The easiest DIY bean bag chair tutorial

convertible bean bag DIY home decor

The most wanted convertible DIY bean bag chair tutorial.

 

Making your own giant bean bag is a super budget-friendly option. New, store-bought puffy chairs can cost you a lot of money, and by making one from upcycled fleece blankets or your favorite fabric can save you a lot of money and would match with your home decor.

So it was clear to me after watching a YouTube video selling a full-size Convertible Bean Bag Chair for a lot of money that I will make my own.

I hope by reading this tutorial; you will make an all in one bean bag bed too. You’ll see how to design a bean bag chair pattern, and you can easily DIY a giant bean bag lounger for your kids and friends.

Isn’t that great for sleepovers or unexpected visitors?

convertible bean bag DIY home decor

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After watching the youtube video, I fall in love with the idea of having a cozy bean bag that converts to a full-size bed.

I wanted one soooo bad. As usual, I started my research right away. I quickly found it on Amazon, but they are around $250-$300 minimum. My excitement evaporated quickly.

I have to tell you I was disappointed like a little kid when he doesn’t get the toy he really wanted.

So, I spent the next couple of days walking around the house to see what I can re-purpose and how I’m going to be able to DIY this most wanted bean bag on a dime.

 

What I found and upcycled

  • Two old full-size flat sheets for the inner cushion.
  • Two old, but very soft twin size fleece blankets.

 

What I bough to DIY my unique bean bag chair

Well, the total cost was still around $100 because of the fillers. You need a lot of bean bag filler for a full-size bed. I was not so happy with my spendings, but at the end of the day, I was still able to say I saved at least $150.

The good news is you don’t have to make it that big. I mean, when I finished, it looked so big I thought “now where we gonna put it.” Later I made another smaller bean bag. I love the smaller one; my family and friends love the big bean bag chair.

 

Let’s recap. What you’re gonna need to make this convertible bean bag:

  • 2 full-size sheet
  • 2 twin size fleece blanket
  • Durable upholstery material for the bottom of the cover.
  • Zipper
  • Scissors
  • Pins
  • Sewing machine.

I use my Brother sewing machine for all my sewing projects, and I can’t be happier with it. Also, note I’m a complete beginner.

BUT please know for this DIY bean bag you will make simple stitches. Which is good news, you can purchase a cheaper machine if you don’t own one yet.

Remember, I said the full-size turned out too big for us? Keep that in mind and adjust the measurements if you want a smaller bean bag.

 

1st Step. Sew the liner for the inner cushion.

bean bag liner DIY

This part of the project is probably the easiest.

1. Just lay the 2 flat sheets top of each other and use some pins to secure the sides together.

2. Then sew 3 sides together. You can sew the 4th part as well, but make sure you leave a hole to be able to put the bean bag filler in it.

3. Fill with the 8 bags of beans. 8 packs were enough for my project, but if you adjust the fabric sizes, you might want to change the amount of the filler as well.

4. Finish sewing the 4th side.

bean bag liner DIY

I know it’s ugly, but I wanted to make a trial on how big the chair will be. Yup! It will be HUGE!

 

Anywho, if you made it this far, your sleepover bed is done!

 

2nd Step. Sew the Bean Bag Cover together

I decided to make a teardrop-ish design. This bean bag design is excellent if you want to have back support when you work on your laptop or watching TV.

I came up with the most straightforward bean bag pattern. It will work well for you if you have 2 rectangular bed sheet or blanket. Even if you decide to buy fabric to make this cozy floor cushion, you can follow my bean bag pattern below.

Pattern of convertible bean bag

The numbers are there only for reference.

 

1. Cut the first blanket like the pattern shows above. You will have 3 pieces.

2. Don’t touch the middle portion.

3. In effort to have two identical triangle pieces, you have to sew the long sides of the smaller triangles together. (Follow the 2 fat black arrows on the picture above.)

BTW, You don’t have to go through all of this trouble if you have enough material, and you can just cut 4 identical triangles. I had to alter it a little since I was working with limited fabrics.

4. Repeat with the second blanket.

5. Now you have 4 identical triangles. You want to sew them together by the long sides. When you are done, your sewing project will look like a cone.

6. Let’s prepare the bottom of the bean bag. Cut the square. Do you see the numbers on the pattern above?  The short side of each triangle has to match the sides of the square.

