What good is a backyard without some backyard games? And what good are those games if they don’t include a cornhole set? At least that’s what I thought when I started this project. Cornhole is one of our favorite backyard games to play and it’s great to have for outdoor parties and get-togethers. Since we had some leftover scrap wood from rebuilding our kitchen, I thought it would be a fun project to build a set of cornhole boards, and then paint them to show off a little college school spirit. Go Cougs!
MATERIALS
| MATERIALS NEEDED | TOOLS |
|---|---|
| Wood (See Cut List Below) | Drill & Drill Bits |
| 3″ Screws | Jigsaw |
| 1 5/8″ Screws | Circular Saw |
| 4 – 1/2″ x 3″ Carriage Bolts | Compass |
| 4 – Washers | Pencil |
| 4 – Wingnuts | Measuring Tape |
| Wood Filler | Sandpaper or Sander |
| Primer | Paint Roller |
| Paint – Exterior/High Gloss | Clamps |
| Painter’s Tape (Optional) | |
| Cornhole Bags |
CUT LIST
| 2 Pieces of ½” Plywood 24” x 48” |
| 4 Pieces of 2×4 at 48” |
| 4 Pieces of 2×4 at 21” |
| 4 Pieces of 2×4 at 13” |
TIME COMMITMENT
| ACTIVE TIME: About 9 hours |
| Assembling & painting takes about 9 hours |
| The paint has to dry for about 10 hours |
| TOTAL TIME: About 19 hours |
STEP BY STEP
STEP 1 – PREPARE THE WOOD
The first step to making cornhole boards is to get all the wood pieces cut to the lengths listed above. If you don’t own a miter saw and a table saw, you can purchase the wood from a home improvement store like Lowe’s or Home Depot and ask a staff member to cut the wood for you before purchasing. Most of the bigger box stores should have that ability.
You will need the following pieces of wood to get started: 2 pieces of ½” plywood cut into 24” x 48” rectangles. Four pieces of 2×4 cut to 48”, four pieces of 2×4 cut to 21” and four pieces of 2×4 cut to 13”.
STEP 2 – ASSEMBLE THE BASE FOR THE CORNHOLE BOARDS
Once all the wood is cut, assemble the base. To do this, create a rectangle with two of the 48” 2×4 pieces as the sides and two of the 21” 2×4 pieces as the top and bottom. The 21” pieces should fit inside the 48” pieces, so the overall dimensions of the base rectangle are 48” x 24”, or put more simply, it should make a perfect perimeter around your plywood piece.
Using the 3” screws, attach the 21” 2×4’s to the 48” 2×4’s by drilling in two screws at each corner.
Repeat the above to create a second identical rectangle base for the other cornhole board.
STEP 3 – ATTACH THE PLYWOOD TOP
After both bases have been built, place the 24” x 48” pieces of plywood over each. Line the plywood up so that it is flush with the edges of the 2×4 base, and then attach it using 1 ⅝” screws. Place the screws along the edge of the plywood trying to center them so they drill into the middle of the 2x4s. I found using about 3 screws across the top and bottom, and about 5 screws on the left and right edge secured it tightly.
STEP 4 – CIRCULAR CUT THE LEGS
Take the 13” 2×4 pieces. On each 13” piece, measure 2” down from one end and draw a line across the board at the 2” distance. Now mark the center of the board on the 2” line. Set your compass to 2” and draw a half circle from that mark.
Now use a jigsaw to cut along the circle. Repeat for all four leg pieces. The result should be 4 pieces of wood with a straight edge on one end, and a circular end on the other.
STEP 5 – ATTACH THE LEGS
Next up, it’s time to attach the legs to the cornhole boards. To do this, flip the cornhole board upside down so that the plywood is lying flat against the ground. Now place a leg on the inside of the base, flush against one of the top corners. Make sure that the circular end of the leg is facing the corner. Now slide the leg down from the corner along the long side of the base about ½” and clamp the leg into place. Note that whatever end of the board you place the legs in will become the top of the cornhole board.
Once the leg is clamped inside the base, starting at the curved edge of the leg, find the center radius of the half circle and mark it. Note that this is the same location as the mark for the compass made in Step 4.
Drill a ½” hole at that mark, all the way through the leg and the side of the cornhole box. Place the carriage bolt through both holes and attach it with a washer and wing nut.
Check the legs to ensure they can fold up and down inside the platform. If the leg gets stuck, adjust the circular end by sanding down where it hits the side of the base. Adjust until the leg folds up and down easily.
Repeat the attachment process on the other side of the base directly across from the leg you just finished. Then repeat the entire process, with the other two legs on the other cornhole board.
STEP 6 – CUT THE LEG ENDS
After attaching the legs, you’ll want to cut the straight ends at an angle so they sit flush on the ground when extended. Turn the box so the plywood side is up and set it on a table ensuring both legs are tucked against the base, and not extended. Place a bucket, block, or anything that will hold the board up underneath the box so the back of the cornhole board is no more than 12” off the tabletop. Then move the box to the edge of the table. Extend the leg closest to the edge so that it hangs over the lip of the table. Now draw a straight line across the bottom of the leg, using the table as a guide. Repeat for the other leg.
Cut the legs along the drawn line using a circular saw.
Repeat the above for the other board.
STEP 7 – CUT THE CIRCULAR HOLE IN THE CORNHOLE BOARDS
Next up it’s time to cut out the holes on the boards. The center of the hole should be 12” from each side and 9” down from the top. Mark this point. Then use a compass to draw a 6” diameter circle centered around the mark you’ve made.
After marking out the circle, cut the circle out with a jigsaw. To start the jigsaw, drill a hole inside the circle large enough to allow the jigsaw blade.
Then start the jigsaw inside the hole and cut out the circle. Repeat on the other board.
Note: you could also do this step with a 6” hole saw drill bit, but I didn’t want to buy one and opted for the jigsaw route.
STEP 8 – CLEAN UP THE CORNHOLE BOARDS
Next, it’s time to clean up the boards. Place wood filler in all the screw holes and any other dents in the plywood and wait for it to set. Once the filler dries, sand the entire board so the filler is flush with the plywood. Sand the edges and the inside of the circle as well.
STEP 9 – PRIME & PAINT THE CORNHOLE BOARDS
After sanding the boards, apply primer to the sides and top. If you want to paint the legs, remove them and prime them as well. Allow the primer to dry per the instructions on the can.
Once the primer is dry, it’s time to paint! I used a high gloss exterior-grade paint. There are many different designs and ways you can paint your boards. Take a quick internet search for cornhole boards if you want some inspiration.
For our boards, I decided to create a border around the whole board and then paint two triangles, as well as our college logo. To pull off the designs, I used painter’s tape. I also inverted the colors from one board to the next for a little added fun.
After the paint has dried, there’s one last step – purchasing cornhole bags. There are a lot of color options available so you can purchase bags that match your boards.
Now you’re ready to play cornhole! Set the boards up in your yard and have fun!
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