How to Make a Cornhole Game Set

Cornhole is everywhere! The backyard beanbag-toss game that caught fire in the Midwest now boasts its own association, Wikipedia entry, and myriad online purveyors. It’s easy to see why it’s become such a barbeque favorite: You can hold a beverage in one hand and loft your beanbag with the other. But why pay hundreds of dollars for game boards adorned with your feeble alma mater when you can proudly go DIY by making high quality ones with birch plywood and 2x4s?

Cut List

• ½-inch birch-veneer plywood: two at 24 by 48 inches • 2×4 sides: four at 48 inches

• 2×4 ends: four at 21 inches

• 2×4 legs: four at 12 inches

Refer to the official rules for the game of cornhole.

How to Make a Cornhole Game Set in 10 Steps

This Old House‘s experts, aka Team Saturday, will teach you how to build a cornhole set in the video tutorial above. As for your poor aim? Nothing a few well-chosen teammates can’t overcome.

Step 1: Overview to Build Cornhole Game Boards

Ours are regulation boards as specified by the American Cornhole Organization, but the carrying handles and, of course, the price make the TOH version a clear winner. The 2×4 frames couldn’t be easier to assemble, and the 24-by-48-inch plywood sheets needed for each deck are a stock size available at most home centers—be sure to grab furniture-grade veneer to provide a nice slippery surface for the bags. (You can source beanbags from clevelandbags.com.) The only challenge may be rounding off the corners atop the legs so they don’t catch the frame when you fold them flat. But don’t let a quick run of the jigsaw stand between you and a rousing game of cornhole at your next barbecue.

Step 2: Outline and cut out the holes

On a 24-by-48-inch piece of ½-inch furniture-grade plywood, mark a spot 8⅞ inches from the top and centered 12 inches from each side. Plant your compass point there, and draw a circle with a 3-inch radius. Drill a hole anywhere inside the circle for the jigsaw blade, and then use the jigsaw to cut out the circle. Stack the two sheets of plywood together, and use the cutout to trace the circle for the second sheet. Drill a hole, and then cut out the circle in that piece.

Step 3: Cut 2×4 frames and legs

Saw the 2×4 side and end frame pieces and legs to length according to the cut list. To outline each leg’s rounded-off corners, draw a line parallel to, and 1¾ inches below, the top edge; measure and mark the center of that line. Use that mark as the pivot for your compass, set at a 1¾-inch radius, and draw a half-circle that intersects with the top edge. Now cut along that line with the jigsaw. Drill a hole through your compass pivot with a ¼-inch bit. Repeat for all legs.

Step 4: Position the frames

For each deck: Set the frame pieces in place so that the short ends sit inside the long sides, and then lay the plywood deck on top, using the deck’s square corners to adjust the frame pieces until they are square. Lift the deck and apply wood glue to the top edge of each frame piece and set the plywood deck back in place. Adjust the frame pieces until each sits flush with the outer edge of the deck.

Step 5: Assemble the frames and decks

At each corner, screw through the sides into the end pieces with 2 evenly spaced 3-inch deck screws. Attach each deck to its frame with 1¼-inch finish screws. Cover all the fastener holes with wood filler, then sand smooth and apply a coat of primer to the assemblies and legs.

Step 6: Tape off the design

Draw the mascot of your favorite sports team, your family crest, or any other graphic on each deck. Mask off the area around the design with painter’s tape. For curved lines, use an X-Acto or utility knife to trim the tape. Draw a plastic putty knife along the tape to seal the edges and to keep the paint from bleeding underneath.

Step 7: Paint the design

Using satin spray paint, coat the design on each deck in different colors to designate opposing teams. Use long, even strokes to keep the paint from pooling.

Step 8: Remove the tape

While the paint is still tacky, slowly peel the tape at a sharp angle away from the design. Allow the design to dry fully, then coat the deck with a protective layer of polyacrylic to seal the design and prevent it from chipping. The polyacrylic will also create a slick surface that makes it more challenging to land beanbags on the deck without sliding off.

Step 9: Attach the handles

On one side of each frame, attach a utility pull with the screws provided. When the legs are folded up, the handle will let you take your fun on the road.

Step 10: Bolt the legs to the frames

Lay each assembly deck-side down. At the beanbag end of the board, drill a ⅜-inch hole through the center of each side piece 3½ inches down from the outside corner. Push a bolt through each hole and fit a leg onto the bolt inside the frame. Secure the bolt with a washer and nut. Tighten the nut until it’s snug but not so snug that you can’t fold it flat for storage.

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