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Its important you first know the established dimensions for cornhole. Here¶s a diagram with the
basic measurements for the boards. The American Cornhole Organization is who we referred to
for these measurements. (They get a tad bit more specific with their dimensions so if you¶re
building a tournament set you can visit their site.)

There is only one measurement that we will not duplicate perfectly and that is the 3´ front end of
the boards. As much as we¶d like our boards to match that measurement, our primary goal is to
provide you with an excellent cornhole set that is EASY to build. Most do-it-yourself boards (as
well as many boards purchased from manufacturers) do not meet the 3´ requirement. Rather, our
boards measure around 3 to 4 inches at the front edge which is more than adequate for a good ol¶
game of cornhole and certainly makes the building process a whole lot easier.

(We have instructions for a more sophisticated cornhole set coming to our e-books section soon.)

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Here is a complete list of all the supplies you should need for a basic cornhole set. Go to the
store and buy it all in one clean shot. However, we recommend you read through all the
instructions first so it¶s clear why you need each item. You¶ll find pictures of each item later.
 ` |
 thick sheet of plywood ± one 4¶x4ƍ or two
¶x4¶s
`  ƍ long
4¶s (4)
` 4 |
 long 3   diameter carriage bolts (4)
` 3   flat washers (4)
` 3   wing nuts (4)
`
|
 wood screws (| box)

Here¶s a list of all the tools I used as well.

They¶re not all necessary but certainly the more power tools you can round up the easier it will
all be.

` circular saw (alternative: table saw or hand saw

` mitre saw (alternative: hand saw with a mitre box)
` measuring tape
` clamps (optional but very handy)
` power drill and assorted bits (up to a 3  ´ bit in size)
` sandpaper (course, medium, and fine grit or at least medium)
` hammer
` compass (optional)
` Îigsaw

You¶ll find that the dimensions for a cornhole table conveniently coincide with the standard
dimensions of lumber. Because of this, we find it¶s most efficient and cost effective to build two
sets at once. It¶s like buying in bulk ± the larger the pieces of wood, the cheaper it is per inch.
Just double each of the items listed above and buy a 4¶x ¶ piece of plywood instead. Recruit a
partner for that extra set and you¶ll appreciate having a buddy to help with the process. (Just
make sure you build the other person¶s set first so you can learn from your mistakes before you
make your own!)

Take an extra 5 minutes to select some excellent lumber. Make sure your
4s aren¶t warped,
split, or chewed up. Also, try to get a piece of plywood that has as few defects as possible.
You¶re gonna want your platform surface to be as smooth as a baby¶s butt so save yourself the
extra work of filling in gaps.

We asked Home Depot to cut our plywood in half for easier transport home. If you do the same,
make sure they know this is for a precision Cornhole set! Hover over their shoulder when they
make that measurement because you don¶t want to be violating the American Cornhole
Association established dimensions!

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 We¶re gonna Îump into the fun stuff at this point! Before we do
anything, this would be a good place for a reminder about safety. Safety glasses should be worn
any time you¶re working with a power tool. You might as well leave them on when you¶re
working with ANY tool. Also, find a good pair of gloves. Make sure you know how to use any
tool you pick up. We¶re not going to discuss much on the proper use of tools so if you¶re unsure,
find somebody that knows how things work.

The first step to building your cornhole table is to cut your wood. The
4s will be cut for our
frames and legs. For one set (
cornhole tables) you¶ll need boards with the following lengths:

` 4 feet (4)
`
| inches (4)
` | inches (4)

Cut the
4s with a mitre saw if available or a hand saw (use a mitre
box to make sure your cut is nice and straight). If you plan it right, you should be able to get all
these pieces with Îust the 4
4¶s we mentioned. Don¶t forget to factor in the saw blade¶s width.
Because of this we suggest you measure, cut, measure, cut, and so on rather than make all your
measurements at once. (For more advice on cutting your boards check out our e-book!)
 If you purchased a larger piece of plywood, measure and cut your
plywood down to size. One side should already be 4 feet long so now Îust cut it to be
feet wide.
If available, use a circular saw, but this could also be done very carefully with a regular old hand
saw. I wanted a nice straight edge so I fastened the other piece of plywood down next to my line
so I could run my saw along it as a guide.

Your newly resized pieces of wood should look like this.

Construct your cornhole table¶s wood frame with the
4¶s and
screws. We recommend
½ inch wood screws. We also used a couple of clamps to hold the
frame together nice and flush. We used some smaller clamps and a little ingenuity to save on
cash. Countersink your screws if you don¶t want them to show after you pain (more on this in
our e-book).
However you do it, you¶ll want all of your corners and edges to be flush with the other board.
Keep in mind that even an apparently straight
4 can have a slight bend to it. You may need to
torque your boards Îust a bit to get the last corner together properly. Don¶t worry, a little
distortion will work itself out.
Tip: Drill your hole first with a drill bit slightly smaller in diameter than your screws. This makes
it a little easier putting the screws in and ensures your wood doesn¶t split as the screw goes in
place. Also make sure to put the correct ends together. If you don¶t, your frame will have the
wrong dimensions!

This is what you should end up with when its all put together:

Now put your plywood surface on the frame and screw it down (pre-
drill the holes again).
We used ten or twelve long screws. Your plywood should be a perfectly squared
¶ x 4¶ piece of
wood, but your frame might have a little distortion to it. You might need to tweak your frame
Îust a little bit to fit the plywood¶s shape. You can use your clamps again to make this part easier.

Make sure you counter-sink the screws Îust enough

that you can cover over them with some putty later on.
 What kind of cornhole table doesn¶t have a hole?! Mark the center of
the hole ± 9 from the top end of the board and |
 from either side.
Use a compass or something of the sort to draw a circle six inches in diameter.
(You can use a pencil tied to a piece of string if you need to.)

Use the largest drill bit you have to make a good pilot hole for the
starting point of your saw Îust inside the circle.

Now insert the blade of your Îig saw into the pilot hole you Îust
made. Cut out the hole as carefully as you can. If you really take your time you can get a pretty
decent looking hole. It may not be perfect, but this is a straight-forward way of doing things. You
can also cut a hole in your board with a hole saw or a router. Our e-book has more information
and a thorough explanation on how to use these methods. Click here!
 Any minor discrepancies can be cleaned up with sand paper.
Wrapping it around a cylindrical obÎect you can grip will help here.

Next come the legs of your cornhole board. Most

people who have gone on before you would probably agree this can be the trickiest part.
The leg has several requirements. It must raise the end of the cornhole table |
inches off the
ground. It must also be sturdy enough to withstand an onslaught of cornhole bags. Your cornhole
party will be a big flop if the legs break or fold in every time a bag hits it. To make the legs
incredibly stable, we¶re going to make sure they extend past the frame a proper amount and
make full contact with the ground. The picture to your left illustrates what we¶re shooting for in
the end.

First we¶re going to make a few markings on our legs.

Estimate where our bolt will pass through the leg by drawing a line halfway from the side of
your leg. (Remember, this midpoint will not be at the
inch mark since a
4 is not actually

inches by 4 inches ± it will be more like | ¾´.) Make another line the same distance from the end
of the leg and perpendicular to the first line. These two lines intersect at the point where you will
want to pivot your compass. Use a compass to draw a half circle extending out to the edges of
the board like shown.
 Next, turn your cornhole table over so that the plywood
surface is face down. Put a piece of scrap wood in the corner as in the picture to the left (we used
the end of a leftover
4). Take one of your leg pieces and set it in place next to the scrap wood
as shown with our markings facing out.
Now, we¶ll mark the hole for your bolt. Transfer your leg¶s midpoint line (line B) onto the frame.
Measure the midpoint of the frame¶s
4 (line C) which again should be around | ¾´. Do not
include the plywood in this measurement, Îust the
4 of the frame! Where these two lines
intersect is where we want the bolt to go, right through the center of the frame and leg.

