Make Your Own Cornhole Boards - Enchanted Conservatory

Do you know what you need this summer? DIY cornhole boards! I made some last week and want you to make some too. While it wasn’t as quick as the tutorial I followed said it would be (2 hours), it’s 100% a project a beginner can complete in a day or two. I’m factoring in frustration, having to run out to the store for supplies you thought you had but don’t and painting. How do people finish projects (that require painting) in a couple of hours?! I always need multiple coats!

I really didn’t want to spend money on this project, so I used wood and paint I had around the house. JUST made it with the wood we had. I did need to buy carriage bolts and screws but that was it. Not bad! And I had these done right in time for the rainy July 4th holiday.

(Check out my Projects highlight on IG for videos and pictures of these cornhole boards being made. It will help give context to some of these directions.)

Materials

These boards aren’t too heavy but they’re not super light either, so you may consider using thinner wood to create yours (i.e. 1x4s instead of 2x4s) if you want something lighter weight. Keep in mind that if you change the dimensions of any of the wood you may need to adjust other measurements, screw size etc.

Collect all your supplies first, so you’re organized and ready to go. I organized my wood but not my screws, so once I made all my cuts I had to stop because I didn’t have 3″ deck screws! Luckily Chris came to the rescue and went to the store for me.

Here’s what you need to build these beauties:

(2) 24″ x 48″ pieces of 1/2″ plywood for the top/surface
(4) 2×4 x 48″ for the frame
(4) 2×4 x 21″ for the frame
(4) 2×4 x 11.5″ for the legs
1.25″ deck screws (to attach the plywood to the frame)
3″ deck screws (to attach the pieces of the frame)
(4) 1/2″ x 4″ carriage bolts with (4) washers and (4) wing nuts (to attach the legs)
wood putty or bondo
exterior-grade paint and primer

Tools

Safety glasses
Measuring tape
Clamps (a 90 degree clamp is a life saver when putting the frame together)
Drawing Compass (to draw circles to cut on the plywood)
Protractor (not necessary but I used it to get the angle for the legs)
Circular saw (to cut the plywood)
Miter saw (to cut the frame and legs)
Jigsaw (to round the leg tops and cut the holes in the plywood)
Drill & appropriate bits/attachments (to pre-drill holes and insert screws)
Sander
Paint brush or roller
T-square (not necessary but helpful)
Saw horses (not necessary but I used them when making plywood cuts)

Make Your Cuts

Once you have all of your materials and tools together, it’s time to start cutting. If you’re not used to some of these tools they can seem intimidating, I suggest taking a class, asking for help or watching some tutorials and practicing on some test wood if you’re uncertain. Make sure safety is always a priority, pay attention and go slow. Don’t worry if you make some mistakes, this is for fun! I definitely made some mistakes and the boards still came out great.

Start by making all of your cuts!

Your two plywood tops (the playing surface) should be 24″x48″, if you have plywood that’s bigger than that cut it down to size using a circular saw. I had one big piece of plywood that already had some cuts taken from it, so I measured out my cuts with a T square ruler- it helps to make straight lines!- clamped it to two saw horses and made my cuts.
- What I’ve learned along the way:
  - Creating a fence makes cutting a straight line much easier- I used a straight piece of wood that ran the length of my cut and clamped it in place. I made sure it was in the right spot by measuring from the blade on the circular saw to the end of the plate and then clamped my fence that many inches away from the line I drew for my cut. That way I only had to worry about keeping the circular saw flush against the fence.
  - Measure multiple times to ensure accuracy.
For the frames you need four 48″ 2x4s and four 21″ 2x4s, use your miter saw to cut these down to size.
- What I’ve learned along the way:
  - Measure your first cut, make the cut and then measure your next cut and make that cut. Never mark all of your measurements at the same time- if you do that the only cut that will be the right size is the first one! That’s because the blade eats up some of the wood as it cuts, so measure your first cut, make the cut and then measure your second cut and make that cut, and so on.
The four legs should be 11.5″ 2x4s, use your miter saw to cut these.

