Dashboard Bean Bag

Did you have fun this weekend? I sure did! I went on a road trip to go camping with my roommate and her family. I thought we were headed to West Virginia, but we actually went to Virginia. Good thing we had a GPS with us.

I used to keep my GPS attached to the windshield with the suction cup but it would randomly fall off occasionally, scaring me half to death, and sometimes even falling off the dash completely at the worst times. It came with a piece to attach to the dashboard but I didn't like that it would be stuck permanently. After a while of searching for an alternative, I came up with this easy little bean bag.

(More after the jump!)

It stays in place on your dash and keeps your GPS in convenient sight. Better yet, it only takes about 30 minutes to make. Ready to make your own?

You will need:

- 2  7"x7"squares of fabric (I cut mine out of an old t-shirt)

-1 cup uncooked rice

-puffy paint

-buttons or embellishment of choice (optional, but cuter)

-needle and thread

 If you plan to add an embellishment like buttons, you'll want to add that first thing after your fabric is cut to size. Embroidery is also a cute option. Pin together the right (or front) sides of the 2 squares and stitch around with a 1/4" seam allowance, leaving a gap about 1-1/2" or 2" unstitched on one side. It's doesn't take too much longer to hand sew than machine sew if using a basting stitch. Unpin and carefully turn right side out through the gap. 

 Pour the rice into the open area. You can use a funnel or spout to do this easily. Use a needle and thread to sand sew the gap shut. A whip stitch makes it almost invisible. 

Here's the secret to making the bag staying in place: puffy paint. I figured if it could withstand dryer heat, it wouldn't melt easily in a car. So far it's worked perfectly and never melted, even in the hot Florida summer according to my Dad. It's fun to pick a shape or pattern to repeat with the paint. 

This bag went to the roomie. Here are some past incarnations:

   

Cheap, cute, and functional. What more could I ask for? Maybe a great adventure that it becomes a part of... Speaking of adventure, here are a few snapshots from the weekend.

Does anyone besides us still use a GPS instead of a phone? What would you use to embellish your bean bag? I'd love to know!

Sheila

P.S. Like the blog remodel? I'm pretty excited about it. Thanks to Kristen of Dot and Dash Creative!

P.S.S. Amanda wants everyone to know the burgers pictured are deer burgers. Her family is legit.