Backyard Movie Theater Cart

We started watching movies in our driveway for a family movies night. While it is a great time it is also takes some effort to set up the DVD player, projector, speaker, and run extension cords. I thought I would make a small projector cart to carry everything so setup and tear down would be fast and easy.

Some of the things I wanted to make sure the projector cart had were:

- It would hold everything needed for movies.
- It would be short enough to be stored under existing game tables in our basement so it didn’t take up additional space when not being used.
- It would have room on top for a laptop in case we wanted to plug one in.
- It would be short enough to act as a table for drinks and popcorn.
- It would be on casters for easy moving.
- It would have storage for remote controls and cords.
- It would be easy to pick up and carry around or up and down stairs.

MATERIALS

The materials I used on this project were as follows:

• 1/2-inch plywood

• Flexzilla Pro 50' Extension Cord with Lighted Plug - https://amzn.to/3zdUjDZ

• 2" Locking Caster Wheels - https://amzn.to/3sFXPog

• Surger Protector Power Strip with USB outlets (similar to the one I used) - https://amzn.to/3sJZ5XE

• Dual USB 3.0 Male to USB 3.0 Female Flush Mount Extension - https://amzn.to/2WklxdK

• Miscellaneous pieces of wood

• Screws of various lengths and types
• Electrical cords
• Power plug
• Wood Glue

TOOLS

The tools I used on the project were as follows:

• 1/8" radius roundover bit with guide bearing
• Table Saw
• Grizzly 14" Band Saw
• Random orbit sander

• Shop vac
• Parallel clamps

• Tape Measures (my favorite two):
  • Fastcap PMS-16 Auto Lock ProCarpenter Tape Measure - https://amzn.to/333fTMN
  • or FastCap PSSR16 16 ft Standard Reverse Measuring Tape - https://amzn.to/35eQe6k
• Cordless drill
• Drill press
• Random orbit sander
• Sand paper and sanding blocks
• Screwdrivers

NOTE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Other affiliate links may be used on this page, but do not affect pricing of the items.

NOTE: If you plan on using any tool for a project please make sure you are familiar with the tool and all of the dangers associated with it. If you are not familiar with a tool then you should ask someone who is to show you the proper way to use it. A lot of communities have classes at local colleges on the proper use of tools and machinery. There are also local woodworking clubs that offer classes at very reasonable rates for beginners. I highly recommend using these resources for your safety and for the most efficient use of the tool.

SAFETY FIRST
Always wear eye and hearing protection.
Always work safe with the proper safety equipment and guards on your tools.

A lot of pieces in the cart are cut the same width and depth. This helps minimize time for setup. It's a good idea to cut all of the pieces with the same width at the same time to make sure they are the exact same width. It also reduces set up time.

Most of the cut pieces in the cart are rectangles or rectangles with rounded corners.

The two side pieces of the cart have the edges rounded with a 1/8-inch router bit. The full perimeter of the outside face is routed while the inside face is routed everywhere except the bottom edge. The reason for this is that this edge is on the bottom of the carter where another piece of plywood butts up against it directly.

Sanding the pieces before assembly is also recommended. You can touch up areas that need additional sanding after assembly.

A lot of the cart is assembled using pocket holes. I used a Kreg Jig pocket hole tool to cut them. All of the holes are on the bottom of the piece and not going to be noticed. I didn’t plug the holes, but you can plug them if you want a cleaner look.

In order to position the shelves easier I measured from the bottom of the side pieces to the bottom of each of the shelves and marked the location.

I did have several cords that needed to be routed through the different shelves. These included HDMI cables, power cables, audio cords etc. Routing the cords through the holes is not necessary, but does give a cleaner look to the cart. Just drill the holes so they are at least as big in diameter as the largest cord end.

It is much easier to drill some of the holes before you assemble so I highly recommend this.

To make the cart easier to move and carry, I added handles in the center of each side. These were made by drilling four holes with a forstner drill bit and then connecting the holes by sanding away the wood between the holes with an oscillating spindle sander. The little ripples between the holes actually help with your grip as you carry the cart. They keep your fingers from bunching up in one end of the slot.

Assembling the body of the projector cart is not too challenging if you are prepared. Make sure you have your clamps and glue ready to go.

I used pocket holes for attaching the shelves to the side pieces of the projector cart, but you could also just drill in from the side of the cart into the shelves.

I went with a water based polycrylic finish on the projector cart, but you can use just about anything. I wasn't really worried about it being out in the elements as the cart will only be outside in nice conditions. Other than that it will be out of the way in our basement.

I installed a power strip on the side wall of the cart on a lower shelf. This allows you to power all of the devices on the cart, like a projector, laptop, DVD player, by just plugging the outlet strip into the extension cord that is in the lower drawer.

I did add a duplex outlet and two double USB ports to the top of the projector cart. These really aren't needed if you have other ways to power your devices or don't mind plugging things into the outlet strip on the lower shelf.

These double locking casters are a must for keeping the cart from rolling around while in use.

Best if installed while the cart is upside down on a stable surface. Just mark your holes out before you drill and use the appropriate sized drill bit (if pre-drilling holes) and screws.

I did include a simple drawer in the lowest part of the cart in order to hold smaller items and cords that may fall off of shelves. This includes a nice 50' extension cord that has a small LED in it that lights up when you plug it into power. This is a nice feature so you know when you have power to the cart.

I also keep other audio cables and HDMI cables in this drawer.

I did assemble the drawer with pocket screws to make it an easy assembly.

Now that the cart is complete you can add your projector to the first shelf below the top. We also added an old DVD player in case we wanted to play one of our old DVDs.

Once you have the projector and any other electronic items on the shelves, you can route the power cords to the outlet strip and route the HDMI cable from the DVD player to the projector.

Now it's time to sit back and enjoy some nice family movie time in your back yard. This has really made it easy for us to grab everything needed for a movie in the backyard and get started as fast as possible.

I hope if you build this project or something like it that it makes getting a back yard movie going much faster for you and you can spend more time with your family.

Please reach out if you build one of these as I would love to see how you made yours.