How to Make a Small Beanbag

Small beanbags are used as part of fun beanbag toss games like Toss Across and corn hole, but it is not fun when the bags begin to leak. It is hard to find replacement beanbags, so making your own is the easiest and least expensive way to replace damaged beanbags. Following these steps will have you making sturdy replacement bean bags. You can fill the new beanbags with dried beans, dried corn or plastic pellets.

Things You'll Need

• 2 squares of heavy fabric like denim or burlap per bag, 5 inches by 5 inches
• Straight pins
• Threaded sewing machine
• Beans, corn or plastic pellets
• Measuring cup

Instructions

1. Place the fabric squares with the right sides together. Line up the edges and corners and place at least two straight pins along three of the straight edges.

2. Set the sewing machine on a medium-length stitch, and sew around the three pinned edges using a 1/2-inch seam allowance.

3. Sew a second line of stitching using a 3/8-inch seam allowance. Use either a straight stitch or a zigzag stitch. This will make your beanbags stronger and less likely to fall apart quickly, as it reinforces the first seam and finishes the raw edges.

4. Turn the bags right side out. Measure 3/4 cup of dried beans or other filler and pour them into the open end of the bags.

5. Fold the raw edge 1/2 inch under. Sew straight across the open end with the sewing machine, making a 1/4-inch topstitched seam. Make another line of top stitching 1/8 inch from the edge.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are making the bags for a competition, weigh the beans or corn rather than measuring them with a cup.

References

• Top Stitching: Garment Decoration
• Topstitching