How to Make Bean Bags

Most bags made from scratch are made out of duck canvas or a similar material. Choose the color of your choice and cut the fabric into (8) 7”x7” squares. I would recommend using bright colors that are easy to see while flying through the air. Of course they will get dirty over time, so I would recommend not using expensive custom designs if you plan on playing outdoors a lot.

The finished product will be 6”x6” once we fill the bags with corn. The bags should be filled so that they weigh nearly a pound each. This is about equivalent to two cups of corn. When you sew the squares together, make sure they are a bit over 6”x6” so they will be the correct size after you fill them. Sew all four sides of the bag except for a small section to fill the bags with feed corn. Make sure you use some heavy duty thread so they will last longer! Before you fill the bags with corn, turn them inside out so the seam is not on the outside of the bag.

When it comes to filling the bag, you can use a variety of products. Most people use feed corn or plastic pellets. The difference between these two is that the pellets are more resistant to rain in case they get wet. However, pellets weigh less than corn and will occupy more space when filling the bag up to one pound. Another difference is that corn will break down over time: the bags start out bulky and tend to bounce, but once they break in they will be “floppy” and land softly.

A funnel can be used to fill the bags if you left a small opening. Fill the bags so that each weighs about a pound. Note that it is important for all the bags to feel the same size and weight, which is the hardest part of the project. More detailed instructions will soon be posted on beabaginfo.com.