How To Make Cornhole Boards At Home

Creating cornhole boards at home is a fun and rather easy DIY hobby. The process of creating a cornhole board includes cutting wood, assembling the frame, joining the top, cutting the signature hole, and installing foldable legs. Creating cornhole boards at home is a fun and rather easy DIY hobby. The process of creating a cornhole board includes cutting wood, assembling the frame, joining the top, cutting the signature hole, and installing foldable legs.

In this article, we will cover all the necessary steps for creating your own personalized cornhole set for outdoor fun with just a few simple tools and materials that are easily accessible.

What Are Cornhole Boards?

The fundamental components of the well-liked outdoor game of cornhole are cornhole boards, which are used as the targets for bean bag tossing by participants. To guarantee a constant playing surface, these rectangular platforms are expertly designed. They are usually two feet wide and four feet long, and they are made of smooth plywood.

Each board is distinguished by a precisely round, six-inch-diameter hole that is placed twelve inches inward from both sides and positioned nine inches down from the top edge. Foldable legs are fastened to one end of the board to provide the required slope for games, raising the rear edge to about twelve inches off the ground while keeping the front edge closer to the ground.

The smooth surface (usually painted or stained) of the cornhole board allows bean bags to slide when they strike, adding to the game's strategic features.

Required Materials For Making A Cornhole Board

Here is the list of materials required for making your own cornhole board at home:

A) Wood Required

First thing you’ll require is a wood- 2 pieces of thick plywood with ½ inch thickness. Each playing surface will be of dimensions 24 inches by 48 inches. For frames and legs use four 2x4 boards each 8 feet long

Fasteners/ Attachments REQUIRED

• For fasteners or attachment you’ll require the following things:
• For fastening the plywood to the frame, you’ll require approx. 20-28 1 ½ inch wood screws.
• Foe assembling the frame, you’ll need 2- ½ inch or 3 inch wood screws of approx. ½ lb. box
• For fastening the legs you’ll require 4 -3/8 inch and 4 inch carriage bolts
• Each bolt requires four 3/8-inch washers, for a total of 16.
• Each bolt requires four 3/8-inch nuts, for a total of 16.
• For simpler leg folding, four 3/8-inch wingnuts are optional.

B) Tools Required

Here is the list of tools you will be needed when making your cornhole board:

• Saw of your choice whether its circular saw, miter saw or hand saw
• Drill and drill bits of various sizes like 3/8-inch bit and a 6-inch hole saw, or a smaller bit to begin a jigsaw cut.
• If you are not using a hole saw for cutting holes then choose a jigsaw.
• Measuring tape
• Marker or pencil
• Carpenter's straightedge or square
• Clamps – 2 of 12 inch long
• Compass
• Sanding block/ sandpaper
• Wrench

C) Finishing

Here is the list of some items you’ll be needed for finishing job:

• Wood filler
• Primer
• Exterior grade paint or stain
• Exterior-grade polyurethane or varnish
• Rollers or paint brushes.

Steps To Build Your Cornhole Board

Here are the detailed steps to create your own cornhole board. Let’s get started:

Step 1: Cut The Wood

The first step in making your cornhole board includes accurately cutting the required wooden parts.

a. Wood: if you didn't purchase pre-cut pieces for your playing surfaces, you will be required to carefully measure and cut your 4' x 8' sheet of 1/2-inch thick plywood in two equal rectangles that are 24 inches wide and 48 inches long. Ensure that the cuts are accurate as these cuts are essential for the standard size and appearance of your board.

b. Frames: The next step in cutting the wood is to cut frames that provide support to each board. Take your 2x4 wood and cut them into –

• 2 pieces that are 48 inches long. These are for the longer side of the frame.

• 2 pieces that are 21 inches long. These are for frame's shorter ends.

c. Legs: you will need to cut four pieces of 2x4 timber, each measuring 11 1/2 inches in length, for the folding legs that give the board its slant.

For a high-quality set of cornhole boards, it is an essential to ensure clean and straight cuts of all the wooden pieces.

Step 2: Assemble The Frames

After cutting all the essential parts of your cornhole boards, the next step is to assemble all these parts and make a supporting structure. Each board should be arranged in a way that it creates a rectangle frame. For that you'll take 2 x 48-inch long pieces and 2 x 21-inch short pieces. The 21-inch sections must be placed into the two 48-inch pieces at the ends to provide a flat outside border on which the plywood top will eventually lay.

To secure these frame parts together, it's strongly advised to use wood glue to all the surfaces where the wood will come into contact. This helps in enhancing the frame's strength and durability.

After applying the glue and ensuring that the corners are aligned and perfectly square, you will use 2 1/2 inch or 3-inch wood screws to join the parts together from each corner by using a carpenter's straightedge or square as a guide. Pre-drilling pilot holes and driving the screws straight can help keep the wood from breaking.

then repeat this whole process to make another similar frame and make sure that both are square and strong enough to hold the playing surface.

