Add a little competition to your next outdoor gathering with a new cornhole set.

When the weather starts warming up, there’s nothing better than being outdoors enjoying time with family and friends. Bring some fun -- and a little competition -- to your next BBQ with an outdoor game like this DIY Cornhole set. It's not just fun to play, it's fun to build, too!

What is Cornhole?

Cornhole is a family-friendly game that consists of two angled boards with holes and two sets of bean bags. The object of the game is to be the first one to get 21 points from throwing your bean bags into the hole in the opposite board. This simple concept makes this game great for all ages –- don’t be fooled though! It can be more challenging than it sounds. Not sure how to play Cornhole? The American Cornhole Organization has all of the rules listed here.

Customize Your Cornhole Set

The options for customizing your Cornhole set are practically limitless. You can make it lighter weight and easier to transport, or paint in your favorite team colors. You can stain your set too, but if you do, seal it with polyurethane. This will make your project long lasting and will enable the bean bags to slide along the surface as they should.

Static Legs for Your Cornhole Boards

Make your cornhole boards portable One popular deviation from the plan on this page is making the legs static instead foldable. You can do this by screwing the legs directly into the board frame instead of using carriage bolts and curved leg designs. This modification is best for Cornhole games that aren’t going to be moved around very much.

Make Your Cornhole Boards Portable

For Cornhole games you are planning on transporting, you can use lighter wood like Western Red Cedar or 1” SPF boards instead of 2X4 treated pine for the frame. You can also use a thinner plywood top, but if you do this, install additional boards across the middle of the frame to provide extra support. The bean bags can hit the top of the boards with a large amount of force, so this support is important to prevent the surface from cracking or splitting.

The most important part of this DIY Cornhole project is to enjoy it! Whether you enlist the gang in making the game or surprise them with the finished project, these Cornhole boards equal hours of enjoyment!