I am frugal, I know I am frugal, I like to save where I can, not dip into the household budget and make my photography business pay for itself, so paying almost $100 for a un-stuffed newborn posing beanbag just doesn't sit right. Last week while in Jo-Anne's fabrics I saw that all already discounted fabrics were a extra 50% off so the vinyl was $9 a yard and with 50% off it then became 4.50 a yard.

The bargain hunter in me couldn't resist. How hard could it be? Now one thing you must know is when I get a idea, I have to do it NOW, can't wait, so I will tell you how I did it and then tell you what to not do. :-) FIRST make sure you have a tape measure, I didn't and just winged the size, so my beanbag could quite easily pose quads. You need 4 yards of fabric, I brought 5½ because I am thinking of making some extra little pillows to prop baby butt's and heads. Here is my official list of what you need:

• 4 yards of Vinyl , the color really doesn't matter although I suppose black could darken light fabric laid over them
• A sewing machine, unless you are nuts and want to try do it by hand
• A tape measure
• string or wool
• 1 pen
• 1 felt tip
• about ½ a yard of velcro

 Lay the vynil out on the floor, measure half a yard (or 22 inches if you want to be precise) on the sting and tie each end to the two pens with half a yard between them. 

 

 

Thinking "compass" felt tip at the edge of the fabric and the pen, pulling the string tight in the middle. Make sure when you move the felt tip round there will be enough space to draw a complete circle, Draw the circle in felt tip.

 

Cut this circle out. Now lay that on top of the rest of the vinyl and draw a circle around that. cut it out, cutting slightly inside the edge..

With the rest of the vinyl measure long strips about as wide, as you want your bean bag to be high. Mine was about a third of a yard.










Take a piece of string and lay it all round the outside of one of the circles. This will tell you more or less how long your strips need to be. You might need to sew, 1 or 2, maybe even three strips together to make a long enough piece.


 

Now for the FUN bit.

Start sewing. fold one of the ends of the long strips and stick Velcro on it. I brought industrial Velcro so the glue is so strong I don't need to sew these down, but you just might have to sew yours. only do one end.

Take the first circle and put the right side (the side you will have outside) to the right side of one of the stips. Sew this together all the way round that circle.
get the other circle and sew that to the other side of the strip using the same method.

cut the strip so that it's just bigger than where it is going to need to close. fold the excess in, and put the other side of the Velcro over this. Sew it down if you need to. TIP: Where the layers are very thick go over it a few times or uses zigzag stitching.

 


Turn the whole thing inside out and Your bean bag is mad

Now the FUN PART! NOT
Stuffing is hard, it make a mess, be aware! One thing I learned is baby powder and baking soda takes away been bag balls static. PLEASE remember that. The beans are going to go everywhere, live with it, try fill the bag in a room that is pretty empty to make clean up easier.

I spent a long time making a elaborate funnel out of diet coke bottles, I didn't use it.
I did use a BIG coffee mug, one of those stupid over the top size ones, but I am sure a small jug would do too.
I used the stuffing from a old bag I had. (I had been using a normal beanbag that i twirled at the bottom and clamped to make stiff.
I quickly realized I would been a lot more stuffing and that is when a amazing idea came to me.Packing peanuts! I drove to out local shipping store (it's much closer than Meijer) and asked if they would sell me a huge bag of peanuts. I brought this bag for $30. ( And yes we have a smart car :-) )
Then I rigged it up o a hook I had in my ceiling, slowly opened the one end and poured the peanuts into my bag.
From start to finish my bag took maybe 3 hours to make, clean up took about a hour! 
I sprinkled baking soda all over the floor before I vacuumed and it really helped.



Would I make this again? YES!!! I had fun, I would measure it next time and make it smaller :-)
But it cost me $48 and I love it!

If you would like to see how I use my beanbag please come like my Facebook page