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One of the most beloved games of the south is good, old-fashioned cornhole. Our family enjoys it a lot. When we had our extended family over for Easter, cornhole was in full playing mode. But, after a busy day of play, we realized our cornhole boards were in need of a little paint and TLC. Check out our tutorial on painting cornhole boards below.

Are you a cornhole fan? It's a really simple game...but highly addictive (well, it is to us, anyway). My friend, Emily, was kind enough to gift us a couple of cornhole boards a while back...she gave me carte blanche with taking a paintbrush to them. After playing with our boards for a while, I finally got around to fixing them up a bit. I'm really happy with how they turned out, too. See how simple painting cornhole boards can be. I have a full tutorial for you below.

In the south, when there's an outdoor gathering, it's not uncommon for games like cornhole, ladderball, ring toss, or croquet to be set up on the lawn somewhere (it's a really good party when all four are in full effect). Inevitably, groups tend to gather in these spots and play for quite a while (even all afternoon and into the evening in many cases). We always had croquet set up on the lawn at my parents' home when I was a kid. While we just have cornhole and our DIY ring toss now, I hope to add the other two games to our backyard fun in the near future.

Painting Cornhole Boards

So, as we enter the outdoor/backyard entertaining season, it's time to get our own cornhole boards up to par. Painting cornhole boards gives them an entire new and fresh look. The above is where we started. I wanted to give our boards a little color to make them fit into the rest of the bright colors I have going on in the rest of the yard. You can see our entire colorful backyard here.

Hilarious: we pulled the boards onto the patio to paint them. And...it poured. This is why they're a little "drippy" in the above photo. So, into the sunroom they went.

Supplies for Painting Cornhole Boards

sandpaper (I used both course and fine grit on my cornhole boards)

You can grab a variety pack of sandpaper grits here on Amazon.

tack cloth or damp paper towels to wipe away saw dust and debris
two contrasting colors of outdoor paint (a quart of each is plenty)
painter's tape

I've always used the Scotch Blue brand. Grab a roll here on Amazon.

paintbrushes, ruler, pencil
outdoor paint sealer

Thompson's has a great spray-on waterproofer available on Amazon here.

Cornhole Board Painting

Start by giving your cornhole boards a light sanding. I started with a courser grit sandpaper and then finished with a finer grit for a smooth finish.
After sanding, be sure to wipe down your piece with tack cloth or damp paper towels to remove any saw dust or debris.
Paint your boards with your base color of paint. Our boards required two coats of paint. You can lightly sand in between coats, if you prefer. Just make sure your boards dry completely in between paint coats.

I wanted a simple design...with a bit of a vintage look to it. To achieve the same look we used, use the following guidelines.

Tape off the edges of your cornhole boards with your painter's tape.
Measure five inches in from that edge and pencil in where your next piece of tape will go. Do this in several intervals along where the tape will be, so it's even.
Lay that next piece of tape down.

Repeat this process on the other side, as well, to create a symmetric design (pictured above).

If you would like to achieve flawless paint lines, use your base coat to "seal" this tape, along the edges. This prevents any bleeding when you apply the next color of paint to your boards.

Use your other paint color and go over the entire piece (once your sealing paint dries, if you do that step).
I prefer to remove my tape when the paint is still slightly tacky and not all the way dry.
Once it has dried completely, be sure to seal it with your sealing product.
Store these in a covered and protected area when not in use.

I'm really happy with how these turned out. Painting cornhole boards isn't difficult and doesn't require any special painting skills, but it really makes a difference on making your boards look fantastic (and newer, too!).

Cornhole Board Design Ideas

Be sure to check out some of the tutorials and ideas below for fun designs for painting cornhole boards. The sky is the limit. It's fun to get creative with your boards!

Andrew, over at Scrappy Geek, has a similar design to our cornhole boards, but with opposite colors on each board...very cool. His tutorial also shows you how to build your own boards.
Carrie and Richard, over at Our Potluck Family, have a fun sunburst design on their cornhole boards.
I am in love with these fabric-covered cornhole boards that Melissa from Daisy Mae Belle put together. So adorable!
Biscuits and Burlap shares a lovely monogrammed-design cornhole board set.
These Stars and Stripes Cornhole Boards from Sincerely, Marie are simple, but great for summertime play.

DIY Cornhole Bags (Regulation)

After your cornhole boards are looking spiffy, you'll definitely want your cornhole bags to look nice, too, right? I have a complete tutorial on how to make cornhole bags. I shared a nifty trick for using pretty, printed cotton fabric (that is MUCH prettier than regulation duck cloth). Because cornhole bags should be attractive, too, right?