Best Fabric For Bean Bags (Toss and Chairs)
Everyone has choices to make. No matter what they do in life, they have a choice to make. The same goes for your sewing and craft projects. The biggest choice is not what to make but which fabric to use. Most of the time people are inundated with other people’s choices for what is the best fabric to use.
If you are looking for the best fabric to use for your bean bag chair, you have a choice between nylon and polyester fabrics as the best ones to use. They are both inexpensive, water-resistant, strong, durable, and can be used outside as well as inside.
To learn more about the different fabrics you can use for making a bean bag chair, just continue to read our article. It gives you the details s your decision is a lot easier and you end up with a great chair to use.
Fabric for Bean Bags 101
What Kind of Fabric to Use for Bean Bags
Bean bags and bean bag chairs go through a lot of heavy action and treatment. They are not seen as expensive pieces of furniture or game pieces that need to be handled with care. Instead, they are seen as throw-away items that are easy to replace.
With that in mind, you should be looking for a heavy fabric to use that is easy on the hands as well as the body. Canvas would work but it does not fulfill the latter two requirements.
Cotton is good but it stains easily, absorbs water quickly and doe snot dry very fast. Then there is silk, but the price range for that fabric is a little out of reach for such a common item. The same goes for leather.
That is a tough good looking fabric that is nice to touch and easy on the body. But the cost is not for the everyday man. Faux leather is just not comfortable to use. Then microsuede is an option but it is difficult to clean and should not be used outside.
Finally, you have nylon and polyester. Both are easy on the body and hands and they look good. Plus, you get water resistance, toughness, durability, strength as well as flexibility. These are two materials you can use inside and out.
On top of that, they work for bean bags holding the beans inside no matter how many times they are tossed. Within reason of course.
Fabric for Bean Bag Toss
Bean bag toss is a game where the game piece is thrown some distance away from the players. That means the fabric you use to make your bean bags should be heavy and able to withstand hard impacts.
That requirement still gives you a lot of fabrics to choose from. You could go with a canvas as it is a heavy, strong and durable fabric. There is nothing about bean bag toss that says it has to baby a person’s hands. If you are looking for longevity hen canvas is a good choice.
Next up are nylon and polyester fabrics. You have already read their qualities that make them an excellent choice for this game. Faux leather may not be comfortable for a bean bag chair but it can be a good fabric for the bean bags.
That material is flexible, an aspect you need when tossing the bag. Plus, it is also waterproof making it perfect for outside entertainment. Good heavy cotton fabric is alright if you can put up with the drawbacks already mentioned in the previous section.
If you want to enjoy your game for many years without replacing the bags then you should use nylon or polyester fabrics to hold the beans.
Fabric for Bean Bag Chairs
The fabric you use in this project will depend on how much use the chair will get, who will use it the most, and what kind of statement you are trying to make. Leather and silk are good fabrics and can endure normal use.
In addition to that ability, both fabrics make a very good statement about you and your home. They both look good and can be enjoyed for many years. But those fabrics may not last if used for casual lifestyles.
Cotton and the other fabrics, like faux leather and microsuede, work well for casual lifestyles but not so much for the upper crust of society. They are less expensive than leather and silk and come with their own toughness and durability levels.
Each fabric will have its own drawbacks but if you need flexibility then you may lean towards using nylon and polyester. Their ability to be used inside and out make those fabrics perfect for the casual lifestyle and parties. They handle spills quite well.
Waterproof Fabric for Bean Bags
There are different waterproof fabrics you can use but they may not always be comfortable. When purchasing fabric for your bean bag chair you have more than one requirement to meet.
Faux leather meets a lot of the requirements you need in a bean bag chair. Its main drawback is that it may not be as comfortable as you would like. But if keeping liquids away is your main priority then this is one fabric you can choose.
If you do not like faux leather or it doesn’t fit in with your decor, then one of the many polyester fabrics may be a better fit. Many polyester fabrics are waterproof and they come in a variety of colors and designs so you should be able to make the bean bag chair fit your decor with ease.
Fabric for Outdoor Bean Bags
In this category, you are going to be a bit limited as well. You could try and use leather outside, it is tough, can handle different temperatures as well as spruce up your patio. But its cost may have you thinking twice about using it in the sun.
