Custom Cornhole Boards

Build your own set. For the love of play.

A pair of 2x4-foot sloped plywood boards with a 6-inch hole, plus eight corn or pellet filled bags. Beginner to intermediate woodworking, one solid weekend.

Materials

• 1 sheet of 1/2-inch plywood (birch or sanded pine), enough for two 24 x 48-inch tops
• 2x4 lumber for the frames: about 32 linear feet (four 8-foot boards)
• 1x4 or scrap lumber for the folding legs
• 4 carriage bolts (3/8-inch x 4-inch) with washers and wing nuts or lock nuts, for the leg pivots
• Wood glue
• 1.25-inch and 2.5-inch wood screws
• Wood filler
• Sandpaper (80, 120, 220 grit)
• Primer and paint, or polyurethane for a clear finish
• For the bags: about 1/2 yard of duck cloth or heavy cotton canvas
• Filling: roughly 4 lbs of whole dried corn feed, or plastic resin pellets
• Heavy-duty thread

Cut list

• 2 board tops from 1/2-inch plywood: 24 in x 48 in each (60.96 cm x 121.92 cm), tolerance +/- 1/4 in
• 4 long frame rails from 2x4: 48 in each (121.92 cm), minus twice the 2x4 width if you butt the corners inside the top footprint
• 4 short frame rails from 2x4: 21 in each (53.34 cm), so the assembled frame matches the 24 x 48 in top
• 4 legs from 2x4 or 1x4: about 11.5 in (29.21 cm), trimmed and rounded at the pivot end so the front edge sits 2.5 to 3.5 in (6.35 to 8.89 cm) high and the top of the board rests 12 in (30.48 cm) off the ground
• 8 bag panels from canvas: 6.5 in x 6.5 in each (16.51 cm x 16.51 cm), which yields 4 finished bags per board set of 8 bags total
• The hole: 6 in diameter (15.24 cm), center placed 9 in (22.86 cm) from the back edge, centered side to side

Steps

1. Cut your two plywood tops to 24 x 48 in. Sand the faces smooth, because the bag has to slide.
2. Mark the hole center 9 in down from the back edge and centered across the 24-in width. Set a compass or improvise with a string and pencil to draw a 6-in diameter circle (3-in radius). Drill a starter hole inside the circle and cut it out with a jigsaw. Sand the rim smooth.
3. Build each frame: assemble the 2x4 rails into a 24 x 48 in rectangle so the plywood top sits flush on top. Glue and screw the corners. The frame is what gives the board its rigidity and weight.
4. Glue and screw the plywood top onto its frame. Countersink the screws, fill the heads with wood filler, then sand flush once dry.
5. Make the folding legs: cut four legs, round the top (pivot) ends, and bolt them inside the back corners of the frame with the carriage bolts so they swing freely. Adjust the leg length so the front edge sits 2.5 to 3.5 in high and the top of the board sits 12 in off the ground.
6. Finish: prime and paint, or seal with two to three coats of polyurethane. Sand lightly between coats with 220 grit. You want a smooth, slick surface so bags glide and slide into the hole.
7. Sew the bags: take two 6.5 x 6.5 in canvas squares, place them right sides together, and stitch a 1/4-in seam around, leaving a gap on one side. Turn it right side out, fill it, then stitch the gap closed. Aim for a finished bag of about 6 x 6 in.
8. Weigh each bag. You want roughly 15.5 to 16.5 oz per bag (about 440 to 470 grams). Add or remove filling until they match, because matched bags throw consistently.

Notes

The two numbers that matter most: the hole is 6 in across with its center 9 in from the back edge, and the boards play 27 ft apart front edge to front edge. Tolerances per the American Cornhole League: board size +/- 1/4 in, hole diameter +/- 1/8 in, hole placement +/- 1/8 in. A regulation board weighs at least 15 lbs, so do not skimp on the frame. The single biggest quality difference is the finish: keep the top dead smooth and slick so bags slide cleanly into the hole. Round and sand the hole rim so it does not chew up your bags. Whole corn gives that classic broken-in feel but can rot if it gets wet, so resin pellets are the durable choice. Make eight bags, four of one color and four of another.

Made with love by Moehr Games. Build it, play it, pass it on.