How to Make a Bean Bag Chair

Bean bag chairs are fun for everyone and make great extra seating in a child's or teen's room. You can make your own bean bag chairs to match your decor. If you go this route, you can make the bean bag chair as large or as small as you want it to be to fit the space.

Things You'll Need

• Paper or sheets
• Upholstery fabric
• Matching thread
• Sewing machine
• Paper towel tube
• Filler
• Industrial Velcro

Instructions

1. Decide what shape and size you want to make your bean bag chair. Create a pattern using paper or inexpensive fabric-like sheets.

2. Cut your pattern pieces out of a very sturdy upholstery fabric. Sew them together, leaving an opening for you to fill the bean bag chair. Place your cardboard tube into the opening you've left to fill the bean bag chair.

3. Fill your bean bag chair with the filler of your choice. You can use Styrofoam pellets, corn kernels or hard beans, such as navy beans. Pour the material you choose through the cardboard tube until the chair is sufficiently stuffed.

4. Close up the opening you left to fill the bean bag chair using industrial strength Velcro. The adhesive is strong enough that you won't need to sew the hole shut.

5. Shake the bean bag chair to distribute the filler and test the integrity of the chair. If it's too floppy, add more filler. If it's too firm, remove some filler until you've got the perfect comfort level.

Tips & Warnings

• You can purchase traditional bean bag chair filler made from Styrofoam pellets at many large craft supply stores.

• Bean bag chairs are dangerous for small children. Keep them away from toddlers.