TMNT Themed Party ideas - Bean Bags

How I made TMNT bean bags

This year it's all about the teenage mutant ninja turtles (which I'm secretly pleased about as I used to love these guys!), so with that in mind I bought some TMNT material.... not really knowing what I was going to do with it, other than recover something, some-when, and then I 'won' a sewing machine off my local Free UP & Re-use Facebook page!!



I haven't used a sewing machine since I was 12 years old.  I had been doing rather well in my sewing classes but our final project was a pin cushion and mine bent the pins!!  So I got ungraded, which looking back I think was a bit bloody harsh!  So I thought right, sod you, never using a sewing machine again - I was 12..... rational thought was not there.

Anyways fast forward..... (I so want to write 12 years).... 20+ years and I'm now the proud owner of a sewing machine again and my first project - Bean Bags!!

And to my delight - they were relatively easy to do, with a few lessons learnt along the way.

TMNT material all prepared for sewing.

These bean bags are for my 4 year old so I didn't want the standard size ones used in schools I wanted them half that size so I first set out cutting up the material twice the size; first lesson learnt - I could have done with being a bit less excited and actually looking at the pattern (not the first time I've ignored the pattern!).  The TMNTs are roughly the size I wanted and could probably cut the material with each of the faces more on the beanbags.

Once cut and folded in half I used my fab new sewing machine to close up most of the material.  I pulled the materials back through the right way and then made a funnel to feed the beans into the bags.

Using Black beans to fill the bags

I used a bag of black beans for £1 from Sainsburys.  I was contemplating on using rice but I was concerned that these may find their way out, especially if I hadn't quite sewn the bags up correctly.  As the beans are nice and big it would be noticeable straight away if there was a tear.

I tried to fill the bags so they laid flat and not bulking (lets not forget the pin cushion incident - I may have a stuffing issue...).  Once filled I then went back to my sewing machine to sew up the hole and I'm so so pleased with the results.

TMNT Beanbags

I may have got carried away!

I gave the bags to my chief tester and he loved them, he gave them a good thrashing about and they never tore!  I kept some home and took the rest to his TMNT themed birthday party where they went down a storm, so much so I've given some away to his friends as a little extra keepsake.

Who knew bean bags would be so quick and easy to do!

Right.....what can I sew up now................... ohh cushions!