Hey there, crafty friends! Do you love going to yoga class but find it a bit of a pain to carry your mat? Maybe it unrolls at the wrong time, or you just want something a bit more stylish than the strap it came with. Well, I’ve got some great news for you! Today, we’re going to learn how to make a yoga mat bag. And trust me, it’s easier than you think!
Making your own fabric yoga mat bag is a super fun project. You get to pick your favorite fabric, make it the perfect size, and add a personal touch. Plus, there’s nothing quite like saying, “I made this!” when someone asks where you got your cool bag. This easy sewing project is perfect even if you’re pretty new to sewing. So, roll up your sleeves, and let’s create a custom yoga bag that you’ll be proud to carry!
Why Make Your Own Yoga Mat Bag?
You might be wondering, “Why should I bother making one when I can just buy it?” That’s a good question! Here are a few great reasons:
- It’s Yours, Truly: You get to pick the fabric! Want bright flowers, cool patterns, or a calm, plain color? The choice is all yours. You can make it match your personality or your other yoga gear.
- Perfect Fit: Not all yoga mats are the same size. When you learn how to make yoga mat bag, you make it to fit your mat just right. No more too-tight struggles or a bag that’s way too big.
- Save Some Money: Store-bought yoga mat bags can sometimes be pricey. Making your own can often save you a few dollars, especially if you have some fabric scraps you can use.
- Learn and Have Fun: Every sewing project teaches you something new. This drawstring bag tutorial is a great way to practice your skills and enjoy the making process. It’s so rewarding!
- Great as a Gift: A handmade yoga mat bag makes a thoughtful and custom yoga bag gift for any yoga lovers in your life.
Gathering Your Supplies: What You’ll Need
Before we start sewing our diy yoga mat bag, let’s get all our tools and materials ready. Having everything in one place makes the whole process smoother.
| Item | Description & Tips |
|---|---|
| Fabric | About 1 yard of sturdy, medium-weight fabric. Home decor fabric, lightweight denim, or canvas work well. Avoid thin quilting cotton if you’re not lining the bag, as it might be too flimsy. |
| Yoga Mat | You’ll need your rolled-up mat to take measurements. |
| Measuring Tape | A soft, flexible one is best for measuring around the mat. |
| Pen and Paper | To write down your measurements. |
| Cutting Tool | Sharp fabric scissors or a rotary cutter and mat. (If using a rotary cutter, always use a cutting mat to protect your table!) |
| Drawstring Material | About 1 yard of cord, thick ribbon, or you can make your own fabric drawstring. |
| Sewing Machine | A basic machine will do the job perfectly. Make sure it’s threaded and working. |
| Thread | Choose a color that matches or contrasts nicely with your fabric. All-purpose polyester thread is a good choice. |
| Pins or Clips | To hold fabric pieces together while sewing. Clips are great for thicker fabrics. |
| Fabric Marking Tool | Tailor’s chalk or a washable fabric pen to draw lines on your fabric. |
| Large Safety Pin | To help thread the drawstring through the casing. |
| Iron and Ironing Board | Pressing your seams as you go makes a huge difference to the finished look! |
A quick note on fabric: since this bag is unlined (meaning it only has one layer of fabric), you want something that has a bit of strength on its own. A sturdy home decor fabric is often a great pick because it looks good and holds its shape.
Measuring Up: Getting the Right Fit for Your Mat
To make sure your fabric yoga mat bag is the perfect size, we need to take two measurements from your rolled-up yoga mat. Don’t roll your mat super tight for this; roll it like you normally would after class.
- Measure the Length: Lay your measuring tape along the length of your rolled-up mat, from one flat end to the other. Write this number down. Let’s say your mat is 24 inches long.
- Add 4 inches to this length. This extra bit is for the seam allowance (the fabric used in the seams) and for making the casing (a tube of fabric) for the drawstring at the top.
- Example: 24 inches (mat length) + 4 inches = 28 inches. This is your final fabric length for the main bag piece.
- Measure the Circumference: The circumference is the distance around the fattest part of your rolled-up mat. Wrap your measuring tape all the way around it. Write this number down. Let’s say it’s 15 inches around.
- Add 3 inches to this circumference. This gives you seam allowance and a little extra room so it’s easy to slide your mat in and out. Don’t worry if it seems a bit big; the drawstring will cinch it closed.
- Example: 15 inches (mat circumference) + 3 inches = 18 inches. This is your final fabric width for the main bag piece.
Jot these two final numbers down! They are key for cutting your main fabric piece.
