Easy DIY Bean Bags


A few weeks ago a woman in my neighborhood asked if anyone knew where to buy bean bags.  Her grandchildren were coming to visit and they were going to build a bean bag toss game for the kids to play.  I thought about it and couldn't remember seeing any bean bags at any stores.  I told her I would make her some.  I thought it would be a great project to make a tutorial for since they are so easy to sew.


I decided to use two different cotton fabrics for this project.  These were both cotton fat quarters that I bought and had in my fabric stash.  For those of you not sure what a fat quarter is, I will explain.  If you go to the fabric store and ask them to cut you 1/4 yard, you will get a long skinny piece of fabric that is 9" x 44".  With a Fat Quarter, you will get a piece of fabric that is 18" x 22".  See here for a visual diagram.


Next your iron your piece of fabric.  I wanted these beanbags to be 5" x 3".  The size that you make them all depends on who you are making them for.  If they were for toddlers, I would make them 3" x 3" instead.  I cut my fabric pieces to be 5.25" x 6.25" so there would be enough fabric to make a .25 inch seam.
This is what the fabric looks like spread out.  Next I folded the fabric in half lengthwise so the pattern was on the inside.
Because of the folded fabric, I only had to sew 3 sides.  I placed the folded side toward the top (I am right handed) and used a straight stitch to start sewing the short side of the fabric that would be on the right side. I continued to stitch the long side as well. Remember when you start your stitch and also when you end it to back-stitch to make sure the thread does not start to unravel.
For the last short side you can do this 2 ways.  You can stitch the side and leave a small opening (seen in the picture above) for you to turn your fabric right side out, or you can just leave the whole side un-sewn at this step and turn the fabric right side out.

After you have turned your fabric right side out, you can then fill the bag with beans.  I used about 1 cup of beans for each bag.  The amount you use will depend on the size of the bean bag you are making and how big your beans are.  You need to leave enough space empty so you have room to sew the bag closed.  Fold the un-sewn side in so the edge will be smooth.
Last you sew the final side closed.  If you decided to use option one for the last side (sew partially and leave a small opening before turning right side out), I would sew along the whole last side so it looks nice and even.
Here is the finished project.  From start to finish, making 6 of these took me about an hour.  That is with the ironing, cutting, sewing, filling, and finishing sewing.  It's a fast project that is fun to do and then you can have a game for the kids.
I made some of these a few years ago with extra fleece fabric that I had.  I didn't have a bean bag toss game built, so we just used side walk chalk and made different sized circles on the driveway and the girls would try to get them in the circles for different points.



19 comments

  1. You did those in an hour! That's great. It would take me an hour for one, I guess. :)

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    1. Don't be discouraged! I'm a beginner at sewing too!

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  2. I had a two year old visiting over the weekend and was at a loss for toys. This is a great idea and my minimal sewing skills can handle it. I'll make a set for here and a set he can take home next time he visits.

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    1. These would be fun for a 2 year old to play with. You could have indoor games or outdoor games. =)

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  3. These are really cute! We have some that are similar that we use in a bean bag toss game outside! My 18 month old loves it!

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    1. Thanks Logan! I even like bean bag toss games too!

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  4. What a great way to use up scraps. I like the idea of chalk circles. I think we can also use big bowls from the Dollar Store. This will be a great activity for the summer vacation.

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    1. It is a great way to use up scraps. I'm sure my hubby would love me to use up more. =)

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  5. These are perfect for summer backyard games!

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  6. Super cool. I am in need of some bean bags for our new corn hole game:)

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    1. I'm glad you found this easy tutorial Andrea!

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  7. Thanks for sharing this! We let the kids go nuts with out corn hole bags so they tend to break down faster than normal lol!

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    1. If we played it all the time, I would probably make mine out of fleece. My girls go through stages. =)

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  8. Thanks for this simple tutorial Ali! A coworker of my husband's is going to make us a corn hole game, so I will be in need of bean bags- so thanks again for sharing on TALENTED TUESDAY link party!

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    1. This will be perfect for you then! Thanks for stopping by! I'll see you next week at Talented Tuesday. =)

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  9. These are great! Thanks for sharing:)

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    1. Your welcome Heather! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. I love hearing from people that have visited!

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  10. Awesome! Going to make them for a fall festival booth!

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