This post was originally published on DIY Network’s blog Made + Remade in January 2015.
I committed to a new workout routine at the beginning of the year, and yoga classes are my favorite part of it so far. Whether you’re practicing salutations in your own living room, or working up a sweat at the gym, having your own new, squishy yoga mat might be just what you need to get your motivation whirling.
For all these trips to the gym, I figured a new yoga mat carrier was in order. I found a simple woven rug that was sized close to 2′x3′ for this project (this particular one was found at Marshall’s priced at $12). As I explain in the tutorial below, the open weave makes attaching snaps easier, and the rug–since it isn’t cut–can unroll easily to double an an extra surface and cushion while you perform the stances. Hope you enjoy making your own!
Step 1:
Begin by folding your 2′x3′ area rug in half. Folding is going to work OK with thinner, woven rugs, and I don’t recommend anything too stiff. The reason I didn’t want to cut the woven area rug used in this project (besides the fact that I’d risk unraveling it and would have to carefully bind the edges), is that I like having an extra surface around me when I’m practicing yoga; in the past, I’ve carried a mexican woven blanket that I could lay across where my head would rest for added comfort. This is a good substitute for that.
Step 2:
Use the straight pins to identify exactly where you want your snaps to be attached to the wrap; it’s helpful to plan alignment of the snaps before you get to installing them. Make sure when you fold the wrap up, the pins for the top snaps perfectly overlap the underside pins.
I placed pins in the center, and on each end to secure the rug tight around the yoga mat.
Step 3:
Woven rugs work well for this project, because even though they’re thicker than canvas, the buttons and eyelets parts of the snaps can be pushed through the open weave to connect the hardware around the fabric.
Step 4:
Follow the directions in the set of snaps you picked up at the hardware store (the ones I used were from The Home Depot). The outer facing snap should be the smooth button end. The inner snap will be the stud which snaps into the button. The tool that you use to pinch the snap around the fabric is a flaring tool – put something soft beneath your hammering surface so you don’t damage the floor, and then swing the hammer hard to bend the snap components together tight.
Step 5:
Your snaps should align easily (I’m pointing at one of the lower snaps, because it blends in to the stripe in the weave.)
Step 6:
Join the snaps together securely. The perfect fit!
Step 7:
Add a carrying strap to your bag by tying both ends of the 1-1/2″ elastic band around the wrapped mat. You will be able to stretch it on and off easily, and the extra length in the middle is long enough (and stretchy enough) to sling over your shoulder, or even work as a cross-body strap. Enjoy your next yoga class!
Leave A Reply