 

3rd Step. Sew the bottom square and zipper to the triangles

convetible bean bag DIY tutorial

I don’t like it when the zipper is too short, because it provides only a tiny opening to take out the inner cushion. So I wanted to make sure I don’t hate the day when I want to wash the bean bag cover. Therefore I decided to have the zipper around 3 sides of the square bottom. Now, that is a big enough opening to take out and put back the bed. If you are like me and don’t want to struggle on laundry day with your bean bag, sew the zipper at least to 2 sides, but 3 is better. 

1. Sew one side of the square to the short side of one triangle.

2. Turn the whole project inside out.

3. Sew the zipper to the 3 sides of the squares and the short sides of the 3 triangles.

convertible bean bag DIY

 

Convertible DIY bean bag chair tips.

  • Look around the house and repurpose old bedsheets for the inner layer.
  • If you want to make a cozy soft bean bag chair, use a fleece blanket or fabric for the convertible cover.
  • For a super soft bean bag chair, you can use shredded memory foam fillers.
  • Repurpose zippers from old sweaters and jackets to save money on supply.

 

That’s it! If you read it this far, you should be ready to start with your new DIY project, so your friends and family can enjoy a new cozy bean bag. Plus, you have an extra bed for your visitors. If you prefer some video instruction, check out this tutorial.

PS. We used this HUGE bean bag for months, and one day my best friend’s kid came to visit. Fell in love with it and took it home. Ever since he pretty much lives on it. 🙂 

Don’t forget to pin this post so you can come back for instructions anytime to finish your project.

Convertible bean bag chair DIY

It’s your turn! Let me read all about your bean bag DIY in the comments. 😉


Do you wanna DIY more?

39 Comments

  1. Nikki K | How2Mummy

    Wow this is amazing! The days I truly wish I was more crafty and ever learned how to sew… 😄

    Reply
    • Andrea

      Hi Nikki. I had no idea how to sew either but really wanted to do something with those old blankets. I practiced on some old flat sheets until I got used to the sewing machine and then I was ready to create this cute bean bag.

      Reply
      • Jeanne Radaker

        I didn’t see any measurements to follow for me to make sure I had the right size. I hate wasting fabric and want to make this as a gift for my grandson

        Reply
        • Andrea

          Hi Jeanne,

          I did not use a measurement for this DIY bean bag. I worked with leftover sheets to make the project as economical as possible. I had two full-size flat sheets for the inner cushion.
          and two twin-size fleece blankets. The bean bag is big, even an adult can watch TV comfortably on it. Of course, the inner cushion can become a full-size sleepover bed if the kids take it out of the bean bag. 😉

          Reply
    • Oladunni

      This is amazing. Thanks i sure will make one.

      Reply
  2. Melanie Dompierre

    I like it my kids wanted one, I’ll might give it a try.

    Reply
    • Andrea

      I hope you’ll make a very nice cozy bean bag for your kids. My friend (8 years old) took this one from me and he lives on it since. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Laureen

    The is so cute and I think even i can do it! Gonna give it a try!

    Reply
    • Andrea

      Oh, Laureen, you can do it! It wasn’t hard at all. I still don’t know how to use a sewing machine properly. But I like DIY home decor and I like to create unique cozy lounge areas so everyone in the family can enjoy. 😉

      Reply
  4. Mary Ambrose

    Such handy skills. Will follow the tips for household projects!

    Reply
    • Andrea

      Thank you, Mary. I hope you’ll browse time to time and get some new DIY home decor ideas in my posts.

      Reply
      • Sabrina

        Awesome DIY!! I want a huge bean bag so bad, like big enough where my 6ft self can easily lounge/lay down in basically. So just how big was your bean bag that you made? I might tweak the sizes and use your instructions!!

        Reply
        • Andrea

          Hi Sabrina, thanks for your comment. So about the dimensions: I used 2 fleece blanket. Each was 50*60. Then I followed the diagram you can see in this post. I hope it helps! Let me know how your bean bag turns out. 😉

          Reply
          • Emmanuella

            Please what’s the YouTube video I work better with instructions on videos so ilk be sure what I’m doing is right.Thanks

          • Andrea

            Hi Emmanuella! Unfortunately, I didn’t make a video about this particular bean bag tutorial. The closest video I can find is this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqTG-SQQ78Y. She made a smaller bean bag but with the similar method, I used it in my DIY bean bag project.

          • Misty Rigney

            Someone should make these. And sell them cuz I would buy 4

  5. Izzy

    This is a great tutorial! It’s the project I never knew I needed until now. I do have one question though, how long was the blanket? I have some different options and I don’t want to end up with a baggy cover.

