Bean Bag Tutorial
June 16, 2011
First, I just want to say thank you to all of you who reached out, left me comments and sent personal emails about my Grandpa. Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers, words of encouragement, and especially those of you who shared about losses of your own. It’s been overwhelming to see how the life of one man close my heart touched the hearts of so many of you, too. I appreciate your kindness and thoughtfulness more than you know!
Now, on to the fun stuff.
2 years ago I participated in a gift exchange with some friends. Our babies were turning 1 and we secretly drew names and surprised the other person with gifts (something we still do today!). I drew a little boy and was stumped about what to get him. His Mom had linked to some bean bags on etsy that she liked, but they were plain and boring to me. “I can make awesome bean bags!” I thought. So with a little creativity and a lot of patience, I made my first set:
My friends went nuts. The next thing I knew, I had orders for nearly 100 bean bags! (I briefly blogged about this last year when I started my blog.)
(my first orders!)
I decided that since my friends liked them so much, I should put them in my etsy store, because maybe others would like them too. And sure enough, instant hit.
Then etsy pulled my listings because Taggies brand has an EXTREMELY vague patent on looped ribbon. I was really angry and put the bean bags on the back burner. But my friends continued to ask for them for shower gifts, birthday gifts, and as toys for their younger or older kids.
I don’t think I could even begin to count the number of bean bags I’ve made. Sadly, out of the hundreds I’ve done, none have been for my own girls! I really need to remedy that…
These little bags have all kinds of great features. My favorite part is that they’re completely customizable. They provide tactile fun from the ribbons, and help kids learn to recognize and spell their names. And, they’re fun! Who doesn’t love a good bean bag?
The loops are big enough they can get their fingers in them, helping develop fine motor skills, but they’re not big enough to get their fingers twisted or stuck.
So I figured since I can’t sell them in my store anymore, I’m sure others would like to know how to make them, too! So here’s the deal. If you PROMISE not to sell them, I’ll tell you how to do it.
Deal? I don’t want Taggies coming after me again!
For each bean bag you need:
2 pieces of fabric 5″ by 5″
a scrap piece of fabric for the applique
36″ of ribbon
filler (I’ll cover filler when I get to it in the tutorial)
Start by cutting your fabric into 5″ squares, two at a time (the back and the front of each bag). I was making the name “Abbey” so I cut five sets of squares.
You’ll need to mark on each bag where your ribbon goes. Start by making a dot in the middle (2.5″).
Then make a dot 1″ on each side from that one. You don’t have to worry about using fabric-safe marking devices because these will be cut off. I usually use a permanent marker so I can see the mark on any print fabric. Repeat on all 4 sides of each bag.
Then trace the name backwards on Heat n Bond Lite, iron to the wrong side of your coordinating fabric, and cut out.
Iron the letters to the middle of each bag. The letters I use are 3″ tall and 3″ wide.
Applique the letters to the front side of each bag. If you need help, see my applique tutorial.
Now attach the ribbons. You need 36″ of ribbon for each bag, cut into 3″ sections. I like to use 6 different styles of ribbon, but you can use 1, or 3 or 12, it’s totally up to you! I cut all of my ribbons for all the bags at once. 30″ of each style (2 ribbons of each print, 3″ of each, times 5 bags).
I personally like to lay the ribbon out before I start sewing. I try to keep any of the same color from being next to each other, and I also like to separate prints (though I had to have polka dots next to each other this time). I try to use ribbon of varying sizes, and I keep the widest ribbon in the middle. I always use them left to right and in the same order on each bag. But all this is just my personal preference!
To sew the ribbon on, choose the piece you want to start with, fold it in half with wrong sides together, and line the edge up with the edge of the bean bag. I always start on the right side of the bean bags.
Place the ribbon on the OUTSIDE of the top dot.
Then stitch over the ribbon several times using a 1/4″ seam allowance.
Pick up your second ribbon, fold in half, and CENTER it on the middle dot. Stitch on.
Get your third ribbon, and place it on the OUTSIDE of the bottom dot.
Sew to the bottom of that side, leaving 1/4″ inch at the bottom, put the needle in the down position, and turn your fabric 45 degrees so you’re ready to sew down the next side.
Repeat the ribbon-sewing process on the three remaining sides.
Take the back piece, and put right sides together.
Now we’re going to sew around the perimeter. We need to leave an opening to turn it through, so I start sewing at the TOP of the BOTTOM ribbon.