Now that we’ve made all the basic cuts, let’s round the legs. The legs need to be able to swing up (for storage) and down (for play), to enable them to do that the top portion of the legs (that will be nestled into the corner of the frame) needs to be rounded. Here’s how to do that:

Measure down from the top of each leg 1.75″ and then mark the middle of each leg width, you’ll align the drawing compass point here.
Using the compass draw a 1.75″ radius half circle.
Clamp each leg to a solid/sturdy work area, with enough clearance to cut the rounded edge.
Use your jigsaw to cut the half circle, so one end of each leg is rounded.
- What I’ve learned along the way:
  - Make sure you’re using the right jigsaw blade for the wood you’re cutting and the design you’re making. I used a 13 TPI blade.

Time to Build

Let’s put our frame together first!

For each frame, grab two 48″ 2x4s and two 21″ 2x4s. You will be creating two boxes, with the 21″ pieces on the inside of the 48″ pieces. This is where my 90 degree corner clamp saved my life. I found it difficult to keep all sides flush when just using a regular clamp, although it IS possible. I built my first frame that way and it came out fine, it was just a frustrating experience.

Clamp together your first side, ensuring everything is straight and flush.
Using your drill, pre-drill your holes- I made two holes on each side.
- You’re drilling through the 48″ piece into the 21″ piece, making it easier to sink your screws.
Using your drill, with a screwhead attachment, screw in your 3″ deck screws.
Repeat on each side until your frame is built.
- Things I’ve learned along the way:
  - Like I said above, the 90 degree corner clamp is highly recommended.
  - When drilling and sinking screws it’s best to have a sturdy structure that you can brace the wood against, so you can apply pressure and it won’t move.
  - When pre-drilling holes pick a drill bit that is slightly smaller than the screws you’re using.

Attach plywood tops to the frame

Align the plywood tops to each frame, ensuring they’re square.
Using your drill, pre-drill holes- I made holes in each of the 4 corners and the middle of each side.
- You’re drilling through the plywood into the 2x4s below.
Using your drill, with a screwhead attachment, screw in your 1.25″ deck screws.
- Things I learned along the way:
  - Before you start drilling, make sure you’re not going to hit the screws you used to put the frame together.
  - My 1.25″ deck screws had Robertson (or square) heads, which means I needed a square screwdriver attachment. Make sure you have the appropriate screwdrivers for the screws you’re using!

Attach the legs

I am not going to lie, this is where I had the most trouble. I aligned my legs in the top corners of my boards, clamped them and created the 1/2″ holes and thought I was all good, only to realize I went in at an angle AND the point I was using as center wasn’t actually centered. That resulted in my legs not being able to go up and down easily. So learn from my mistakes!

Measure to the middle of each leg, on the rounded side.
Drill a 1/2″ hole- I used my Fisch Forstner drill bit.
Clamp the leg to the inside corner of the board and mark the frame through the hole you just created on the leg.
Remove the leg and drill the marked hole on the frame.
Align the leg to the frame and use a carriage bolt, washer and wing nut to attach.
- The carriage bolt is going from the outside in, through the frame and into the leg. The washer and wing nut go on the inside, against the leg to hold it together.
Repeat with each leg on both boards
- What I learned along the way:
  - Centering the hole on the leg and the frame is important, if you don’t do that the leg will not be able to go down or up fully.
  - If your legs are having trouble moving up and down, use a sander to remove wood where it’s causing the leg to stop.

Cut the leg angles

To cut the leg angles, so they are flat against the ground, I used a protractor. I extended the legs straight and measured the angle between the floor and the corner that wasn’t flush. I then set my miter saw to that angle and cut each leg accordingly.

Cut a hole in the top of each board

Can’t have cornhole boards without the holes!

Measure 9″ down from the top of each plywood board and 12″ in from each side.
- This is where the point of your compass will go.
Make a 6″ diameter circle around that mark.
Drill a hole at the edge of the circle, big enough to fit the jigsaw blade.
Use your jigsaw to cut along the circle you just drew.
- Things I learned along the way:
  - Use the right jigsaw blade, plywood can get torn up so easily with the wrong blade! I used a 20 TPI blade.
  - Go slow and cut to the inside of the circle you drew, you can always sand off any excess.

Prime and Paint

Before you start priming, make sure you’ve filled the screw holes on the top of your board with wood putty or bondo. Put on more than you need, so you can sand it smooth once it’s dry. Don’t forget to sand all of the wood to smooth it out and prepare the surface for painting.

Make sure you use outdoor paint, to help it last longer. Semi-gloss paint is suggested but I used what I had around the house, which was: