How to Make a Bean Bag Sofa

Bean bag sofas are a great alternative to traditional chairs.

Bean bag sofas are a comfortable way to enjoy watching television, read or simply relax. Bean bag furniture is often a favorite with children because of its soft, snuggly feel. The sofas make a great addition to any family room or bedroom. Creating a bean bag sofa is a project that can be done in several hours. 

Things You'll Need

• Two 5 yard pieces of thick fabric
• Stuffing pellets
• Two 5 yard pieces of muslin
• Sewing machine
• Pins
• Needle
• Thread in your color choice
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Pick up the needed supplies for this project at your local craft or fabric store. Purchase a thick fabric for your bean bag sofa, as it will be less likely to rip or puncture.

2. Lay both pieces of fabric and the two pieces of muslin on top of each other, the fabric should be front side up. Fold the fabric in half; it is important that both pieces are exactly folded. With a piece of chalk carefully draw a large half circle onto the material, making sure it covers most of the fabric space. Start drawing your circle from one side of the folded material, ending at the other side.

3. Pin the inside area of the chalk circle to make sure that the materials stay together. Carefully cut over the chalk line until you are left with a circle that is pinned in half.

4. Unfold the materials and then unpin them. Pin a piece of muslin to the back side of each fabric piece. Using a sewing machine, attach the muslin and the fabric. Do the same with the second circle.

5. Pin the two circles together with the muslin side facing outward. Sew the two circles together, but make sure to leave a 3-inch gap, as you will need to stuff the sofa with pellets. Turn your bean bag chair inside out and begin pouring the pellets into the small opening until your chair is filled. Hand-sew the small hole and enjoy your new bean bag sofa.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure that the pellets used for this project are waterproof, so that you can periodically wash your sofa.

• Over time, your bean bag may start to lose pellets or feel empty. If this happens, simply open up the area that was handsewn and refill it with extra pellets.

• Bean bag sofas are not recommended for small children, since the pellets can leak and present a potential choking hazard.

References

• Sewing: Bean Bag Chair
• Essortment: DIY Bean Bag Chair
• Budget 101: Crafts

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish