Custom Bean Bags

Today I am going to share with you how to make your own custom bean bags.  These make a very inexpensive, personalized gift.

Did you know you don’t have to buy those fancy schmancy fabric printer sheets to have quality printed fabric?  Did you know you don’t have to buy that fancy schmancy solution to soak your own fabric in beforehand?  Here is a quick no-fail recipe to get the best results with the most vibrant colors when printing on fabric…

Mix 2 tablespoons of Alum (found in the spice section of your grocery store), 2 1/2 teaspoons of Washing Soda(found in the laundry section) and 1/2 teaspoon of liquid fabric softener.  Then add one cup of hot water.

Mix it in a bowl bigger than you think because it foams up when you add the water.  Stir. After a few minutes the foam will disappear.  Next soak your 100% white cotton fabric in your solution for 15 minutes.

After fifteen minutes is up wring out all the excess liquid. 
Wait!!!  Can’t I just print it out on fabric since the bean bags won’t be washed?  The solution gives you more vibrant colors and if they should get wet they won’t bleed.  This recipe is perfect for quilters who want to add pictures to their work as well.

Store the remaining solution in a container and mark it well to use at a later date.

Next dry your fabric.  I hung mine to dry overnight.  But if you are an impatient crafter, you can put it in the dryer. 

Next grab some freezer paper (found near the tin foil and Ziploc bag section) and iron your fabric to the shiny side of the freezer paper with a hot, dry iron.
Once your fabric is stuck to the freezer paper cut it into 8 1/2” x 11” rectangles.  Iron one more time after cut just to ensure that the fabric is stuck well. 
In whatever program you choose, size your pictures (I chose 4" x 4” images) and print them onto your fabric.  You can change your printer settings to the best print quality on fabric if you have that option.  Make sure you print on the fabric side and not on the back of the freezer paper. 

Cut out your printed fabric to size.  I chose to do both sides of the bean bags with a picture.  Of course, you can use just regular fabric on the backside. 
With right sides together sew the two pieces together leaving a small opening.Turn your fabric right side out (iron if you must) and fill it with any type of beans. 

Tuck under the edges of the opening and sew shut.  I machine stitch it but you can certainly hand sew it if that suits your fancy. 
Tie them in a bow and present your gift.  My son loves them he calls them his “Isaac Beans.” 

What do you do with the bean bags? 
1.  Learn to juggle 
2. Pair it up with some sand buckets and spread them out and have your child practice their aim by tossing them into the buckets. 
3.  Pelt each other with them. 
4.  Make up two sets of different bags and play tic, tac, toe with them. 
5.  Have each child put a bean bag on their head and have them try to knock the bean bag off their opponent’s head.  The person left with a bean bag on their head wins! 
6.  Play Simon Says with them…”Simon says balance the bean bag on your elbow.  Simon says, throw the bean bag under your legs”

Good, clean, fun!