Then you can use cotton as it is a durable fabric that can also handle different outdoor elements except for maybe rain and snow. This fabric takes a long time to dry and needs a waterproof coating to avoid stains and liquid spills.
The best fabrics you can use for an outdoor bean bag chair are nylon and polyester. These synthetic fabrics are made to handle anything you through their way. They are tough and they can withstand outdoor environments better than other fabrics.
You can try and use some waterproof fabrics like marine material and so on but they may be too heavy for bean bag chairs and comfort.
Best Fabric for Making Bean Bags
The best fabric may not be the most practical material to use. Leather is always the better fabric for many items but it is not always practical to use it especially when playing an outdoor game.
When making your bean bags the best fabric is one that will be able to endure the constant handling and landings after being tossed some distance away. Plus, it has to be able to work outdoors.
That means you can go to a heavy fabric that is not too expensive to buy. Nylon and polyester are good candidates but there is also cotton and other fabrics that come in heavier weights that would be good candidates to use.
The lightweight material is just not durable or strong enough to handle the pressures of the game. Any fabric that tears easily is also excluded from being the best material to use.
How Much Fabric for a Bean Bag Chair
A lot will depend on the size of the chair you are making. The bigger and wider the chair the more fabric you will be using. For a simple adult bean bag chair, you should expect to use about 5 yards of fabric and 6 cubic feet of beans.
For a chair measuring 28 inches high and 50 inches in diameter then the amount of material you would need is approx. 6 yards at 60 inches wide. The material you need must cover the top, the bottom, and the sides.
That should give you an idea of how much fabric you will need. You may need more if you are not able to purchase 60-inch wide material at your fabric store. Check your measurements and make sure to add in at least 10% to cover any miscalculations or mistakes that often occur.
Why is Cotton a Suitable Fabric for Bean Bags?
Not all cotton materials are suitable for making bean bags. The good news is that several heavier cotton fabrics can be used. Denim is one and the reason that qualifies that material is that it is a heavy fabric that is also tough and durable.
The cotton drill is another good choice as well. The reason why cotton is a suitable fabric is that it is soft and easy on your hands. Plus, it is a durable fabric that can be cleaned in your washing machine.
If you are using the material for a chair, cotton provides you with warmth as well as breathability. These are all good factors when deciding which fabric to use. Just do not go with lightweight cotton as it may tear or stain very easily.
A final reason cotton is suitable for bean bags is that it is a material that comes in lots of colors and designs and you can go crazy with your creative talents when making the bean bags.
How to Make a Fabric Bean Bag
The fabric size should be large if you are going to make many bean bags at the same time. 25 by 25 inches is a good place to start and allows you to make more than one at a time.
Once you decide on the size, you want to cut two pieces of material 5 by 5 inches in size for each one you are making. You can iron your fabric before you start cutting it or after you cut the pieces. Just make sure the wrinkles stay out if you choose the first option.
After that is done, lay your fabric with the right sides facing each other and pin 3 sides together. Giving yourself a 1/2 inch seam, stitch the three sides together and turn the material right side out.
When that is done, fill the fabric bag with beans and stitch up the final open side. Making the bean bag chair is going to be a little more complicated but it is worth the effort.
How to Clean a Fabric Bean Bag Chair
Part of the cleaning process will depend on what type of fabric you used to make your bean bags and bean bag chair. Adjust your cleaning products to meet this requirement. The wrong cleaning products can ruin a good bean bag chair if you are not careful in this step.
Next, dab as much of the spill up as you can. You do not want to rub the stain as that will spread it out more. Then put some spot remover on the stain and wait a little while. Then take a damp cloth and wipe up the stain remover and the stain. Use cold water here.
If you have put a cover over your bean bag chair, then unzip the cover and toss it into the washing machine if it is made from a washable fabric. If the stain is a hard one to get out, pre-soak it for about 15 minutes first. Again use cold water.
Some Final Words
Bean bag chairs add a little casual living fun to any household. If made right they can be comfortable and very warm. All you have to do is get one that was made with the right fabric for the situation it is going to be used.
For bean bag games you have a lot more leeway in the fabrics you can use, just make sure it is heavy and durable.