Cutting Your Fabric Pieces
Now that we have our measurements, it’s time to cut the fabric. You’ll need three pieces for your diy yoga mat bag:
- Main Bag Body: This is a rectangle.
- Length: Your calculated mat length (e.g., 28 inches).
- Width: Your calculated mat circumference (e.g., 18 inches).
- So, you’d cut one piece of fabric that is 28 inches by 18 inches.
- Strap: This is a long, thinner rectangle.
- Width: 5 inches. (This will be folded to make a sturdy 2-inch wide strap).
- Length: The same as the length of your main bag body piece (e.g., 28 inches). You can make it longer if you want a cross-body strap.
- So, you’d cut one piece of fabric that is 5 inches by 28 inches.
- Bottom Circle: This will be the base of your bag.
- First, measure the diameter (the distance across the flat, round end) of your rolled-up yoga mat. Let’s say it’s 4.5 inches. It’s okay to round up a little, say to 5 inches.
- Add 1 inch to this diameter for seam allowance.
- Example: 5 inches (mat diameter) + 1 inch = 6 inches. This is the diameter of the circle you need to cut.
- To cut a circle, you can find a plate or bowl that is 6 inches across and trace it. Or, if you have a compass, set it to a radius of 3 inches (half the diameter) and draw your circle.
- Cut one circle of fabric. Don’t worry if it’s not perfectly, perfectly round!
Here’s a quick table to summarize what to cut:
| Fabric Piece | Dimensions | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Main Bag Body | (Mat Length + 4″) by (Mat Circumference + 3″) | 1 |
| Strap | 5″ by (Mat Length + 4″) (or desired strap length) | 1 |
| Bottom Circle | (Mat Diameter + 1″) across | 1 |
Double-check your measurements before you cut!
Step-by-Step: Let’s Sew Your Yoga Mat Bag!
Alright, the fun part begins! We’re going to sew yoga bag pieces together. Take your time with each step. Remember to “backstitch” at the beginning and end of each seam. This means sewing a few stitches forward, then a few backward, then forward again to lock your stitches in place. We’ll use about a 1/2-inch seam allowance for most seams (this is the distance from the edge of the fabric to your stitching line). Your sewing machine’s presser foot edge can often be a good guide for this.
Preparing the Strap
- Take your strap piece (the 5-inch wide rectangle). Lay it pretty side (the patterned or nicer side) facing down on your ironing board.
- Fold it in half lengthwise (the long way) and press it with your iron. This creates a center crease.
- Open it up. Now, fold one long raw edge into that center crease and press.
- Fold the other long raw edge into the center crease and press.
- Finally, fold the whole strap in half again along that first center crease. All the raw edges will be tucked inside. Press it well.
- Take it to your sewing machine. Stitch close to the open long edge to close it up. For a nicer look, you can also stitch another line close to the other long folded edge (this is called topstitching). Set your strap aside.
Creating the Drawstring Casing
- Take your main bag body piece. Lay it pretty side down. We’re going to work on one of the shorter edges (this will be the top opening of your bag).
- Fold this short edge over by about 1/2 inch towards the wrong side (the plain side) of the fabric and press.
- Fold it over again, this time by about 1 inch (or wide enough for your drawstring to easily pass through) and press. This creates a tube, which is called a “casing.”
- At your sewing machine, stitch close to the inner folded edge of this casing, all the way across. Remember to backstitch!
Attaching the Strap to the Bag Body
- Lay your main bag body piece pretty side up. The edge with the casing you just made is the top.
- Take one end of your prepared strap. Place it on the main body piece, about 1 inch down from the casing. Position it so the raw end of the strap is pointing towards the side raw edge of the bag body. Pin or clip it in place, a little bit in from the side edge.
- Take the other end of the strap. Bring it across to the bottom area of the same side of the bag body piece. Pin or clip this end in place near the raw side edge, making sure the strap isn’t twisted.
Sewing the Main Body Seam
- Now, fold the main bag body piece in half lengthwise, with the pretty sides of the fabric facing each other. The strap ends should be sandwiched inside.
- Line up the long raw edges. Pin or clip them together all the way down.
- At your sewing machine, start stitching just below the casing you made. You need to leave the ends of the casing open for the drawstring! Backstitch, then sew all the way down this side seam, catching the strap ends in your stitching. Backstitch at the end.
