Enjoy a cozy outdoor movie night in your backyard utilizing this inflatable pool hack! Fill an empty inflatable pool with rugs, toss pillows, and blankets to create a cozy outdoor seating area for your family and friends. Also, don’t miss the creative hack for inflating your pool instantly and effortlessly! No air compressor (or air from your lungs) required.

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How to Make an Inflatable Pool Nest

As a kid, I always looked forward to watching a movie at the drive-in theater with friends and family. Watching our favorite movies from the trunk of the minivan somehow felt like an elite and special treat! We would pile blankets and pillows into the back of the van and cozy up together as we munched on popcorn and candy.

Now as an adult with my own family, I still enjoy outdoor movie night; however, instead of piling into the back of the minivan, we typically pile onto blankets and pillows spread across our lawn. I thought it would be fun to create a cozier spot for movie viewing using an inflatable pool as a nest. I headed to our local Christmas Tree Shops to browse their summer and early fall items. I knew they would have everything I needed at affordable prices!

Watch the very short video below to see my shopping trip and pool nest tutorial in action!

Step 1: Gather Items Needed for Pool Nest

To create a cozy outdoor nest, you will need the following:

Inflatable pool measuring 10 ft x 6 ft (Currently on sale at Christmas Tree Shops!)
King size comforter or blanket (Use two if you desire to cover the sides of the pool.)
Pillows (Measure these with your heart!)
Snacks and a tray to contain them (Optional but recommended!)

Feel free to “shop the house” and utilize what you already have on hand to create your pool nest. Or, you can follow my lead, and use this opportunity as a fun excuse to shop at Christmas Tree Shops for some items that you can use for your nest, but also use in your home! Did you know they sell everyday products as well as seasonal decor? I first purchased an inflatable pool that I was thrilled to find on sale. I needed a new white comforter for our primary bed, so picked up a plain white one that included two shams and a bolster pillow for $49.99. I also purchased some rust colored toss pillows, a throw blanket, and a decorative tray that I will use to decorate our living room for early fall. Lastly, I’m a sucker for cute outdoor lanterns and loved the look of these coastal rattan LED lanterns! We spend a lot of time outdoors into late fall, and these will go perfectly on the patio.

Step 2: Inflate your pool using this easy hack!

If you don’t own an air pump or air compressor, this is a great hack that allows you to inflate your pool floats and inflatables in minutes. Use duct tape around an empty paper towel roll, squeezed and taped to size. and attach it to the end of your leaf blower, or hair dryer set to the cool setting. Place the tip of the taped paper towel roll around the air intake valve (pinch if required) and turn on your blower. Air will fill and inflate your pool within minutes!

Step 3: Place your pool in the desired location and cover with blankets.

I wanted the entire pool covered, so I used an old flokati rug as the base “blanket” for my nest. We often use this rug as more of a blanket for sleepovers and ground cover. It’s machine washable, and very soft. If you want a similar effect, I recommend using two king size comforters and then cover with some sheepskin rugs.

Step 4: Make the inside of your nest cozy with toss pillows and throw blankets.

Christmas Tree Shops has an amazing array of toss pillows at an incredible value, so go ahead and measure with your heart how many toss pillows you think you might need for your nest! I am a pillow lover and tend to go a bit overboard. Arrange the pillows in a way that is both pleasing and functional. I filled the shams that came with my comforter with two king size pillows, and then used the rest of my Christmas Tree Shops toss pillows to fill in the surrounding space.

Step 5: Gather your snacks!

My original plan for popcorn and candy quickly turned to wine and grapes when I realized that this was going to be a date night rather than a family movie night. My teenagers opted to go out with their friends, so Matt and I took advantage of the time alone and elevated our snacks. I styled our snacks on a cute tray I picked up at Christmas Tree Shops! The ceramic berry container is also a CTS find!

Step 6: Set your outdoor mood lighting.

Twinkle lights and LED lanterns are perfect for setting the mood and providing just the right amount of light for an outdoor movie night. Christmas Tree Shops has a fantastic selection of both! I picked up two outdoor LED lanterns and used them to flank our pool nest.

I also have cafe string lights over our pergola and over the firepit which help light our way around once dark.

The inflatable pool nest was such a fun and cozy idea that I’ll be implementing again! If you enjoyed this post, please take a moment and share it on Pinterest or Facebook. To find your nearest Christmas Tree Shops store, click here for the store finder. To receive a $10 off $50 purchase coupon, click here!