**Just like with the ribbon, I start on the right side of the bag. There’s no science to it, I just like to do them all exactly the same.
Using a 1/2″ seam allowance, I sew around all 4 sides,
until I get back to the same side I started on. I sew to the BOTTOM of the TOP ribbon. This will leave a hole exactly 2″ big to turn through.
But I like to make sure these are stitched well. So in the same seam, I turn my bag 45 degrees in the opposite direction,
sew over 2 stitches to 1/4″ seam allowance, and sew back around to my starting point.
This gives the bags a double seam to ensure good quality, and it puts 3 seams on the ribbons, making sure they don’t come out.
Since the project has corners, they need to be clipped to prevent bunching when turned the right way. I prefer to just cut the whole thing with pinking shears. Make sure you don’t cut any of your seams! I DO NOT cut the fabric at the opening.
Turn the bag through your opening (it helps to stick 1 finger in the hole, grab one of the loops from the opposite side and pull it through) and push the corners out using a pencil or chopstick. At this point I usually hit them with a hot iron to get rid of any wrinkles that might have cropped up during the sew and turning.
For filler, you can use whatever you want, really. They make pellets for dolls and things now, so if you prefer to go that route you can. I was selling these for a few dollars each, so I needed to keep my costs low. And, after all, they are bean bags! I used to use pinto beans, but The Hubs talked me into split peas later on down the road, and I prefer the smaller peas! Since these are made with real beans, you have to be careful in getting them wet. If you’re afraid of stains or messes, you might want to go with poly pellets instead of beans to prevent any sprouts from growing!
If you have a funnel, this will be easy for you. If you don’t, get a scrap of paper and make it a tube, then place in the hole.
Then fill with 1/2 cup of beans (or pellets).
You don’t want the bag more than about 2/3rds full, so 1/2 cup should be all you need.
Then sew the hole closed. I use fabric that matches the bag to prevent it from being too noticeable. If I don’t have matching, I’ll use coordinating. I sew from the top of the top ribbon to the bottom of the bottom ribbon to make sure there’s no little gaps.
And that’s it! They’re quick and easy and oh-so adorable!
Now go an make a million. But remember, please don’t sell them!
Posted in
June 18th, 2011 at 8:37 PM
Cant believe the Taggies patent. I have made taggies blankets for my kids and some of my friends, we call them cuddlies and they love them. I also made little bean bags for all the kids in my class when I was teaching. I never thought of putting both ideas together like this. Might just be a christmas present for my newborn niece this year.
June 19th, 2011 at 1:25 AM
So awesome, Melissa! I feel proud to have known you back in high school when you were making us little purses. Now look at you! Sharing and giving to the whole world now. I adore you!
June 20th, 2011 at 11:27 AM
I linked in to your site through somewhere else and just wanted to tell you how much I’ve loved reading here! I’ve been gearing up do do some more sewing and your site is inspirational! I’ve bookmarked you and look forward to coming back to see what else you post! Thank you
(and congratulations on your pregnancy!)
June 23rd, 2011 at 8:41 PM
Love these! I have made bean bags for presents but the tags are way cuter! I also had stuff on etsy that were pulled for having the tags- so frustrating! I will have to make some of these for my sons. I also make things for everyone except my sons. We are like the same person!! haha!
June 23rd, 2011 at 8:44 PM
oooh thanks! These are PERFECT baby gifts — I appreciate you giving us the pattern (and yes, I promise not to sell)…but I know how it is when your friends want what ya make!
can’t wait to try! THANKS again!!
June 24th, 2011 at 9:24 AM
Hi Melissa,
Love your bean bags.
I also had things removed by Etsy (via Taggie) . I was very confused because many shops had Taggie things and I e -mailed the Taggie owner and after many conversations and unclear answers, she finally told me more than one loop is what caused my items to be removed. I cut all my loops and heat sealed the edges. Now I have my items back in my shop. I also put in my description,
“and no loops for babies fingers to get caught in!”
June 27th, 2011 at 2:00 PM
Hi! I recently found you thanks to a friend from church! I LOVE these! I just went out on my lunch break from work to buy some stuff to make them for my 8 mth old daughter
But I was wondering, do you think filling them with rice would work too? I’m just wondering if rice would stand up to all the baby slobber I’m sure will cover them 
Thanks!
June 27th, 2011 at 2:07 PM
Hi Jessie!
