How to Make a Gamer's Chair

Measure your gamer from tailbone to head and from heel to just below the inside of the knee. Add the two measurements together to get the length of your panels. Measure from hipbone to hipbone and add 10 inches to get the bottom width of your panels and from ear-to-ear plus 5 inches for the top of your panel.

Draw a line at the bottom of a large piece of Kraft paper or other large paper to your bottom width measurement. Measure straight up from the center of that line, and mark a point at your length measurement. Draw a line to your top width measurement centered on the mark. Draw a straight line between the top and bottom points on the left, and draw another straight line between the top and bottom points on the right. The resulting trapezoid is your panel pattern. Cut the pattern from the paper with scissors.

Pin the panel pattern to your fabric. Cut three pieces from upholstery fabric and three from muslin or an old sheet. Cut 3/4 inch outside the pattern edge to provide a 3/4-inch seam allowance. The muslin or old sheet will be the lining that holds the beans.

Draw two circles on another piece of Kraft paper -- one equal in diameter to your bottom width measurement and the other equal to the top width measurement. Cut these out of the paper pattern and out of both fabrics.

Put two of the muslin panel pieces together and sew along the long edge on the right side, leaving a 3/4-inch seam allowance. Unfold it so the sewn seam is finished-side up and in the center. Lay another panel, right side down, over the panel on the right. Sew down the right side, leaving a 3/4-inch seam allowance. You should now have one large trapezoid made up of the three panels. Fold it with right sides together, and sew the remaining raw edges together as before. You should now have a long tube, narrow at one end and wide at the other.

Pin the narrow opening of the tube, with the tube still inside out, around the circumference of the smaller circle. Sew all the way around, leaving a 3/4-inch seam allowance. Repeat with the bottom edge of the tube and the larger circle, leaving about half of one panel unsewn to allow you to pull the liner right-side out and fill with beans.

Repeat steps 5 and 6 with the upholstery fabric, but leave one whole panel unsewn at the seam with the bottom circle. Turn the outer piece right-side out. Topstitch along each seam to add strength, making sure the seam allowance edges are flat underneath the side you stitch.

Turn under the open edge on the bottom of the outer panel that is not sewn to the circle. Cut a length of hook-and-loop closure tape to the bottom width of the panel, and separate the two sections. Sew one side of the tape to the turned-under edge at the bottom of the panel. Turn back the corresponding edge of the circle, and sew the other half of the tape in place.

Put the liner inside the upholstered shell, lining up the openings in both. Fill the liner with foam micro beads. Fill it until it is fairly firm, but with a bit of give. Pin it temporarily closed. Sit in the bean bag to test the fill amount. Unpin the liner and fill or empty it until the shape and comfort level is just right.

Whipstitch the liner closed. Seal the outer shell by pressing together the two sides of the hook-and-loop tape.

Sit in the chair, forming a seat where it is most comfortable. Mark the side of the chair, just below and to the front of the natural seat.

Cut a rectangle of fabric 3 inches larger on all sides than the game system controller. Fold under the two sides and bottom edges of the rectangle 3/4 inch and stitch. Cut a piece of stitchable elastic 2 inches shorter than the top edge of the rectangle. Stretch the elastic to the length of the top of the rectangle and fold the edge of the fabric over the elastic, and pin it. Sew into the elastic through the folded fabric, stretching as you sew. The result is a pocket with an elastic top.

Hand stitch the pocket to the chair in the spot noted in Step 11. Take care not to catch the lining fabric. The pocket can be used for the game controller or snacks or drinks.