How to Make Your Own Yoga Mat Bag

Having a beautiful bag to cart your mat in adds pleasure to your yoga practice. The bag is also practical, protecting your mat from the elements and keeping it rolled up neatly. Often the fabrics of pre-made bags don't suit everyone's tastes or are just too plain. Making your own bag allows you to be creative and choosy with trims and fabrics. Look in the home decor section to find beautiful fabrics and embellishments to sew a one-of-a-kind yoga mat bag that you'll enjoy every time you practice.

Choose your fabric. Look in the home decor section for fabrics with texture and pizazz such as velvets, brocades and paisleys. Look for fancy trims (pom-poms, beads, fringe, and lace) to add for embellishment.

Measure for the length and width of your bag. Roll up your yoga mat as you normally would. Measure the length. Use a tape measure and wrap it around the width of your yoga mat. Add a 1/2 inch to allow for the seams. Add an extra inch for your hem to the length of the bag and an extra 2 to 3 inches to the width so that you can easily insert your mat.

For the circular-shaped end piece, place your yoga mat on its end and trace onto your fabric. Add another circle 1/2 inch outside of the first for your seam allowance. Measure and sketch this circle.

Cut out all pieces according to your measurements. You will have one rectangle and a circular end.

For the strap of your bag, measure and cut a long rectangle the length of your bag plus 4 to 5 inches, depending on how far you want your bag to hang from your shoulder. Decide what width you want and double it, since you will be folding it in half when you sew.

Pin and stitch (with right sides together) the long ends of your rectangle together, allowing for a 1/2 seam. Pin the circular shape to one end of the stitched rectangle. Stitch, with right sides together. Leave an opening to insert the strap of the bag. Turn the bag right side out. On the open end of the bag, turn under the hem 1 inch and stitch.

Pin and stitch (with right side together) the long end of your strap. Turn it right side out--you'll have a long open-ended tube. Tuck one end of the strap into the opening on the circular end. Pin and stitch the opening closed from the wrong side of the bag. Now you can experiment with the length of your strap. Pin the other end of the strap to the hem of your bag and adjust the length. Once you decide on the length for your strap, tuck the end under the opening on the hem and stitch it closed.

Add any trim to the hem or strap.

Bean-Bag - The Perfect Piece of Furniture For Your Household

It was ever since the Italian designer's invented the 'Sacco' back in the late 1960's, that its popularity started increasing. The fun of a piece of furniture adjusting itself under your weight had taken the people by storm in that decade. Everyone wanted a piece of it in their homes, more because of its light weight and ease of movement.

Even today they are as popular, but have come to be known as Bean-Bags. Bean-bags are increasingly gaining more popularity in every household. From kid's room to pool-sides to lounge bars, you can find them anywhere. They are available in a variety of colors and shapes and designed for all purposes.

A bean bag is originally a stuffed bag with a leather covering usually stuffed with fur, cotton, and vinyl or velvet material. They appear like a sack when put in any corner of the room, but when someone sits on it, it squeezes under the weight to take the shape of the buttocks, thus making it even more comfortable than a conventional chair.

The fabric on the outside may differ, from sturdy leather, to cotton fabric to polyester. But you need to know that the sturdier the fabric, the longer the bean bags will last. There are even washable fabrics and covers which can be washed and cleaned from time to time. Also note that you should choose dark colors for your bean bag as there will be no fear of staining it in case anyone spills something on it.

Bean bags are available in many shapes and sizes, from a single bag to a 3 seat sofa with the same concept. Also there are bean bags lounger chairs as well as structured bean bags. The lounger bags are placed anywhere from a deck to a poolside to a bowling den. The reason for their popularity is their ease of transport and the small space that they require. Apart from that they are equally comfortable and provide great support to the back and neck.

The kids just love bean-bags, because they can jump on it, sit or even curl onto it, which they cannot do with any other piece of furniture. They usually use it to lie and read, or play video games or computer games. Nothing else is as comfortable as a bean-bag which adjusts itself as you want. Manufacturers are increasingly going creative to impress the kids with colorful patterns and graphics on the covers, or even give themes to the bags. The themes might be sporty, funky or even soft to match the thinking and choice of the kids.

For kids the bean bags are completely safe as they include double zippers in case your child fiddles with it. So you would not have to worry about the stuffing coming out or chocking your child. Even the covers are made of tough, durable material which won't tear even under great pressure. Materials like corduroy, suede, leather and vinyl are usually used for this purpose. So you need not worry about these bags exploding up like pillows.

Bean-bags are the ultimate cozy corner you will want to snuggle onto in the winters. So, what are you waiting for? Go and get one soon.