    Reply
    • Andrea

      Hi Izzy,
      I used 2 throw blankets. They are 50*60. I hope your bean bag will turn out perfect.

      Reply
  6. Sabrina

    What were the dimensions of the final product? I am wanting to make a huge bean bag so just wondering what size yours turned out to be. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Andrea

      Sabrina, this bean bag is big enough for my 6,3 tall hubby. Made out of 2 fleece blanket and each with the dimensions of 50*60. Good luck and let me know how your DIY bean bag turns out.

      Reply
  7. Stella

    i will use this forever!! thanks!😘

    Reply
  8. Kelcee

    What type of material did you use for the bottom?

    Reply
    • Andrea

      Hi Kelcee, I used a durable grey upholstery material for the bottom of this giant bean bag. Like what you would find on a couch.

      Reply
  9. Joanna

    What are the dimensions of the flat sheet you used?

    Reply
    • Andrea

      Hi Joanna. I used full-size bed sheets for this bean bag inner layer. Full-size flat sheet measures roughly 85-by-100 inches. I hope this helps. Good luck!

      Reply
      • Aga

        Hi, such a great DIY! Your bean bag looks amazing!

        I have one question. Does inner bag stay in correct position during moving whole bean bag? Did you sew / connect somehow inner and outer bag?

        I’m afraid that inner bag will flip upside down and it will be uncomfortable.

        Thanks for your help!

        Reply
        • Andrea

          Hi Aga, I didn’t connect the covers and never bothered us.
          However, if you think it will bother you guys, you can sew a few ties in the bean bag cover. Similar to the duvet covers. Duvet covers come with ties in the 4 corners. Their purpose is to tie the corner of the duvet into the cover. That way, the inner would not move around. I hope this idea helps.

          Reply
      • Angela Cheek

        I’m confused about the size of the inner bed. you said you used 2 full sized flat sheets but the dimensions you gave are that of a queen size flat sheets. I’m making one for my son and just want to make sure I’m making it right.

        Reply
        • Andrea

          Hi Angela,

          I used 2 full-size bed sheets. I can’t remember giving dimensions, but if I did, I change the dimensions for the full size. Thank you for pointing it out, and I hope you have fun creating a bean bag.

          Reply
  10. Steve

    Thank you for posting your design. Your’s is the best design the internet .

    Reply
    • Andrea

      Thanks, Steve. I hope you’re making a cozy bean bag chair soon. 😉

      Reply
  11. Jodi

    What are the measurements of the square bottom of this bean bag?

    Reply
    • Andrea

      Hi Jodi. So I used 2 50X60 fleece blankets. Cut them following the diagram in the post. The triangle has 50 on the bottom and that is the same size for your square.
      Keep it in mind this is a huge bean bag! You can adjust the measurement, just make sure the square’s size matches the bottom of the triangle.

      I hope this info helps, Andrea

      Reply
  12. Suzanne Pogmore

    Hi, Brilliant tutorial. I have one question the bean bag is a diamond but the inner is an oblong ? so does this fit ok. I will be making 2 or 3 of these for my grand kids so they will probable be moving them and jumping on them, so will it keep it shape ok or should i make the inner a diamond as well then it could be tied in better in the 5 points.
    looking forward for your input
    Thank you
    Suzanne

    Reply
    • Andrea

      Hi Suzanne, and thank you for your comment.

      So I used 2 flat sheets to make the inside. The reason behind this is that you can use the inner part for a sleepover, and it can become a full-size floor bed. We use this bean bag all the time, and it keeps its shape and comfortable.
      Now, if you want to use it only as a bean bag, yes, your idea is perfect. I hope they will turn out cute and comfy. 😉

      Reply
  13. Kateřina

    Hi! Wonderfull bean bag! I want to try it myself. Do I understand this correctly that the inside flat sheets were bigger (ca. 85×100 inches) than the outside blankets (ca. 50×60 inches)? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Andrea

      Yes, that is correct.

      Reply
  14. Lucy

    Great tutorial. So glad that I found your post. I am planning to make 2 bean bag chairs for my girls. I would like to know What size of filler to purchase. You mentioned that you used 8 bags. I was wondering how many pounds of 8 bags needed per chair. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Andrea

      Hi Lucy,

      Each bag is 100 liters. I hope this helps!

      Reply

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