Steps to Transform a Worn Out Cornhole Set

Does your family love to play cornhole? If so, your set might need an update! I’m excited to show you the steps I used to transform our ugly, worn-out cornhole set. Now it looks brand new and is ready for outdoor fun!

Want to see what it looked like before I gave it a makeover?

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Here you go!

We’ve had this set for many years, and as you can see, it is completely worn out.

A lot of people would probably throw it in the trash, but not me.

You know I love a good DIY project, and this one was a bit of a challenge since I had to break out the sewing machine for the cornhole bags.

It was worth it because this before and after turned out wonderful!

I’m so excited to show you the steps I used to transform our worn-out cornhole set!

Table of Contents

Steps to transform cornhole boards

Wow! This is what my cornhole set looks like now!

What a difference some elbow grease and paint can make!!

Here are the items I used to make this transformation happen!

Gather

two wooden cornhole boards
hand sander
mask
ear protection
plastic sheet
tack cloth
2 cans spray paint/primer-I used Rustoleum 2X Ultra CoverPaint Plus Primer in flat white
3 colors of paint -I used Sherwin Williams Pure White (base color), Wall Street (paint #1), & Black Magic (paint #2)
stir sticks
painters tape
paintbrush(s)
lacquer_I used Annie Sloan Lacquer
foam brush
sandpaper
protective paper/cardboard

Prep

Our cornhole set was in terrible shape. Normally, I would not clean something before sanding it. But in this case, I had to get all the spiders and their webs off of it before I started!!

I used a vacuum to remove all the spiders and cobwebs. It was so disgusting!

A cornhole set turned upside down with a vacuum cleaner laying beside it. Showing step one of for steps to transform a worn out cornhole set.

After it was cleaned, I laid the boards upside down on a plastic sheet.

A woman sitting next to a cornhole board sanding the old paint off the top. Shows step two for steps to transform a worn out cornhole set.

Next came the fun part! I had to sand all of the old paint off of the boards! It was not hard, but it took a lot longer than I thought it would!

One down, one to go!

Repair

If any part of your cornhole board is broken, now is the time to make repairs!

I don’t know if you can tell from the picture, but one board is sitting an inch lower than the other board. That’s because the corner is broken and the screws in the legs have come loose.

The leg of a cornhole board with new screws to hold it on. Showing step three for steps to transform a worn out cornhole set.

Rich had to fix the corner that had come apart. He used a clamp and super glue to squeeze the corner wood back together. He then shot a couple of brad nails in from each side for good measure. Sorry, he forgot to take a before picture! Then he replaced the old hardware with new bolts and washers.

Prime

It’s important to prime your boards before you paint them!

One dirty and one clean tack cloth laying on an unpainted board. An example of step four for steps to transform a worn out cornhole set.

First, clean both boards with a tack cloth to remove all of the dust from sanding. There was a lot of dust that needed to be removed!!

Be sure to lay down a protective covering on the floor.

Next, turn the boards upside down and elevate them.

Spray paint/primer on the legs and sides of both boards, following manufacturer instructions.

Let dry.

Turn over and spray paint/prime the top of both boards.

Let dry.

A cornhole board with primer and a second board that is partially primed. Showing step four for steps to transform a worn out cornhole set.

This is how far I got with one can of paint/primer.

This is what my boards looked like after two coats of paint/primer.

Paint

Now it’s time to get creative. You can paint your boards in any design you like. I chose to use three different colors, but you can use as many as you like! I was fortunate to have exterior paint left over from our house. So this part of the project was free! Here are the steps I used to paint and transform my worn-out cornhole set!

Put a protective covering on the floor.

Elevate the boards.

Stir the paint well.

Paint the base color. My base is white.

Let the paint dry.

Now I’m going to add a design to the board. I’ll use painter’s tape to divide the sections.

A ruler on a cornhole board with a pencil mark showing the center of the board. Step five in steps to transform a worn out cornhole set.

Measure the board to determine the center of the circle and mark it with a pencil.

A woman placing painter's tape on a cornhole board. Showing step six for steps to transform a worn out cornhole set.

Place the left edge of the painter’s tape to the right of the pencil mark and lead it down the board diagonally to the bottom right corner. Make sure the right edge of the tape is touching the bottom right corner.

Next, apply a strip of the painter’s tape to the left side, using the same steps as above.

Apply painter’s tape to the sides of both boards. Check all pieces of the tape to make sure it is pressed down securely.

Two cornhole boards being painted with gray and white paint. Showing step seven for steps to transform a worn out cornhole set.