Make a little divot with an extra screw or nail at our

mark to help guide the tip of the drill bit for this important step.
Drill a 3  ´ hole through the side of your table and leg. You¶ll notice I used clamps to hold
things in place and I¶ve got an extra board clamped in behind my leg. This extra board will give
me a nice clean hole all the way through each piece of wood and reduces splintering. Do it this
way if you¶ve still got those clamps handy.
We typically go through a broad range of drill bits. We¶ll start with a small bit for our pilot hole
and gradually work our way up to 3  ´.
 You¶ll notice your leg isn¶t going to do any folding away in the
shape it is now. Using your mitre or hand saw, make several cuts to rough out that rounded end
you sketched.

Clean up your cuts with sandpaper. You can make this as perfect as
you¶d like, but nobody will see this part unless they¶ve collapsed from exhaustion and fallen
under your board. (This actually happens quite regularly to the serious player.)

Now that your legs are properly trimmed, assemble your bolts,
washers, and wing nuts.
 Sliding the carriage bolt through the hole in the frame (you might
need to twist it through the hole) you¶ll find the square shoulder of the bolt keeps things from
becoming nice and flush. Take a hammer and gently tap the carriage bolt into the wood frame
until it and the washer are flush with the wood surface.

You can see I¶ve created a square hole that the bolt¶s shoulder will
now fit. The bolt can now sit flush with the board and this also keeps your carriage bolt from
turning when you tighten the nut.

Put the bolt, washer, and nut in place but don¶t tighten things down
quite yet.
 Make sure your leg is freely moveable from the playing position«

«to the folded position. The leg should move without difficulty. If
not, determine what is obstructing the leg and trim some more.

Finally, we need to get the end of your board |
inches off the
ground. Put your cornhole board up on a table. Now go in search of any extra boxes, books,
pieces of wood, or whatever else you can get your hands on. Stack these items under your board
until you find the perfect combination that places your board |
inches off the table¶s surface. In
this picture, it Îust happened to be a spare piece of wood and a handy box of baby wipes.
 Now position your board so that the leg is fully extended into playing
position and dangling off the table. (It should be longer than necessary since we haven¶t
precisely cut it to length yet.)

Take a pencil and make a line that runs flush with the table. Remove
the leg and take it back to the mitre saw for trimming.

Now angle your mitre saw until it is perfectly in line with the line on
your board. If you follow these directions Îust as they are, you should end up with a cut that is
close to 45 degrees. After one quick cut you should be holding the perfect leg! Now do the same
for the other leg.
Another option for making the legs would be to become an engineer. Then surely you could use
your superior brain to calculate the exact measurements and laugh at us all when your cornhole
table stays standing for eons and eons. For the rest of us, we¶re Îust trying to keep this a little
more simple and this technique works great!
 You should probably double check that you¶ve cut your legs to the
correct length at this point. Put your newly cut legs in place and confirm the height of your
boards with a measuring tape. Remember you¶ll want the raised end of your cornhole board to
measure |
 off the ground at every point along the back edge.

As we mentioned earlier, if you measure the front end of your board,

you¶ll find that it measures around 3 to 4 inches rather than 3 inches exactly as the ACO dictates.
If you need a 3´ front there are obviously ways to do it, but that requires extra machinery or a
more complicated design. Our goal is a quality set of boards that are cheap and easy. So don¶t get
too upset if your boards are a half inch taller than ideal. If you get serious enough into cornhole
that you need this to be exact, we¶ll happily refer you to some manufacturers that can help you
out. With all the millions you¶ll be winning as a professional cornhole player, surely you¶ll be
able to afford a luxurious cornhole set. Don¶t laugh, there really are some big-time players out
there!

Tada! You¶ve done it! Now set up your tables, take a step back and
admire your handiwork. You finally have your own set that is guaranteed to withstand hours and
hours of flying sacks of corn! Next we¶ll talk about painting the cornhole tables and then making
the bags.
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These are the painting products we used to paint our cornhole boards:

` wood filler
` primer (for wood) ± | quart
` semi-gloss latex paint ± | quart of each color (some people use high-gloss)
` painter¶s tape
` contact paper

Here¶s a list of painting tools we needed. Again, all these tools aren¶t necessary but can be very
helpful. When it comes to paint brushes, rollers, etc. don¶t be too cheap either. There¶s no need
to buy the most expensive products, but be leary of the ultra-cheap stuff.

