How to - Easy Square Bean Bag

I popped outside to my crafting shed to find some fabric for a friend. It is a bit of a post christmas mess, and I couldn't get in enough to find it - but I found something else and promptly changed tack.

Beanbags. They had been on my pinterest radar for a while. I actually had them on my list to head out and buy some fabric - but as luck would have it, I found I already had the perfect stuff. (let the record show that this was the only luck for the day!)

Rather than the classic bean bag shape, I wanted something that would take up less floor space, but free up my couches. I like both these designs -

crashmatstore.com

cabbageroseblog.com

With my research done, and settled on the rectangle design, I easily whipped up three beanbags (with a little time out for a trip to emergency) and you can too.

For a child or a junior size I had a finished rectangle of approx 1m x 1.4m. This is big enough for me to sit comfortably, but for an adult I would suggest increasing the width and the height proportionately.

The beauty of this size meant I could run the fabric across grain - meaning purchase of material for each bag was 2 meters of fabric which is 145(ish) wide. This is a canvas weight furnishing fabric from ikea. I had bought it (discount price) to cover some chairs some time ago, and when I found the remain, there was just the right amount for 3. In fact I had an extra 20cm.

Truly - this is how easy it all was.

Here is my fabric - yes it needs an iron, but the wrinkles will fall out later so I didn't worry about that.
It is 2 meters wide here and 145 high (in this picture)

Then I fold it in half - now 1m wide and 145 high with the right side inside. Then I simple sewed a straight line along the top, down the side and along the bottom - leaving about 30cm open to put the beans in. I decided - thinking of safety - not to put a zip in but to sew it up. If over time it needs more beans, I will simply split the seam a little. I sewed it with a slightly shorter stitch just to give it a bit more security.

 Then I turned it in the right way. Take time to push out the corners for a lovely rectangle. Now would be a good time to press it. I did some top stitching for additional security around the edges. I did a seam on the very edge - right the way round and then another one 5/8 on inch in - except for the gap.

This size bag takes 200 litres of beans -= or 2 bags each. I got mine from Kmart. Once the beans are happily in there (this is probably the hardest bit of all),

you simply pin up the gap and sew it up

I simply matched my 2 rows of topstitching. One of the other additions I made to this was adding handles. I put these in the gap I'd left to fill them up, because I thought I may end up hanging them somewhere to put them away.
















Happily, they were all put to use straight away!