How To Make Your Own Yoga Mat Bag: A DIY Guide
Having your own yoga mat bag can be pretty cool. There are tons of designs out there that are so bright and colorful! They are made from different fabrics and materials, and some even have pockets! However, yoga mat bags can be pretty expensive. It can range between $20 up to $100, and they come in different shapes and sizes. That’s pretty rough on the purse, but truth be told, yoga mat bags are easy to make! Let’s get creative and make our own. I want to show you the steps on how to make your own yoga mat bag today! Are you ready to make your own yoga mat bag?
Stuff You Are Going To Need
First things first. You’re going to need a few things before learning how to make your own yoga mat bag. You can make your own yoga bag with these materials:
- Ruler
- Pins
- Iron
- Scissors
- Sewing Machine
- Fabric Marker
- Thread
- 1 yard of medium weight outer fabric (You can use Eco Canvas*)
- ¼ yard of Eco Canvas, contrasting your outer fabric.
- 1 yard of light or medium weight lining fabric (You can use Kona cotton**)
- Drawstring of your choice
- A cord lock
*Eco canvas is a durable and sturdy fabric that is 100% polyester canvas made with 45% recycled content. They come in a variety of bold and awesome colors, too!
**Kona cotton is a 100% cotton fabric that is of a heavier weight than your average cotton shirt. It’s sold in solid colors and can act as cool inner linings.
Where Do I Start?
For this exercise, we are going to make a yoga mat bag that can hold a standard yoga mat measuring 72 inches long and 24 inches wide. You can add pockets later on if you want! Everyone loves pockets! Let’s get started on how to make your own yoga mat bag by cutting our fabrics first!
- Using your fabric marker and scissors, measure your outer fabric by 25 x 24.5 inches and cut.
- Cut the inner lining by 25 x 24.5 inches.
- Cut your contrast fabric by 24.5 x 8 inches.
- With the remaining contrast fabric, you can cut two 8 x 36-inch strips. (You will need to sew two 8 inch strips together from your remaining fabric to make the strap).
- With the remaining outer fabric, you can cut two 8 x 36-inch strips. (You will need to sew two 8 inch strips together from your remaining fabric to make the strap).
- Measure a 7.75-inch diameter circle on your contrast fabric and cut.
- Measure a 7.75-inch diameter circle on your inner lining fabric and cut.
Sewing A Yoga Mat Bag Together
After you have measured and cut the fabrics, you’re ready to put them all together. Get your sewing machine ready! Here are the sewing steps in how to make your own yoga mat bag:
- Starting with the body of the bag, fold the 25 x 24.5 inches outer fabric in half lengthwise. Use your pins to hold the edges together. Sew the two edges together from one end using a regular straight stitch until you reach the last 8 inches of the other end. The last 8 inches will need to be sewn with a loose basting stitch. Using your iron, press the entire seam allowance open and unpick the basting stitches so that the top 8 inches are ironed but not sewn.
- Pin the contrast fabric to the bottom of the main fabric bag and sew it together.
- Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the lining fabric as well.
- Insert the lining into the main bag with the wrong sides facing. Pin around the entire circumference of the bag, as well as down the 8 inches openings on the sides. Stitch both the main fabric and lining fabric together at the opening. Sew these down one side, then across the bottom of the opening, and then up the remaining side. Next, sew around the top opening of the bag, making sure to join the main and lining fabrics together.
- Get your 24.5 x 8 inches contrast fabric, and iron the short ends in towards the wrong side by half an inch then sew. Iron one long edge towards the wrong side by one inch but don’t sew this side. You need to fold the band in half and iron. You will need to stitch a channel half an inch away from the last fold so you can make a drawstring casing. Grab your drawstring and insert it in the channel, then sew the channel with the string in place.
- Next, pin the right side of the edge without the one-inch fold to the right of the bag’s top and sew.
- Grab your 8 x 36-inch strips, fold them half lengthwise and iron them. Fold the edges into the center inside of the fold and iron them again. Refold and sew both sides of the strap.
- Before sewing the straps to the bag, pin them on both ends and try them over your shoulder to check whether you need to cut the straps shorter.
- Sew the straps’ ends to the bag.
- Insert the drawstrings into a cord lock for security.
- And you’re done!
Ta-dah! You’ve learned how to make a yoga mat cover at home!
Conclusion
The steps above are a helpful guide in making a standard yoga mat bag with a shoulder strap and drawstring. You can also experiment with zippers and adding pockets with extra fabric!
Getting creative and selecting your own colors and design can be fun, especially for those who love to do craftwork or if you’re looking to create an alternative instead of buying one. Your yoga mat has a new home now! We are excited to see you get creative in your yoga adventure! Now that you know how to make your own yoga mat bag, we hope you enjoy using your yoga mat bag and maybe make some more! Find out more about yoga bags.