DIY bean bags - any ideas?

[MommyHawk]

I want to make DS and DD their own bean bags for Xmas. BIG bean bags to sit on. I have tons of hemp material to do it with, only thing...what to fill them with?

need NON toxic ideas of bean bag fill...and if anyone has a pattern, I could use that too! thanks!!

[Callimom]

You can fill them with dried beans or peas, rice, wheat berries...

I would just cut squares (or the shape you want) from your material, put them right sides together, sew all the way around leaving a small opening for filling (a funnel works nicely). Turn right side out, fill, and hand whip stitch the opening closed. When I have made them I have run a double line of stitching and reinforced the corners by backtacking both ways because they get a fair amount of use.

hth
Karen

[rere]

Exactly what Karen said.

If you don't want to worry about corners just make circles.

I used rice to fill ours and I really like the way they feel.

[tinasquirrel]

I top-stitch them closed instead of hand-stitching them. I fill mine with lentils. I like the feel of that best for what I have tried in the past (lentils and various beans).

[rere]

Originally Posted by tinasquirrel

I top-stitch them closed instead of hand-stitching them.

Oh yeah,me too.

[MommyHawk]

so if I filled them with lentils (which, I guess if we ever ran out of food, we could cut open the bags...) how much $ would that run me to fill up two bean bags for the kids to sit on? That seems like an awful lot of food, beans OR rice...

[Hoopin' Mama]

Oh, I see they are big ones. Not the tossing kind.
I don't know what stores you have around you, but you should be able to find a GIANT bag of rice for relatively cheap. Lentils will be pricier. I filled our small ones with rice and it works nicely.

Do you know anyone with a costco membership? As a last result, they will have a giant bag of rice.

[Tilia]

Are you against packing peanuts? It might be a good way to recycle the ones you get in packages.

[MommyHawk]

Originally Posted by Tilia

Are you against packing peanuts? It might be a good way to recycle the ones you get in packages.

would that off gas? or are there ones made from corn starch?

[cristeen]

There are ones made from corn-starch. They will compress over time, though. If you do go with a food product (buckwheat hulls?), be sure to freeze it for several days to kill off any larvae. I would also mix some herbs in with it to keep pests away (mice dislike mint).

Be sure to at least double stitch every seam. A french seam would be stronger, and double stitching a french seam and then top-stitching it flat would probably be the strongest (although definitely a lot of work).

[tinasquirrel]

The Michael Miller blog (fabric company) had a bean bag chair tutorial a few months ago. (Sorry, I thought you meant tossing bean bags, not sitting bean bags.)

http://makingitfun.blogspot.com/2008...bag-chair.html

[mcng]

I dont know if I would fill a sitting bean bag with rice or other grains, they would be really heavy to move around.

[Erinok]

I'v made several of these using shredded foam and they are awesome!!!!! and they never go flat.

[LaughingHyena]

I saw one online which was supposed to be soft toys storage, just zip all your toys in and sit down.

I have considered making a floor cushion using a folded duvet as the stuffing. Seemed like it might be a good way to store our guest bedding

Also I know someone who stuffed thier beanbag cover with clothes when they moved house. It turned out to be quite comfortable so they re stuffed with old clothes and kept using it that way. It was soft but didn't move like beans, more like a big cushion.

[rere]

Originally Posted by tinasquirrel

. (Sorry, I thought you meant tossing bean bags, not sitting bean bags.)

Me too!

[chichona]

http://www.michaelmillerfabrics.com/..._bag_chair.pdf

is a great tute, but it uses recycled polystyrene. I would ask at a craft store for ideas and what type os products they offer maybe even a home improvement store?