How to Make Bean Bag Boxes

Beanbag toss games, also called corn hole, are popular at backyard parties and barbecues. Instead of buying pricey, prefabricated boxes or targets that take up valuable storage room, consider making your own collapsible beanbag boxes for summertime fun.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1/2-inch plywood
• 2 hinges with screws
• 4 small eyebolts
• 2 small S-hooks
• Clothesline or similar cord
• Electric saw
• Electric drill

Make Beanbag Boxes

1. Cut one piece of half-inch plywood into a 2-by-4-foot rectangle. Cut another piece into a 1-by-2-foot rectangle. These two pieces will form the structure of your beanbag box. Sand all the edges of the wooden boards to prevent people playing the beanbag toss game--or corn hole--from getting splinters. Paint, stain or seal the boards if desired.

2. Measure the center of the 4-foot-long wooden board, and make a mark on this line approximately 10 inches down from one of the short ends. Use a compass or a string on a nail to transcribe a 5-to-6-inch circle at this spot. Use an electric saw to cut out this circle. You may have to start the hole with a guide hole from an electric drill if you do not have an appropriate type of saw. Sand the edges of this circle after the wood is removed. This hole is where the beanbags will be thrown during a game.

3. Use an electric drill to make guide holes in both the 4-foot-long board and the 1-foot piece of wood. These holes should correspond to the holes for the screws on the hinges. Mark the locations with a pencil before drilling. Be sure to use a drill bit that is just smaller than the screws included with the hinges. Hinges are ideal to make a collapsible beanbag box.

4. Screw the hinges to both pieces of wood, one on each end of the joint between the two. Positioning the hinges about one quarter and three quarters across the narrow end of the beanbag box will create a sturdy construction. The hinges should be positioned so the boards can fold flat together.

5. Turn the wooden boards so the underside is sticking up. Screw one eyebolt into each corner of the two-piece wooden rectangle. There should be two eyebolts on each piece of wood approximately 2 inches from the corners of the boards. Small eyebolts are ideal. Just be sure the S-hooks you purchase will fit smoothly inside the round openings.

6. Tie a knotted loop into two ends of a 4-foot piece of rope, clothesline or any strong cord. Repeat this for another piece of cord of the same length. Slip an S-hook into each loop. If desired, knot the cord directly around one side of each S-hook to prevent loss of the hooks. These hooks should be put into the loops on the eyebolts to hold the bottom of the beanbag box open when you wish to play. The assembly folds flat for easy storage.