrance for bathroom trips. Stumbling over pillows in the dark is how I bruised my shin last Christmas Eve. Quick on, quick off, no fort destruction required.
Energizer Vision HD+ Focus LED Headlamp
Plug this into the nearest outlet and set it to a warm red or gold. It gives the fort walls a cozy tint from outside. Subtle but it makes the whole setup look intentional, not chaotic.
GE Color-Changing LED Night Light, White, 34693
Toss this inside for reading the pizza menu or finding the remote. It's flat, so nobody sits on it and breaks it. Charges in a window during the day and lasts all evening.
PackLite Nova Solar Lantern
Cozy Floor Setup So Nobody's Back Hurts by Movie Two
Year one we sat on the carpet with a single pillow. By the second film everyone had migrated to the couch and the fort was empty. Fixing the floor situation changed everything.
Lay this as the base and suddenly you've got a real bed inside your fort. Folds up and slides behind the couch when you're done. For anyone over thirty whose back screams after sitting on the floor for two hours.
Milliard 4-inch Twin Tri Folding Foam Mattress
Swap this in if you want to go full sleepover mode. Inflates in minutes and fits inside most fort setups. We fell asleep during It's a Wonderful Life and woke up at 2am still cozy.
Intex Dura-Beam® Standard Downy Queen Air Mattress 10
Get one big squishy pillow per kid. They use them as backrests, headrests, and occasionally weapons during pillow fights between movies. Washable, which matters more than you think.
Squishmallows Cam the Cat Plush (Visor)
Wedge this along the wall side of the fort for leaning. It's the difference between comfortable and “I need to stretch every ten minutes.” My partner claimed one and won't share it.
Customer reviews for Mainstays Body Pillow, 20 in x 54
Lay this under everything if you have young kids or messy snackers. Hot chocolate spills happen. This saved our carpet twice last season and I didn't discover the spills until morning.
Mainstays Waterproof Mattress Pad Twin/Twin-XL
Perfect for the kid who refuses to lie down during movies. It folds flat when not in use and fits inside the fort without taking up the whole floor. Compact enough that siblings don't fight over space.
Room Revival 3 Position Convertible Lounge Flip Chair
Snack Station So Nobody Leaves the Fort for an Hour
The whole point is staying inside. Every time someone gets up for snacks, cold air rushes in and blankets shift. I set up a snack zone inside and it solved the problem completely.
Fill this with hot cocoa before the first movie starts. It stays hot for hours, so nobody has to microwave anything halfway through. Pour refills without leaving the fort. Life-changing in December.
Stanley Classic Stainless Steel Insulated Vacuum Bottle
Bring this right to the fort entrance. Fresh popcorn in under three minutes and it's small enough to sit on a tray table. Way better than microwave bags that make the whole house smell like chemicals.
Customer reviews for Dash Fresh Pop Popcorn Maker, White
Pre-load these with candy, pretzels, and trail mix before movie night. Clear lids so kids can see what's inside without opening everything. Keeps snacks from spilling all over the blankets.
Rubbermaid, Food Storage Container, 9.6 Cup
Use spill-proof mugs inside the fort. Regular mugs are a disaster waiting to happen in a space full of blankets and pillows. Knocked mine over twice last year, not a single drop escaped.
Contigo AUTOSEAL West Loop Vacuum-Insulated
Plug this in near the fort for movie two. Hot dogs during a holiday movie marathon sound weird until you try it. My kids now request it every single Friday night from November through January.
Nostalgia HDR565COKE Coca-Cola Hot Dog Roller
Drop one of these into hot milk and watch it melt open. The marshmallows inside float up and kids lose their minds. Grab these early because they vanish from shelves by mid-December every year.
Thoughtfully Hot Chocolate Bombs, 5 Pack
The Screen and Sound Setup That Makes It Feel Like a Real Theater
We started by angling the TV toward the fort opening, which worked but felt awkward. A few additions turned it into something the neighbors' kids now ask to come over for.
Plug this into whatever screen you're using and every streaming service is right there. No fumbling with discs or cables. Switched to this after our DVD player died mid-Rudolph and we panicked.
Roku Express 4K Streaming Player
Point this at a white sheet hung on the wall and suddenly you've got a six-foot screen inside the fort. The picture quality won't win awards but the experience is unbeatable. Kids think it's actual magic.
VANKYO | Best Mini Projectors for Home
Pair this with the projector for sound that actually fills the fort. Built-in projector speakers are tinny and sad. This one is waterproof too, which came in handy during the cocoa incident of 2023.
JBL Flip 6 Portable Waterproof Speaker Black
Hang this on the wall behind the fort opening if you go the projector route. Wrinkle-free out of the box, which matters because ironing a screen at 7pm on movie night is not happening.
Mdbebbron 120 inch Projection Screen 16:9 Foldable
Sit this under the TV if you skip the projector setup. Dialogue in old holiday movies is weirdly quiet and this fixes it. No more rewinding because someone couldn't hear what George Bailey said.
onn. Roku Smart Soundbar with Built-in 4K Streaming
Switch to this if you already have Apple devices. AirPlay from your phone to pick movies is seamless. Searched for Muppet Christmas Carol from inside the fort without getting up once.
Apple TV 4K MN873LL/A 64GB 3rd gen 2022 Wi-Fi