How to Make a Cornhole Board

Last updated March 25, 2025
Knowing how to make a cornhole game is a fun project the family can take on together. It's a great project to do with kids, so they can explore math, geometry angles and even money calculations with real-world applications. You can also make painting and decorating the boards into an art project. Once you have finished up with your cornhole board, the set will be a yard game the whole family can enjoy together. Read on to find out how to make a cornhole board set, plus tips on how to play the game.
Difficulty:
Beginner
Duration:
Under 2 hours
Table of Contents
DIY Cornhole Board Dimensions and Sizes
Gather Tools and Materials
Wood Cut List
Assemble Base
Attach Top
Drill Cornhole
DIY Cornhole Board Dimensions and Sizes

The official dimensions for cornhole boards are 24 inches x 48 inches.
- The back legs are 12 inches high.
- Each board has a cornhole that is 6 inches wide, centered 9 inches from the board’s top.
- There are 8 cornhole bags with 4 bags of each color. You can use 6-inch x 6-inch premade bean bags or make your own. Each bag holds one pound of corn or plastic pellets.
Gather Tools and Materials

To build your own entire cornhole board game from scratch, you’ll need:
- (2) 2x4 sheets of 1/2-inch plywood
- (4) 2x4x8 framing studs
- (4) 3/8-inch carriage bolts
- (16) washers
- (8) nuts
- 3/8-inch galvanized washers and nuts
- 3-inch wood screws
- 1 1/2-inch wood screws
- Exterior paint or stain
- Drill
- Circular saw
- Rafter square
- Sanding sponge
- Paint supplies
- 6-inch hole saw
- 9/16-inch wrench
- 1/2-inch foam insulation board (optional)
Tip: You can also get readymade 1/2-inch x 2-foot x 4-foot cornhole playing tops or make your own.
Wood Cut List

Below are the pieces you will need to measure out and cut for your DIY cornhole board game:
- Use a carpenter square to mark a 25-degree angle at the end of a 2x4. Cut along the angled line.
- Measure 12 1/4 inches from the long side of the angle and mark a straight line. Cut the board on this line.
- This creates one leg. Repeat the process until you have four legs.
If you don’t have a carpenter square, cut four legs to 12 1/4 inches long. Place a mark at 10 5/8 inches on one narrow side and use a straightedge to draw a diagonal line from this mark to the end of the leg. This line will be approximately 25 degrees.
Cut the other 2x4s as follows:
- For the top and bottom, mark and cut four 21-inch lengths.
- For the sides, mark and cut four 48-inch lengths.
Tip: Lay a piece of 1/2-inch foam insulation board on top of your workspace for a cutting pad. Carefully set the depth of cut so that the blade will only cut partially into the foam as it extends below the lower surface of your workpiece. A piece of 1/2-inch foam board will last for many cuts and makes the operation of a saw easier and safer.
Assemble Base

To assemble the bases, position two 21-inch boards between two 48-inch boards in the shape of a rectangle.
- Get the edges of the first corner flush and clamp them to your work surface before driving in the screws.
- Follow this procedure for the rest of the corners.
- Use self-drilling screws. Or pre-drill pilot holes to use regular wood screws.
Attach Top

Follow the instructions below for your particular type of top:
- Attach a pre-made, pre-cut cornhole top to your frame using 1 1/2-inch wood screws.
- Sand and attach a plywood board to your base using 1 1/2-inch wood screws.
Drill Cornhole

Use a 6-inch hole saw attached to an electric drill to carefully cut out a hole 9 inches from the op of the board and 12 inches from the side. Or draw a 6-inch circle with a compass and cut it out with a jigsaw.
Safety Tip: Use caution when using a 6-inch or larger hole saw. It can grab the wood and twist the drill out of your hands.
Make Legs

- On the square end of each leg, mark a point 1 3/4 inches from the end and 1 3/4 inches from the side. Drill a 3/8-inch hole at this point.
- On the square end of each leg, make a mark one inch in from each side, then mark one inch down each side from the end. Connect the marks with a line to make a 45-degree cut line. Clamp each leg to the edge of your workspace and cut along these lines.
- Use sandpaper to round off the corners.
Attach Legs

- Flip the cornhole board facedown.
- Place a leg in each of the corners on the end with the cornhole. The rounded end with the hole for the carriage bolt should be toward the corner.
- Place a piece of cardboard below the leg. Leave a 1/2-inch gap between the end of the leg and the end board of the base. Clamp the leg to the side of the frame.
- Use the 3/8-inch hole on the leg as a guide to drill through the frame. Make sure there is enough clearance for the leg to rotate.
- Attach each leg to the frame using 3/8-inch carriage bolts, adding two washers on each side of the leg bolt and nuts. Thread a nut onto the bolt and tighten it, then thread on another nut and tighten it, using it as a “jam nut.”
- Test leg to make sure it will rotate freely.
- Flip the board upright and measure to ensure that the top corner stands 12 inches tall.
- Repeat on the other cornhole board.
Paint

- Sand and and paint your cornhole board with exterior paint or use exterior stain. Official cornhole boards have a semi-gloss finish so use a semi-gloss paint or cover with semi-gloss polyurethane.
- Allow the boards to dry completely.
Tip: Place cardboard under the cornhole boards to catch any paint drips.
Tips for Playing Cornhole

Here’s how to make a cornhole board game competitive and more fun:
Setup:
- Place board one and two 27 feet apart from front edge to front edge.
- 2-4 players will choose a right or left side to play on.
- Start the game at board 1 and alternate pitching until each player/team has pitched all 4 bags.
- Players then walk to board 2, tally the score and play board 2.
Scoring:
- 3 points: Bag passes through the hole.
- 1 point: Bag lands and remains on the wood surface.
- 1 point: Bag hangs on the hole.
- 1 point: Bag is hanging off the edge.
- 0 points: Bag is on the playing surface but touches the ground or another cornhole bag on ground.
Basic Rules:
- The first to get to 21 points wins.
- Bags must be pitched underhand.
- Keep feet behind the line at the front of the board until pitch.
- Teams or players must stay on the same side (left or right) of the board for the entire game.
- A coin flip starts the game.
- If a player goes out of turn or their foot goes past the foul line, they lose the throw and any resulting points.
Cornhole is a classic backyard game that's fun for grownups and kids alike. Now that you know the dimensions for cornhole boards, you can build your own game and customize to your liking. Ready to get plywood, a drill, circular saw, table saw or jigsaw? The Home Depot delivers online orders when and where you need them. Consider tool rental to get your project done. Use a rented tool and then bring it back. There's no maintenance required or storage needed.