Homemade Footbags

Material

• Footbags are made from many different fabrics and materials. Two of the most important aspects are the durability of the material and the softness. According to the College Sports Scholarships group, crocheted balls are the most favored as they are soft and don't require breaking in. Denims, polyesters, cottons and stretch knits work well. Footbags are also constructed from rubber materials, such as old tire tubes, leather and common latex balloons.

Filler

• Stalberger and Marshall, the inventor of the footbags known as Hacky Sacks, filled their first trial version with dried corn. The selection of possible fillers for footbags is nearly endless. Inexpensive fillers for footbags, such as dried corn, rice, beans, dried peas and lentils are found in most kitchen pantries. Another cost-effective filler for homemade footbags is common sand. For a footbag closer to the weight of manufactured bags, purchase plastic pellets used to fill beanie babies.

Size

• The size of the footbag is another variable in the construction process. When constructing the bag, the size of the user is an important consideration. Younger footbag athletes should have a smaller and lighter footbag than a more mature player. Small size footbags have a diameter of 2 inches or less. For older players the choice of size and weight depends on personal preference and the type of games being played. Offical footbag tournament rules found at Footbag worldwide, state that a footbag can be no less than 1 inch and no more than 2.5 inches in diameter.

Seams

• You have a few options for sealing the openings on a homemade footbag. Typically a footbag is stitched along the seams with a needle and a heavy nylon thread. For some of the simpler creations, such as a balloon footbag or a sock footbag, a string cinched around the opening and knotted tightly works well. A glue gun also works on the different types of materials frequently used.