It’s simple, enjoyable, and can save you a ton of money to make your own cornhole bags for the popular game of cornhole. Even the best quality cornhole bags won’t last forever, so learning to make your own is well worth it.
Making your own cornhole bags is super satisfying – nothing beats using something you’ve made yourself! The process is also relatively easy – if you’ve got a sewing machine, there are only a few more items you need to begin making your very own cornhole bags.
What You’ll Need
To make one bag, you’ll need:
- Sewing machine
- Thread – any color you’d like
- Duck cloth fabric – two 7″ by 7″ squares per bag (normally red/blue fabric is used but you can choose whatever color/design you like)
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Fabric scissors
- 15 oz (1 and 3/4 cups) of dried corn
- Funnel (optional, you can use a thick piece of paper instead)
1. Cutting The Duck Cloth
We need two 7″ by 7″ squares of duck cloth to make each cornhole bag.
Note: the regulation size for a cornhole bag according to the American Cornhole Organization is 6″ by 6″. We’re cutting the cloth a bit bigger because the filling will make a bulge, resulting in bags that end up being 6″ by 6″.
Using your pencil and ruler, measure out two squares of the appropriate size. Next, cut them out using dressmaking scissors. Your scissors must be sharp if you want to avoid fraying the fabric.
2. Sewing The Main Seams
Place your two squares of duck cloth on top of each other and make sure that the sizes match up. Pin them together to avoid movement when sewing if you like.
We need to use a double stitch as per ACO rules, otherwise the bags will split easily. Do the first one 1/2″ in from the edge, and the next one 1/4″ in from the edge. Leave one side open for filling the bag.
3. Pre-fill Preparation
Cut off the corners of the bag, leaving a bit of space between the seam and the material. Then turn the bag inside out through the open edge. Push out the corners from the inside of the bag using the rounded end of your pencil.
4. Filling The Bag
Fold both edges of the open side inwards about 1/2 of an inch. Sew 2/3 of the way along the open side using your sewing machine, about 1/4 of an inch away from the edge.
Using your funnel, fill the bag with around 15oz of dried corn kernels.
Now, continue the stitch you just made, sealing the bag shut. Then, do one final stitch as close to the edge of the bag as possible on this side of the bag, completing the double stitch for the entire bag.
Conclusion
You’re done!
Congratulations on making your first cornhole bag. If it didn’t go so well, don’t worry! Once you get the hang of it, the process becomes much easier.
Does that seem like a bit of a hassle? Check out our handy guide to buying the right cornhole bags.
The challenge now is to master throwing your new bags into your cornhole boards hole!
