DIY Homemade Beanbags Tutorial w/ Free Printable Pattern

 If have sewed anything you probably have extra fabric just laying around.  I have a pile that just keeps growing and growing and bursting out of a few large plastic bags.  I swear I need to figure out a better/cuter way to organize my fabric scraps, but that's for another day.  

A little bit ago I showed y'all how to make The Perfect Tablecloth using awesome Ikea fabric.  Ikea fabric is thicker aka sturdier and comes in at a very good price.  Win-win for projects like tablecloths and beanbags.

I've made several things using the sturdy and affordable Ikea fabric.  Therefore, I have a lot of extra scraps that are just waiting to be used.  

Awhile back for a Mommy Preschool I was teaching about the letter O and I made some quick O aka circle beanbags for an Obstacle Course we were doing.  

After that fun preschool day playing with beanbags I thought it would be fun and super easy to make bean bags of a few different shapes.  The kids could have fun, and we could practice our shapes knowledge as well as motor skills. 

These easy homemade beanbags have been a win for everyone.  The kids love to play with these beanbags, and I love to use some of those scraps I have hanging out in my sewing room. 

Without further ado, here's an easy DIY Shaped Beanbags tutorial for you.   

The max amount of time, if you can work on it all at once, it should take you to finish these beanbags is 2 hours for 11 bags of various shapes. 

Directions: 

1. Cut out the Beanbag pattern using the free printable found here.  Do not cut the lines that touch together on the square and triangle.

2. Using the pattern cut out as many shaped (square, circle, and triangle) beanbags as you would like.  Your square will look like a large rectangle, and your triangle will look like a large trapezoid.  You will have two circles for every one circle beanbag.   

3. Pin right sides (aka the pattern side) together and sew.  I used a simple straight stitch.  Leave a small opening (no smaller than 1 inch or you will be hating life) so you can turn the bag right side out and fill. 

4. After sewing the bag together, but before you turn it right side out, cut wedges along the edge of the circle bean bags.  

5.  On the triangle and square corners you need to cut a small diagonal.  Then taper the diagonal.  This will help your corners to look better.

6. There is one corner on your triangle and squares that is not sewn yet.  At that corner cut a small slit on the fold.  This slit will help you turn the beanbag right side out.  

7.  Turn the beanbags right side out. 

8. Fill the beanbags with uncooked dry beans (I used pinto) or uncooked rice and pin it closed tucking the edges inside the beanbag.  For my circle beanbags I used 1/3 cup of dry pinto beans. For my triangles I used no more than 2 tablespoons.  For my square beanbags I used just over 1/2 cup.  You don't want to fill your beanbags too full otherwise you will have to hand sew a ladder stitch to close your edges.  I found the above bean amounts allow the bag to feel plenty full, but it still allows me to sew the beanbags closed using a machine.  

9.  Using a simple stitch, and back stitching to secure the edges, sew the openings closed.  

10.  Enjoy your beanbags, and let your kids enjoy them as well.  Just FYI, I went with a darker fabric scrap to hide the dirt from kids hands.   

The final products that my kids love to toss into targets and bowls, but I'm sure when they get older they will throw them at each other.  At this point I may wonder why I made them. ;)  

Happy easy DIY Homemade Beanbag making! 

Holler with any questions/clarifications you may need.