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.