- You’ve now created a tube! You can trim any extra strap fabric sticking out of the seam if needed. If you want to make your seam extra neat and strong, you can sew a zigzag stitch along the raw edge of this seam, or use a serger if you have one. But it’s okay if you don’t – it’s inside the bag!
Adding the Round Bottom
This can seem a bit tricky, but it’s not too bad if you go slow.
- Keep your bag tube wrong side out. Take your fabric circle.
- You’re going to pin the pretty side of the circle to the pretty side of the bag tube at the open bottom edge. So, you’ll be looking at the wrong sides of both the tube and the circle as you pin.
- Start by pinning the circle at four main points – imagine a clock face, pin at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. Match the raw edge of the circle to the raw edge of the tube.
- Now, add more pins in between those points, gently easing the fabric of the tube to fit the circle. You might need to make tiny adjustments. The more pins you use, the easier it will be to sew. Don’t worry if you get a tiny pucker or two; it’s the bottom of the bag!
- At your sewing machine, with the circle side facing up (so you can see your pins), slowly stitch all the way around, removing pins as you go. Try to keep your seam allowance consistent.
- Once sewn, you can zigzag stitch or serge this raw edge too, if you like.
Making and Inserting the Drawstring
We’re almost there!
- Cut your drawstring material. About 36 inches (1 yard) is usually plenty.
- Here’s a neat trick to stop the ends of some drawstrings from fraying: before you cut, wrap a little piece of clear tape tightly around the spot where you want to cut. Then, cut through the middle of the tape. This seals the ends. You can also use a product called Fray Check on the ends or just tie small knots.
- Attach your large safety pin to one end of the drawstring.
- Find one of the open ends of the casing at the top of your bag. Push the safety pin (with the drawstring attached) into the casing.
- Gently bunch the fabric of the casing onto the safety pin and push the pin through. Keep doing this until the safety pin comes out the other opening of the casing on the same side.
- Pull the drawstring through until both ends are even. Remove the safety pin.
- You can tie a knot in each end of the drawstring to prevent them from slipping back into the casing.
Tips for a Super Bag
- Fabric Choice Matters: Remember, a slightly heavier fabric like canvas, denim, or home decor weight will make your bag more durable and help it hold its shape.
- Press As You Go: Ironing your seams flat after you sew them really does make your project look much more professional and neat.
- Finishing Seams (Optional but Nice): If you want the inside of your bag to look extra tidy and prevent fraying over time, you can finish the raw edges of your seams with a zigzag stitch on your sewing machine or pinking shears.
- Take Your Time: Especially when attaching the circle bottom. Rushing can lead to mistakes. Sewing is meant to be enjoyable!
FAQs
How to make a homemade yoga mat bag?
Making a homemade yoga mat bag is easy! You need fabric. You need thread. Measure your mat. Cut fabric for the bag body. Cut fabric for a strap. Cut a circle for the bottom. Sew the pieces together. Add a drawstring at the top. This article shows you all the steps!
How to make a DIY yoga mat?
Making a DIY yoga mat itself is different. It often uses special grippy stuff. This article is about making a bag for your mat. A bag helps you carry your store-bought mat.
How to carry a yoga mat in a bag?
It’s simple to carry a yoga mat in a bag. Roll up your yoga mat first. Slide the rolled mat into your new bag. Pull the drawstring tight at the top. Then, put the strap over your shoulder. Now you can carry it easily!
How to make a yoga bag strap?
This article shows how to make a yoga bag strap. You cut a long strip of fabric. Fold it a few times to make it strong. Then you sew it. You attach this strap to the bag body. This makes it easy to carry.
How to make a pad bag?
A pad bag is usually smaller. It might hold things like makeup pads or sanitary pads. You can use similar sewing steps. You would measure the items you want to carry. Then you cut fabric smaller. You could still add a simple drawstring.
You Did It! Enjoy Your Custom Yoga Mat Bag
Turn your bag right side out. Admire your amazing work! You just learned how to make yoga mat bag from scratch. Slip your yoga mat inside, pull the drawstring tight, and sling it over your shoulder. Now you have a stylish, custom yoga bag that’s uniquely yours.
This easy sewing project is not only practical but also a fantastic way to show off your creative side. Whether you’re a seasoned sewer or just starting your diy yoga mat bag adventure, this project is a winner.
I hope this drawstring bag tutorial was helpful and easy to follow. Making things yourself is so satisfying, isn’t it?
Now it’s your turn! What fabric will you choose for your yoga mat bag? I’d love to hear about your plans or see your finished bags. Share your thoughts or pictures in the comments below! Happy sewing!