Make bean bag game

Sandpaper and paint with a paintbrush will help make the game board more attractive. The bean bags can be made easily with any type of sturdy fabric, a sewing machine and thread, and some dry beans or plastic pellets.

The fabric should be in two different colors for competitive team play. Cut the plywood into one piece that is two feet wide and four feet long, one that is one foot wide and four feet long, and one that is one foot wide and twenty-three inches wide.

Mark a straight line diagonally from corner to corner on the one by four-foot piece and cut it into two long triangles. Assemble the pieces together using nails. The two-by-four boards can be cut into short lengths to provide sturdiness to where the plywood meets. Nail this to the top sheet of plywood first and then nail the triangular sides and the smaller rectangular back to them.

The last step in building a bean bag toss game is to cut the hole for the bean bags to go through on the top of the large piece of plywood. Measure down approximately one foot and find the horizontal center. But it's also fairly easy to make some more creative shapes.

Plus, making your own bean bags for juggling, cornhole, and other games is often more economical than getting store-bought bean bags. And you get to choose exactly what your bean bags look like. You can adapt these bean bags in many ways, changing the size, shape, and materials as needed.

But the basic sewing process remains the same. Sewing a set of up to 10 bean bags should take you about an hour or less. Choose your fabric weight based on the intended use of the bean bags. For gentle play, quilting cotton works great. But if you plan on using them for slightly rougher games like cornhole, use a heavier weight fabric, such as twill. Start by cutting the fabric and muslin. Cut two pieces of fabric and two pieces of muslin for each bean bag you are making. But you can adjust these dimensions to the size you need.

They don't even need to be square. Lay two matching fabric pieces on top of each other with the right sides of the fabric together. Align the edges as close as possible. Then, do the same with two muslin pieces. Pin the layers to keep them in place. Using a sewing machine or a needle and thread, sew around the edges but leave a large opening on one side.

Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of the sewing. Use your scissors to clip the fabric at each sewn point, but be careful not to cut the thread. This simply helps the fabric lay in the corners a little smoother.

Screw the other part of the hinge into the underside of the board. Note: Ensure that when the hinge is opened to a degree angle the top of the 11" block lies flush with the underside of the board.

If not, it may be necessary to remove the screws from the block, adjust, and refasten. Caution: If the block does not lie even with the underside it will put too much stress on the hinge, which may cause buckling or damage to the finished product. Longer screws or over tightening may cause screws to penetrate the top of the board, damaging the final product.

Keep the board "good-side" down on the workbench. Get the 23" piece of 2' x 4' cut in step 8. Using the hammer and four nails, attach the 23" piece by pounding 4 nails through it and into the underside of the board. Caution: Using nails that are too long may cause damage to the board.

Using sandpaper, remove sharp corners or splinters around all edges, including the 6" diameter hole. After sanding, wipe down the board with a damp paper towel or cloth. Apply your desired paint and desired number of coats. Be sure to allow the paint to dry completely before applying ay stain or finish. Warning: Painting and staining should be done in a well ventilated area, as fumes can be dangerous to inhale.

After following these instructions you should be able to build the board set for beanbag toss, an all-American past time. Add a creative paint job of your favorite team or any sketch you like! You are ready to pop up the legs on your portable set and play.

Hopefully you enjoyed building. Above all though, I hope you can enjoy the game of beanbag toss on your own, homemade set!

Nice job on the cornhole boards!