While yes, I think rice would work, I’m not sure how “uncooked” it will stay if you think she’ll put them in her mouth. You might want to try the doll pellets in place of the rice. I’ve seen them at stores like Walmart, so even if you don’t have a big box craft store readily available, you should be able to find them someplace like that.
Good luck!!
July 20th, 2011 at 2:39 AM
I really LOVE the font you have for the Abbey bean bags. I have been looking at all kinds of fonts but can’t seem to find anything similar. Can you tell me what font that is? It also looks similar to the font you used for the name “meredith” on a shirt you made. Is that the same font? If not, can you tell me the name of that one as well. Thanks so much. I just love your posts. I can’t wait to try some of the things you have tutorials for. Thanks so much.
July 20th, 2011 at 10:01 AM
Hi Barbara!
The font is called “Cheri” and I got it from dafont.com. http://www.dafont.com/cheri.font I get 95% of my downloaded fonts from that site so I know it’s perfectly safe to use. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!
July 20th, 2011 at 4:25 PM
i love this! i am going to make an entire alphabet for my daughters. thank you so much!
July 28th, 2011 at 2:19 PM
I made these as a fun gift and wow are they great!!!!!! Thanks for the tutorial.
August 28th, 2011 at 9:02 PM
Thank you for this great tutorial. I made some for my 10 month old and she loves them. With only three letters in her name, they’re the perfect toy to pop in my bag when we go out somewhere.
August 29th, 2011 at 1:22 AM
[...] handmade lace from some old family pillowcases. The little ribbon tags were a cute addition I saw here. [Interestingly, I just read on to discover that this girl was not allowed to sell bean bags with [...]
September 10th, 2011 at 8:47 PM
I made these as a gift for my 1 year old nephew. This was a great idea! I needed something very affordable that I could make and this was perfect. Thank you soo much for the tutorial and the idea!
October 4th, 2011 at 6:04 PM
[...] genious behind it and all her lovely ideas and projects. It was here i found her tutorial for Bean bags and decided to give them a [...]
October 10th, 2011 at 10:43 AM
I made these for a baby shower the other weekend and they were a total hit, everyone was talking about them the time.
Thanks for such a great idea!!!
October 21st, 2011 at 8:14 PM
I am just starting to sew, and I’m so happy I found your blog. These are ADORABLE! I just had a baby girl, so I want to try to make a set of these for her. They are precious. Thanks for the great tips!
November 6th, 2011 at 3:40 PM
Have you ever considered using small loops of material instead of ribbon? You should be able to sell them on Etsy without crossing Taggie’s patent. And I just love all these ideas you have! I think my nephew will love playing with these, maybe even my niece! I have a project now, haha.
November 13th, 2011 at 12:59 PM
Wow! I can’t wait to make some for my little girl! I’m only wondering if the plastic pellets are a good idea? With all that BPA and stuff… how about using PUL fabric? that way whatever you put inside won’t get soggy with baby’s need to put everything in her mouth?
November 30th, 2011 at 1:01 PM
[...] can find the tutorial here. GA_googleAddAttr("AdOpt", "1"); GA_googleAddAttr("Origin", "other"); GA_googleAddAttr("LangId", [...]
December 12th, 2011 at 3:42 PM
[...] This Bean Bag tutorial couldn’t be easier. My boys love bean bags, aside from the traditional bean bag toss game they have been food, pack supplies, this is one of my favorite open ended toys. And if you have an itty bitty http://sewlikemymom.com/ has a great tutorial on these unbelievably cute Taggy Bean Bags [...]
December 13th, 2011 at 2:19 PM
Those are absolutely adorable! I am pinning this idea for later!
January 20th, 2012 at 11:43 AM
So I know this is a little late, but just thinking you could clip the looped ends; babies love tags looped or not, and singe or fraycheck the ends, and then try selling them. I honestly don’t know how anybody could patent looped ribbon, but anyway, I love your idea!
February 2nd, 2012 at 11:27 PM
I can’t wait to try this!! Your tutorial is so clear – thank you
February 8th, 2012 at 1:57 AM
[...] handmade lace from some old family pillowcases. The little ribbon tags were a cute addition I saw here. [Interestingly, I just read on to discover that this girl was not allowed to sell bean bags with [...]
February 26th, 2012 at 3:03 AM
Wonderful tutorial! Just wondering how ETSY flagged your listing for these as there are HUNDREDS of listing for TAGGIE items.. hummm… anyways.. just wanted to give a little tidbit.. if you bake the beans of peas at a low temp for about half and hour.. they will not be able to Sprout or grown anything weired .. also if you toss in some LAVENDAR to the bean bags it makes for a wonderful smelling treat! YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL BLOG that I thuroughly enjoy!