` putty knife (optional ± use your finger if you have to)

` sandpaper (medium grit should be enough)
` electric sander (optional)
` paint brush (|, medium to large size)
` paint roller and covers (smooth finish)(optional if you Îust want to use your paint brush
for the whole Îob)
` compass
` utility knife (exacto knife)

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Without a doubt, one of the hidden Îoys in life is a well-painted cornhole set. However, painting
can be a real pain if you¶re pretty new at it. The key is to be meticulous and patient. If that turns
you off, don¶t worry, it¶s not that bad once you get the hang of it. Just don¶t take any shortcuts
unless you¶re certain of the results. This is how we painted the basic design on our cornhole
tables. Your design might be quite different, but hopefully you can use some of the same
techniques to get there.

The first step is to fill all the holes and defects you created while
building your cornhole boards (screw holes, knot holes, etc.). Use a putty knife or something of
the sort to push wood filler into any holes, cracks, etc. on your board. You can even fill in the
gap between the plywood surface and
4 frame. Don¶t worry about over filling it because the
wood filler sands down very easily after it has set up.
 As you can see we had multiple spots on our boards that needed
filling. Be sure to allow the filler to set up according to the instructions that came with your
product.

Next sand your cornhole tables smooth. An electric sander will save
you a lot of time here. Medium-grit sandpaper should do the trick. If you¶ve got the time sand it
with varying grits of sandpaper (coarse -> medium -> fine).

Sand down any small discrepancies you have on the sides of your
table where all the different pieces of wood come together. Try not to alter the plywood surface
too much.
 Once all your surfaces are smooth you can lightly sand down any
sharp edges and corners. If you bought a router to cut your hole (details on cutting a hole with a
router are in our e-book) you can use it to round the edges. We like to gently sand the edges of
the hole as well. When you try to retrieve a bag through the hole, your valuable bag-tossing
hands will thank you.

Dust off your boards, set them up off the ground, and detach your
legs if you haven¶t already. Apply a thin layer of primer on all visible surfaces of the board and
legs with a brush or roller and let dry.

This is what it should look like when you¶re all done priming.
 The sides of our cornhole board is white and the playing surface has
a white border |.5 inches wide. The hole also has a white border. WeI used a semi-gloss paint
and roughed in all these areas and painted the legs too. With the white primer underneath it
didn¶t take more than one or two coats to get a nice uniform coverage. Let this layer dry.

Next we taped the borders of the table with painter¶s tape. If you
look closely you can see that we covered the hole and the border around the hole with clear
contact paper. We used our compass to draw a circle of the appropriate size (|.5 inches larger
than my  inch hole) on the backing of the contact paper and cut it out with scissors. We then
peeled off the backing and carefully placed the contact paper over the hole. Being clear, we were
able to see the hole underneath and center it Îust right.

No matter how well you apply your tape, the second color (scarlet in
our case) seems to always bleed underneath, ruining the crisp, clean line you¶re looking for. To
prevent this, we applied another layer of white semi-gloss paint on the edges of the tape and the
contact paper. Now, if there is any bleeding it will be the same color as the underlying paint.
Again, let this layer dry.
 Next, take a small roller (a brush if you prefer, but a roller makes it a
little easier to get a uniform layer) and paint the remainder of the board with some paint of
another color and allow it to dry. This may require several coats. Don¶t touch up areas here and
there if you want the best results ± if you need to apply more paint in one area Îust give the
whole surface another thin layer. Painting can really be a learned skill so don¶t be rushing things.
We¶re often asked whether high-gloss or semi-gloss paint should be used. Many folks fear that a
high-gloss paint will be more durable but create a surface that is too slippery. The way we see it,
high-gloss paint is indeed very slick, but semi-gloss isn¶t far off. A new set of boards is going to
be a little slick no matter how you do it. Likewise, high-gloss paint is very durable, but again
semi-gloss paint isn¶t far off. So which to choose? If you don¶t plan on using a clear finish over
your boards, go with the high gloss. It will help your boards hold up to game play a little better
which means you¶ll have to repaint your boards less often. If you do intend to finish your boards,
use the semi-gloss. It will give them a durable and shiny appearance, but any defects will be
masked a little better. Either way you do it, you¶re going to end up with a slippery board, so get
out there and start throwing some bags. With time, the slickness will decrease.