Paint color #1 onto the top left and right sides of the boards. Barkley is watching to make sure I’m doing it right!!

Two gray cornhole boards with a new black painted triangle. Step 8 for steps to transform a worn out cornhole set.

Paint color #2 in the center triangle section.

Let the paint dry.

Paint the boards one more time to get good coverage.

A cornhole board with the painters tape removed showing white lines. Another board beside it with painter's tape still on. Step nine for steps to transform a worn out cornhole set.

Very carefully, peel the painter’s tape off of the boards as soon as you finish painting!

Let dry overnight!

Protect

Wow!! I’m so thrilled with how the boards turned out! I love the color and the design! To keep them looking this good, we need to protect the paint. I used Annie Sloan Lacquer.

A newly painted cornhole set with a tack cloth on top of it. Showing step ten for steps to transform a worn out cornhole set.

Always remember to wipe the boards with a tack cloth before applying lacquer. Notice in the picture above, there is dust in the right corner.

A cornhole board with lacquer on the top half of it. Step eleven for steps to transform a worn out cornhole set.

Apply a thin layer of lacquer with a foam brush.

Let dry.

Clean with a tack cloth.

Apply a second coat of lacquer to each board.

The boards are done and they look great! I can’t wait to use them! Lots of family fun ahead! Oh wait, I still have to fix the bags!

steps to transform cornhole bags

Friends, I must confess…I have no business giving anyone advice on sewing!! I sew so little that I have to read the instructions to remind me how to thread the machine every time I use it. Which is not very often!! So, now that you have full disclosure, please don’t make fun of my sewing abilities!!

Here is the “before” picture of the cornhole bags! They look horrible and have tons of holes in them! It’s time to get to work and tackle the final steps to transform my worn-out cornhole set!!

Gather

outdoor fabric or duck cloth-use two different colors or designs
polyester thread
scissors
tape measure
straight pins
pen
sewing machine (you can sew by hand if you don’t have a machine)
iron

Prep

Are you ready to go on this sewing adventure with me? I’m sure it will be interesting!!

A cornhole bag that has the outer layer of fabric removed and a seam ripper next to it. Step twelve for steps to transform a worn out cornhole set.

I decided to take the old bags apart, to use the material as a sewing pattern. Unfortunately, some of the seams in the inner bags had come apart. Luckily, the pellets were still inside the colored bag.

I used a funnel to get the pellets back inside the white bag. Then sewed the hole closed by hand.

Here are the two fabrics I chose to use for my bags.

MEASURE

Ok, what’s that old saying? Measure twice, cut once! This part always makes me nervous! It’s a good thing I have extra fabric, in case I mess it up!

A piece of fabric with a ruler measuring the length. Step thirteen for steps to transform a worn out cornhole set.

I used the old fabric as my template. Then measured it to determine what size material I would need.

A piece of fabric laying on a cutting mat with a ruler on top of it. Showing step fourteen of steps to transform a worn out cornhole set.

The old material measured 6 1/2 inches by 12 1/2 inches. First, I measured 12 1/2 inches and cut the fabric. Next, I measured 6 1/2 inches and marked the fabric with a pen. Then, I repeated this step three more times.

Four pieces of fabric that have been cut, laying on a cutting mat beside a rotary blade cutter. Showing step fifteen for steps to transform a worn out cornhole set.

I cut the fabric along the lines into rectangles. Now, I will repeat those steps with the second color of the fabric.

After I sewed the first bag, I realized that I should have ironed down one edge of the fabric, as you can see in the picture above. Since I like to learn from my mistakes, I ironed a ¼ inch fold on the long side of my remaining fabric pieces!

Sew

The picture below shows the first bag I sewed. It does not have the ironed seam that I just told you about. However, I still put it in the post to show how I pinned two of the sides!

Put the right sides together and pin two sides of the fabric.

Next, sew a ¼ inch seam on the two sides of the bag that are pinned. In the picture above, you can see how I ironed a seam in the fabric.

Turn the bag inside out, pushing out corners.

Place the white bag containing the pellets inside the new bag!

Sew the open edge closed! And there you have it…cornhole bags that look brand new!!!

Rich said he got several laughs listening to some of the choice words that came out of my mouth while I was sewing!! Oh well, I eventually got the job done, and they look great. It will be fun to see how they hold up!!

Well friends, can you believe that before and after?? Don’t you think it looks a thousand times better?? Some of the steps were challenging, but I was determined to transform our worn-out cornhole set so we could use it again! Here’s to lots of hours of outdoor entertainment and fun! Bring on summer!!