Step 3: Attach The Plywood Tops

Now that all the frameworks are completed and it offers a strong and stable rectangular base, the next important step is to attach the plywood playing surfaces. Take one of the neatly cut 24-inch by 48-inch plywood pieces and securely place it on top of one of the wooden frames that was assembled earlier. Ensure to align the plywood edges similarly to the frame's outer edge.

Once the frames are aligned perfectly, start securing the plywood to the frame by applying 1 1/2 inch wood screws. To keep the plywood in place, place screws into each 4 corners. Then to guarantee a stable and precise attachment, keep driving screws in approx. every 6 to 8 inches around the frame's whole perimeter

repeat this process for the second plywood part and the second frame, which gives two solid and flat playing surfaces that are properly attached to their respective supports.

Step 4: Cut The Corhole

After carefully attaching the plywood tops to the frames, the next crucial step is to construct the signature cornhole. You will require to find the exact center of the hole on the flat surface of one of the boards coated with plywood. Start by measuring 9 inches below the board's upper edge. Then locate the horizontal mid-point of a 2- inch wide board, which is 12 inches from the either side edge. Properly mark this joining point as it will be the precise center of your 6-inch diameter hole

Now draw a full circle of radius 3 inches with the help of a compass at the center on the mark you just made. Then drill a hole in this drawn circle close to its edge. This opening will enable you to insert your jigsaw blade.

After cutting the hole, smooth the inner edges of the hole using sandpaper or sanding block. This helps in eliminating any splinters or rough spots.

Repeat the whole process on the second cornhole board and make sure the hole is positioned precisely in the same spot for uniformity.

Step 5: Shape And Attach The Legs

The next step after cutting the cornhole is to shape and attach the legs. you will require to shape one end of each of the four 11 1/2-inch leg pieces so that they can rotate freely. This can be achieved by rounding one end of each leg. A popular method is to define this point by taking measurements of approx. 1 3/4 inches from the end of the leg and 1 3/4 inches from one of the side edges. Next, draw a curve with the help of a compass that joins the side edge to the end edge that passes through or close to the markled point.

Once rounding each of four leg's ends, you now require to drill a hole for the carriage bolt. Mark a point at about 1 3/4 inches from the end and 1 3/4 inches from the side. At this point, drill a 3/8 inch hole.

For attaching the legs, turn one of the finished cornhole boards upside down. A shaped leg should be placed in one of the corners close to the board's hole end, with the rounded end facing inward toward the board's center. Place a 3/8 inch x 4-inch carriage bolt with a washer into the already drilled hole in the leg and then into the sides of the wooden frame. If you want your board to fold easily, place another washer and put a 3/8 inch nut on the frame's interior. Allow the leg to swing freely up and down while securely holding it to the frame by slightly tightening the nut.

Repeat the same process for the next three legs, placing one in each of the other three corners close to the hole end of the board. Lastly, ensure that the top surface of the board close to the hole is about 12 inches from the ground when the legs are folded out, which is the standard height for games.

 Step 6: Finishing

Finishing is the final step in creating your cornhole boards which is greatly recommended to increase the appearance, durability and playability of a board. This process includes different factors like:

FILL HOLES: to remove any gaps, imperfections or any visible screw holes, apply wood filler on the plywood surface and the frame. Based on manufacturer's instructions, let the filler dry completely before sanding the filled areas to get a smooth surface that matches with the rest of the wood.

SAND: properly sand the tops, frames and legs of the cornhole boards. For a smooth finish, begin using a coarser grit sandpaper and then increase to finer grits. This ensures that the wood is ready for primer and paint. If there is any dust, wipe away using a clean cloth

PRIMER: after sanding or cleaning the surface, apply one or two coats of exterior grade primers to the board's wooden surfaces. This helps the paint or stain to stick better and generate a more consistent finish. Let the coating dry completely before applying the next layer of primer.

PAINT OR STAIN: Apply as many layers of exterior-grade paint or stain to the boards.you can do multiple things to enhance the beauty of a board including selecting solid colors, create your own patterns or design or you may simply stain the wood. Let it dry completely before applying the next coat.

VARNISH/POLYURETHANE: once the paint or stain is completely dry, apply multiple coats of exterior-grade semi-gloss varnish or polyurethane to the frame and the surface. This semi-gloss finish helps the bags to slide properly. For a more smoother and long-lasting surface, gently sand with extremely fine-grit sandpaper in between varnish or polyurethane layers. This helps in protecting the wood from harsh weather and corrosion.

You can build a sturdy, standard sized set of cornhole boards for exciting games by simply following the steps mentioned above. make sure to stress on precise measurements and careful assembly and don't rush anything.