March 25th, 2012 at 12:26 PM
I am in love with your tutorials, they are so clear and easy to understand. Your sewing is beautiful. I am going to make these beanbags for my grandchildren. They will have a lot of fun with these, I’m sure. Thank you.
April 11th, 2012 at 2:23 AM
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for your fantastic tutorials. I’m just starting out with sewing and your tutorial for washcloth bibs was the very first thing I sewed (and my nephew – and grateful sister – were the recipients at Christmas). I JUST finished a set of these beanbags for his 1st birthday in May and they turned out great. Your instructions are so clear, great pictures that really help illustrate what’s going on, and your writing style is so friendly that I felt like I had a friend looking over my shoulder as I created these. Thanks so much!
April 15th, 2012 at 8:20 AM
Hiya! Thanks for such a great tute on a really cute idea! I have a number of friends having babies and these will make super nice, different, gifts. I also want to say that I find it reprehensible that the US patent office approved such an application. A patent on LOOPS? Give me a break. REAL, original ideas, like ZIPPERS, I can see. But loops of ribbon? As many have said, loops on blankets have been around for years. This is an attempt to blur a very fine line between fashion and function and call it original. Design doesn’t have a patent. We all have brains. The only thing I think Taggies should be able to do is use the name. Taggies hasn’t recreated the wheel. Only introduced it to an overworked legal system. They’ll not be getting my business. I’ll make my own gifts thank you.
June 9th, 2012 at 12:23 AM
Hi. I have only just heard about the TAggie patent thing thanks for sharing. I am in Australia and make the tag blankets and sell on Facebook and Etsy I haven’t been caught out yet but looks like I will have to clip my loops and heat seal the ends. Anyway to get to my point I have seen Taggy blankets for sale in my local Target store with the loops so I have just emailed the manufacturer Playgro to ask if they know about the patent and if so how have they managed to get around it and continue to produce and sell looped ribbon blankets. It’s worth asking a bigger company as they may just have the know how and advice.
July 4th, 2012 at 5:53 PM
Thank you so much for sharing! I am new to sewing so this seems like a great beginning project. Your instructions and photos are excellent!
July 5th, 2012 at 3:54 AM
Hi,
First of all, I love your site. Your pictures and information are the best I had seen. I had already started making bean bags for a friend’s baby girl and I stumbled on your site while looking for something to fill with them. I was wondering what are the odds of the beans sprouting? Im sure they will only be getting wet through drool. Or should I just use the pellets. Thanks.
November 21st, 2012 at 2:51 PM
Any suggestions for where to find letters to print and trace?
November 21st, 2012 at 3:46 PM
Hi Emily! Farther up in the comments is a link to the site I used to download the font. It’s called Cheri and comes from dafont.com. You can also click on the applique tutorial link in the tutorial for the bean bags and it’ll give you more info on how to do them.
November 22nd, 2012 at 10:31 AM
Thank you for the font site!
November 29th, 2012 at 9:30 AM
Hi
I think your bean bags are fabulous and would love to make them but being very new to sewing, please could you tell me what fabric you used to make them out of. I saw some pretty cotton but I am not sure if that will be strong enough? Thanks again for such wonderful tutorials.
November 29th, 2012 at 10:12 AM
Hi Anna! Yes, they are made from cotton. Haven’t had any complaints about it not being strong enough yet. If you’re concerned, you could use some lightweight interfacing on the wrong side of the fabric to give it more strength. But I honestly think it would be more work than is necessary.
January 11th, 2013 at 2:21 PM
[...] personal that supports her development. After some google searches, I decided to use this awesome tutorial to make tactile baby bean bags. Thank you to the blog Sew Like My [...]
January 28th, 2013 at 11:43 AM
Thank you for your tutorial! Made these for my grandson and posted pictures and your URL to my blog. Thanks again!
March 8th, 2013 at 3:17 PM
[...] Sew Like My Mom has a great idea on how to make the weights to put in the pockets; you can custom make each of the bean bags to fit the pockets. If you choose the right fabrics, you will also be making pockets full of tactile toys. [...]
April 3rd, 2013 at 9:28 AM
Thank you so much for posting this tutorial! We needed bean bags for our church and these instructions are so detailed and clear. A bunch of the moms are working together to make them for the kids. I hope to make a set for my infant son as well and love your design.
Thank you again!