Build Your Own Custom Cornhole Boards

Have you ever wanted your own unique set of cornhole boards? Now you can follow our video demonstration and step-by-step instructions to make your your own! We included decorative wood inlays in our design to give the boards an elegant and customized look. Check out video below and full instructions to build your own!

Materials Needed

*we used alder pieces for the frame and legs

Tools Needed

*Optional and recommended tools. Not necessary to complete the build but will improve accuracy and ease.

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Use a table saw and/or circular saw to cut your plywood into two 24”x48” pieces. Sand the tops of the boards however you prefer.

2. Take 2×4 and cut two 48” long pieces and two 21” long pieces with a miter saw or circular saw. These will be used to create the box frame.

3. Take 2×4 and cut two 11½” long pieces for the legs. You must also round the edge of the leg that will be placed under the board.

a. To do this, you need to make a full 3½” radius cut on one end of each leg. Start by measuring 1¾” down the length of the leg and draw a line across it. Place your compass point on that line and draw your arc. Use a jigsaw or bandsaw to make the cut. Do this to all four legs.

b. Sand all four legs with a disc sander or orbital sander for a smooth finish.

4. Make a mark in the center of the radius on the leg (this may already exist from the previous step). Drill a ½” hole through the leg with a drill press or drill. Put aside.

5. Using the portable pocket hole jig, we are going to create pocket holes on the undersides of the frame pieces. Make sure your jig depth is set to align with the 1 ¼” wood screws you will be installing. Keep all pocket holes at least ¾” away from the edges.

a. There will be six vertically-facing pocket holes on the 48” long pieces allowing us to securely attach it to the top later on.

b. There will be five pocket holes on the 21” long pieces.

i. Two pocket holes beside each other facing horizontally on each end in order to attach to the 48” frame pieces.

ii. Three vertically-facing holes to be used when attaching the top.

6. Put the frame together by installing your wood screws in the pocket holes to attach the 48” and 21” pieces. Do not attach to the top yet. Put the frame to the side for now.

7. Focusing on the plywood tops, you now want to add the cornhole “hole”. To find the center point for the hole, mark 9” down from the top of the board and 12” in from each side. This center point is where you will lay your compass. Use the compass to make a 6” diameter circle.

8. Drill a hole on the outer edge of the newly drawn circle to create easy access for your jigsaw. Make sure the hole is large enough for the jigsaw blade to fit inside. Remove the drill and use the jigsaw to cut out the circle. Do this for both boards.

9. Sand the edges and inside of the circle. Do this on both boards.

a. Use an orbital sander to smoothen the edges of the circle on the top of the board.

b. You can hand sand the inner part of the circle or take a sanding disk with an adhesive back and apply it to a hard cylindrical service (we used an old piece of PVC pipe). This will allow for you to have more control when sanding.

10. Determine where you would like the inlay to be on the board with a level or straight edge. Measure from the outermost edge of the bit on the router to the outermost edge of the router circle base. Now, offset your level by that same distance so the router bit will land in the exact place you would like your inlays to be. Attach clamps to the level to hold everything in place. Make sure you are working on top of a workbench or other surface.

11. Install a ½” plunge straight bit into your router (this is the width of the inlays we used). Route a straight line using the level as your guide. Go all the way across the board and then back (a total of two passes). This extra pass makes the inlay installation a little easier as they are exactly ⅜” wide. Do this on both sides of the board.

12. Repeat steps 10-11 for the second board.

13. Now that you have routed grooves, a triangular shape has formed from the base of the board up to the hole. Apply your choice of stain to the inner part of the triangle, as well as inside the hole. We used a dark stain but you can use whatever fits your desired color scheme. Repeat this on the second board. Wait for this to dry before proceeding.

14. To install the inlays, blow out the routed grooves to ensure there is no dust or debris. Add a bead of wood glue in a straight line down the routed grooves. Use your finger to evenly spread the glue within the groove.

15. Place the wooden inlays into the groove and press down. It should be a perfect fit but in order to make it as tight as possible, use a metal ruler or something similar to apply pressure along the entire inlay. Add all of the inlays with this method.

a. If you choose to sand the inlay, be very precise and careful to not touch the stained area on the board. We left ours unsanded.

b. The inlays may overlap the hole but that is okay as they will be trimmed later.

16. You now need to drill holes in the frame for the legs. Grab your legs and place them on the inside of the frame (parallel to where they will be installed). Mark the center point for the bolt with a pencil using the pre-drilled ½” hole created earlier. Drill a ½” hole through the frame where marked.

17. Attach the frame to the tops by using the pocket holes created earlier and screws.

18. Sand the entire frame. We used a belt sander but an orbital sander will also work.

19. Trim the inlays overlapping into the cornhole board hole using a router. Use this same router with a ¼” roundover bit to route all of the edges of the hole and the frame (top and bottom, inside and out) to create a smooth rounded surface.

20. Attach the legs to the frame by installing a carriage bolt through the ½” holes created earlier and tightening with a wing nut and washer. We used 3” long bolts. They can be 5/16”, ¼” or ⅜” wide bolts but must be long enough to go through the frame and leg.

21. You will now need to trim the legs at an angle so that they sit flat on the ground and are the correct height. Set the boards upright on your workbench. Measure from the top of the tabletop straight down the leg to 12”. Mark this place. Line up pieces of 2×4 or something else with a straight edge against the leg and use the mark as a guide to draw a straight line all the way across the leg.

22. Take the legs off and cut them with a circular saw. Ours ended up having a 13 degree angle. Reattach the legs with the bolt, washer and wing nut.

23. Add a clear coat to the exterior to emphasize the wood grain and for a nice finished look.

You’re done! You now have stunning custom cornhole boards ready for your next get together.

This build was inspired by the plans from John McGilvray on HGTV. See his build here!