Grandmas Beanbag Chair

The Zaitleys
by The Zaitleys
7 Materials
$80
1 Hour
Easy

While we were pregnant with baby C we had 3 of our grandparents pass away. Beyond naming her after all 3 of them, we are always looking for ways to instil their memory in C. So when Abby went back home to Vancouver to help pack up her grandma’s home after she passed, she found these two gorgeous fringed circular tablecloths. We knew we had to make something for Cs already pretty fringy room these this find.

Before

What you will need for this project:

 

- 2 pieces of the same sized fabric

- A sewing machine/a lot of patience/or a very kind sister who will sew for you!

- Zipper

- Needle and thread that match your fabric, or doesn’t match, depending on your aesthetic

- Stitch ripper, for all your mistakes. We learn from our mistakes so don’t be afraid to make them! We make them ALL THE TIME!

- Sewing pins 

- All the bean bag filler you can find! We used 3 large bags

Now, fabric and sewing is not a strong skill for either of us so we outsourced the sewing part to Abby’s sister. She simply used her sewing machine to sew a tight stitch around the perimeter of the 2 cloths leaving about 8 inches open to add a zipper and beanbag filler later. 


We have a better picture to explain this on our blog. It's a terrible quality picture so rightfully wasn't able to upload here.


Now that Abby’s sister had done all the hard work, it was time for us to do the messy work! Pouring those bean bags was no easy task, but we managed. Here’s a little video of the position that worked best for us.


After the bag was full, Abby hand-sewed the zipper around the opening, making sure to keep the stitches very close together so no beans could sneak out. 


To ensure it is fully sealed up, do the shake test. That’s right, shake that bean bag in every direction and see if any little beans fall out.  ♪♪♪♪Shake shake shake, shake shake shake, shake your bean bag, shake your bean bag♪♪♪♪!! 


 Now plonk that hard working butt of yours down and enjoy your new chair! 

Things we learnt from this projects/What we would have done differently:

 

-The pouring of the beans is a 2 person job! Be prepared for a mess. These bad boys are staticky! We found the vacuum worked best for clean up as our hands just moved them around and increased our mess. 


-You need way more beans than you think! We only bought one large bag to begin with but ended up having to use 3!


-We probably would have used a bigger zipper if we were better at using the sewing machine - this would have made it easier to pour the beans in.

Resources for this project:
See all materials
Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.More info
The Zaitleys
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  3 questions
  • NayNay Smith NayNay Smith on Sep 11, 2019

    I love this Idea. I have these very tablecloths. Great job. I am curious as to what baby C's name is. If you wouldn't mind sharing. Please and thank you😊

  • Gabrielle Falk Gabrielle Falk on Sep 12, 2019

    I have a beautiful linen/cotton tablecloth that my Father brought back from China in the early 1960's. It has beautiful applique Chinese figures, Chinese scenery, etc.. Quite large, along with accompanying serviettes. (8). I feel it is far too precious to put on the table, and become stained. I don't wish to leave it to anyone at all. It is precious to me. Any ideas what I could do with it? I am so totally NOT a person who can sew - AT ALL!! I thought perhaps that it could be utilised in some way in the bedroom - our bedroom is decorated in white/apple green/and soft pink - with large white cushions, checked green and white small rug to go over the white bedcover etc.. So not at all in the Chinosserie style - but any suggestions AT ALL would be very welcome.

  • Lena Johnston Lena Johnston on Jan 04, 2021

    Slightly off topic, but where did you find the lovely, round, shaggy pink rug? I’m in love, lol!

Comments
Join the conversation
4 of 16 comments
  • Jill Krol Jill Krol on Sep 12, 2019

    Great idea; however, anyone doing this project should sew the zipper in first, then sew the rest of the perimeter. It would be much easier.

  • I love how you incorporated grandma's memory in baby's nursery! That's so sweet and special! Very nicely done!

    • The Zaitleys The Zaitleys on Sep 15, 2020

      Thank you so much for writing such a kind comment. It means a lot to me!

Next