Gently peel the tape off your cornhole boards. We like to do this Îust
after the final coat of paint has dried. If you used painter¶s tape it should come off Îust fine
without disrupting the paint underneath, but watch it carefully as you pull it away Îust in case. As
you can see, my border is crisp and beautiful!
 Because the contact paper has such a smooth surface it can separate
from the paint as you pull it up. By lightly lifting the contact paper and following it¶s edge with a
sharp utility knife you can keep a clean border. By removing the contact paper at the right
moment (Îust after the paint has dried) you can avoid this completely.
Many people prefer to add a coat of clear finish at this point. Check out our e-book if you¶d like
to learn more and see a coat of clear finish applied.

Now you have a gorgeous cornhole board! Using the same

techniques and a little ingenuity you can add lettering, logos, etc. The possibilities are endless«.

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Compared with the other steps, there¶s very little here to purchase. Below are the supplies we
bought in order to sew our own cornhole bags:

` duck cloth ± 7¶¶ x 7¶¶squares (| total,   per color)

` thread (
spools, one for each color of bag)
` fabric glue (optional)
` feed-grade dried corn (  lbs)

Next, collect all your tools. If you aren¶t concerned with creating precision, you can probably get
by without the optional items. In rough order of usage:

` fabric-cutting mat w grid (optional, but very nice for straight, accurate cuts)
` fabric cutters or scissors
` sewing machine
` pencil or pen
` digital baking scale (fantastic, but optional)
` extra sewing pins
Duck cloth is a canvas-type ³outdoor´ fabric that you can find at any nearly fabric store. Finding
it is easy, but getting the right amount takes a tiny bit of math. Each team needs four bags made
from two 7¶¶ x 7¶¶ squares (eight squares total). If your fabric store sells duck cloth on bolts that
are ¶¶ wide, then you are in luck since   x 7´ is only 5´ of fabric that you need. If it is above
the store¶s minimum, then have them cut off 7´ of fabric for you. (If not, consider making an
extra set for a friend. Don¶t worry, it¶s cheap.) Repeat for the second set. Remember: since,
unless you don¶t mind trying to guess which bag belongs to which team, you¶ll need to get two
distinct colors.

Feed corn is widely available at feed stores. Avoid the temptation to Îust use popcorn; this stuff
is coarser, larger, and, most importantly, the authentic filler of choice. It is also, conveniently,
pretty cheap as well.

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If you are one of the brave souls even willing to consider sewing your own high performance,
built-to-spec cornhole bags, chances are that you already know your way around the business
end of the sewing machine. If so, this ought to be a snap. If not, no worries ² with minimal
effort, you will get the hang of it too and produce some bags you can toss with pride in front of
your posse at the next tail-gating party.

To prevent mass confusion and a potential riot at your cornhole bags¶

debut, you will want to have two different colors of fabric in order to keep teams¶ progress
straight. Themes like college or pro sports are typically popular choices here. Whatever your
color scheme of choice, try to pick out sturdy looking duck cloth that is as blemish-free as
possible.
 Since the fabric is pretty cheap, I had the folks at Joann¶s fabric
counter give me a couple extra inches so that I could square the cuts up at home for myself. It
turned out to be a good idea; looking at the picture it¶s pretty obvious that they gave me some
Îagged, uneven edges. If that¶s the case for you too, go ahead and give those ends a little trim in
order to square things up.

Having been trimmed satisfactorily by either you or the fabric

counter, your hunk of duck cloth will probably be a long strip 7´ wide by 5´ long. Now all you
need to do is make the squares for each bag by cutting every 7 inches.

Using the right tools can make things much more accurate and often
more convenient. The rolling blade, a gridded cutting mat and a plastic cutting guide really make
all this trimming simple, but if you don¶t have any of these, a good ruler, a pencil, and some
sharp scissors will do the trick.
 By this point, there should be eight squares of duck cloth, 7 inches by
7 inches, Îust sitting there on your workspace, practically begging to be sewn up into four bags
and stuffed with feed corn. Before plowing ahead, however, this is probably a good time to
repeat the previous steps for second team¶s color. In the end of this trimming phase, you should
have sixteen total squares of duck cloth: eight of one color, eight of another.

This is where the fun begins. Place two squares of the same color
together so that their edges line up exactly; since the fabric is identical on both sides, it shouldn¶t
matter which side is up unless you want to decorate the outside with an iron-on logo. (If you do
have an iron-on or something like that, it¶s probably wise to put it on now according to
manufacturer¶s directions. Go ahead and put it on the inside since we will soon be turning the
sewn bags inside-out.) Each seam should be |
inch in from the edge, as shown in the picture. If
have a fancy sewing machine like my mother-in-law¶s, then you can actually set it to double-
stitch all at once. Those with the no-frills model will need to sew a side completely, then repeat
again on the same side right next to the first seam in order to get the double-stitch. Either way,
the punishing abuse that cornhole bags take requires more than a single stitch. Got an itch to
triple-stitch? Why not? Whatever your decision, be sure to back-stitch at all the corners to
prevent the thread from unraveling.
 Sew as indicated above for three of the four sides, but be sure to
LEAVE ONE SIDE OPEN. You¶ll need a hole for getting the corn into the bag. One smart move
might also be to trim the corners a little. This will reduce the amount of excess fabric that gets
crammed into the corners once we turn the bag inside-out.

Imagine your embarassment when, after bragging all afternoon to

your buddies about your sewing skills, one of your new cornhole bags bursts a seam. We want to
do everything in our power to prevent this awkward event. There are no guarentees, of course,
but a little bit of fabric glue along the inside of those seams might help ease your mind on this
subÎect. It probably can¶t hurt in any case, but it¶s an optional safety precaution that the risk-
acceptant can skip.

Finally, turn the bag inside-out. Sharp corners are difficult to acheive
given the stiffness of the fabric, but you can improve the look of the corners by pushing on the
from the inside with a pencil, pen, etc. You¶ll notice that once turned out, the bag is now the
regulation  inches in width.
 Measure out the corn you¶ll need. Each bag should weigh between
|4.5 to | oz. once filled. The material weighs about .5 oz per bag, so we added |5.5 oz feed
corn to each bag to make it one pound in total. As you play, the corn will break up, and your
bags will actually lose a bit of weight in the form of dust, so you might want to make it on the
heavy end of the acceptable range Îust to be safe. For this step, you can¶t beat a digital baking
scale, accurate to |   oz., but if that¶s not an option,
cups of corn comes pretty close to
regulation. If you cannot abide that type of guess-work ² good for you!±get the feed store to
separate your order in eight individual bags of one pound each at the time of purchase. After all,
for the 35 cents you paid for each of those pounds, you deserve some customer service.

To be honest, the next steps are the trickiest in the whole process and
make take some creativity depending on your sewing machine and how stiff the fabric is. Fold
the open ends of the filled bag inward to a depth of |
inch to match the rest of the seams
you¶ve already sewn. We found that a well-placed sewing pin helped to hold the sides closed,
and, in order to keep the folds from slipping once under the needle and for overall strength, we
applied some of the fabric glue to last, soon-to-be-sewn seam.

It took us several tries to come up with a good way to keep all that
corn in the bag from getting in the way while sewing. We found that pinning the corn bag as
shown in the picture helped keep the fabric flat and out of the way of the sewing foot. Placing
your stitches as close to the edge as possible will give the bags a nice look. Do not forget to
double-stitch here, too.

What are you waiting for? Get outside and throw these things at your
homemade tables! You¶ve worked hard, and the results are bound to be satisfying.