How To Make Cornhole Bags

If you are anything like me and would rather make your own custom games and items around the house then you will jump at the chance to sew your own cornhole bags right at home.

Instead of getting the designs you see in the store that just aren’t the right fit for you, you can find the perfect fabric and customize your cornhole bags by making them yourself.

It is a very simple process if you have just a little bit of sewing knowledge and a sewing machine, or if you are like me and know someone else with these skills that can help you out.

You only need about one yard of fabric and 120 ounces of corn or resin pellets to make 8 regulation cornhole bags. The process is as simple as sewing up the bags and adding the stuffing material.

Once you follow these very simple steps, you will have your very own set of cornhole bags customized the way you like them. If you are someone, or you know someone that is handy with a sewing machine, they can customize your bags even further.

If you need a great set of cornhole boards to go with along with your freshly made bags, there are tons of great ones out there but this set of boards on Amazon is a no brainer because you can paint them and customize them to match your bags if you don’t want the hassle of building your own boards.

Let’s take a look at what we need to start making our very own cornhole bags.

How To Make Your Own Cornhole Bags

First of all, we need to know exactly how many bags we are going to need for the final product.

Cornhole regulations (we have an article on that) state that there should be 8 bags in total (4 per team) so make sure that you remember to count twice to make sure you make the right amount of bags.

Supplies Needed

Lets go over the supplies that we will need to make our own cornhole bags. Some of these are optional but I suggest you use them all if you want to make sure your bags are regulation size and weight.

  • Duck Cloth (Also Called Canvas)
  • Polyester Thread 
  • 8 Pounds Of Resin Pellets Or Dry Whole Kernel Corn
  • Straight Edge
  • Pencil Or Fabric Pen
  • 7″ X 7″ Square Stencil
  • Scissors
  • Sewing Machine (Or You Can Hand Sew If You Are A Beast)
  • Heavy-duty Needle
  • Digital Scale
  • Funnel

What Are Cornhole Bags Filled With?

Cornhole bags can be filled with almost anything but the most widely used fillings are plastic resin beads and dry whole kernel corn. 

Resin pellets are the best filling to use because they are weather, mold, and abrasion resistant and once you fill your bags with these, you shouldn’t have to replace them for years and years to come making these a wise investment for a marginally higher price.

Tradition cornhole bags were always made with, you guessed it, CORN so it is no wonder that many people choose to use corn for their bags still.

The downsides to corn is that they are not water resistant and when exposed to too much water can cause the corn inside the bags to start to get soft and break down causing you to have to replace either the bags, or open them up and replace the filling.

How Much Do Bean Bags Weigh In Cornhole?

In the supplies list above I suggested 8 pounds of filling which will make for 8 bags of 16 ounces each. Regulation weight is 14-16 ounces so you can go in the middle and still have a bit of leftover filling if you so choose.

Sewing The Cornhole Bags

  • Before we start sewing, we need to prep our bags first. Cut 16 squares that are 7 inch x 7 inch by using the pen and stencil and separate them into 8 stacks with 2 pieces of cloth each. The part of the cloth that you want to be on the outside should be face to face. This will be your 8 bags.
  • Now sew a stitch into 3 sides of your bags that are a half inch away from the edge. Make sure one side is left open to form an envelope of sorts. Now you should have 8 bags that are each sewn on 3 sides.
  • One seam will not be sturdy enough to withstand the constant force of the bags being thrown onto the cornhole boards, so go ahead and make another set of seams on 3 sides on each of the bags about ⅛ inch away from the last one. I have seen people recommend the zig zag stitch since this will help with the flexibility of the fabric, but another standard straight stitch should work just fine as well.
  • Most people recommend cutting the corners of the bag off at the corners, below the seams that were just stitched. This allows you to easily pull the corners out once you turn the bags inside out and prepare to fill them.
  • Now that the seams are good and the corners are cut, turn the bag right side out. You can use your fingers or a wooden dowel rod to poke the sewn corners down so your bags are uniform.
  • Go ahead and break out your digital scale and place a large cup or something on it that will hold your open bag upright. Be sure to tare the container so you are staring at 0 weight and add about 15 ounces of your chosen filler with a funnel. (Again plastic resin pellets are preferred since they are weather resistant and much more durable.) 15 ounces plus the weight of the cloth should get you in the ballpark of 15.5-16 ounces, just the right weight for regulation cornhole bags.
  • Finally it is time to close your cornhole bags up by sewing up the opening. Again, you can use the double stitch technique or the zig zag technique like above for a strong hold. Finish seeing up all 8 of your bags and you are ready to break those new bags in with a few (hundred) games or so.

All in all, making your own cornhole bags can save you a lot of money over time,  or even give you a fun hobby making these cool cornhole bags for your friends and family.

If you want to watch a quick video to get a better grasp on exactly what you need to do then feel free to watch this one as it shows in pretty good detail what goes into making your own cornhole bags.

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