How to Make a Bean Bag Chair

Select, measure and cut out your fabrics. You will need:

Two 140cm x 90cm pieces of lining fabric.

Two 145cm x 90cm pieces of outer fabric.

You can of course adapt these measurements to make a larger or smaller bag.

Press your lining fabrics and lay the two lining pieces down, right sides together.

At one of the 'width' ends, measure 15cm out both ways from each corner. Cut in an 'arc' between each of the corners two points so that you have one end of your lining has two curved corners.

Using a straight running stitch and a 1cm seam allowance, sew all the way down one length edge, around the curved corner, along the bottom, around the other curved corner and back up the other side. Leave the other width side open. Secure your threads.

Open up the now part sewn beanbag inner. Bring together and line up your two side seams so you effectively 'twisting' the whole bag around. This is what will form the pointed top to your chair. With a 1cm seam allowance, sew along this remaining edge but leave a small gap to allow you to fill your lining with beans.

Turn your lining out the right way and fill the bag with beans. You don't want to fill it entirely, just enough so there is some space at the top. This means you will have room to 'sink' into the chair once made. I would recommend then tying a ribbon underneath your 'gap' to enclose - just so you can then sew the gap closed without worry for the beans coming out!

Sew the gap to ensure the beans won't come out. You could either do this with machine sewing or by hand. You have now completed the inner bean bag chair!

Press your outer fabrics and lay the two pieces down, right sides together. The same as your lining, at one of the 'width' ends, measure 15cm out both ways from each corner. Cut in an 'arc' between each of the corners two points so that you have one end of your lining has two curved corners.

Using a straight running stitch and a 1cm seam allowance, sew all the way down one length edge, around the curved corner, along the bottom, around the other curved corner and back up the other side. Leave the other width side open. Turn the final open edge over and using a 1cm seam allowance sew all the way around the edge. Secure your threads.

Put your beanbag inner inside your outer matching up the curved corners together. Your outer bag back edge is slightly longer than your inner, so then fold over the edge to match around the shape of your inner. Cut 12 strips of ribbon, each one around 20cm long. Pin the strips of ribbons into position periodically down the back edge seam – lined up with the other on the beanbag - so that once sewn, you can then tie the back up using the ribbons.

Carefully remove your inner and then machine sew your ribbons into position.

Secure all your threads, press your fabrics if required and put the inner back inside the outer before tying up the ribbons into bows.

Your bean bag is now ready to use