Yoga is incredible for the mind and the body. Like any basic white girl, I am pretty enthusiastic about it. But what I’m not so enthused about is how expensive everything is. Why is this pad $52? Why are the pants that make my butt look great $80? Why is a membership $120 per month? I finally had enough when I went to look for a yoga mat sling and I was expected to pay $20 for a bunch of sewn together nylon. Nope. I know the materials are all under $5. I can make my own. So then I did and here’s how you can also have your own Yoga mat sling that doubles as a yoga strap for under $5.
Materials for Yoga Mat Sling
- 2 yards of nylon strap in whatever color or thickness you want. I suggest around 1″
- Needle and Thread in either the same color as the nylon or in an accent color.
- Tiny amount of fire.
That’s it. This is a very quick and easy, under-an-hour project.
Finishing the edges of the Yoga Mat Sling
Through the whole process of messing around with the edges of the yoga mat sling, it’s easier to seal the edges at the start. You can make whatever style of edge you’d prefer. An angle, a straight edge. Peaking shears would look nice too. I went with a classic V cut to give it a more cute flair.
The most important thing to do after these cuts is to melt a little bit of the edge. Nylon is pure plastic so to keep it from fraying it’s important to take a quick pass of a small flame to melt the edges. It’s better to do several quick strikes rather than let the flame sit because it will quickly become charred. If that happens go ahead and cut off the charred edge and try again.
Looping the Yoga Mat Sling
Make a large loop over the nylon strap. Then double the edge over itself to trap the longer side within a smaller loop. At this point pin it about 1/4″ up from the edge of the strap. It makes it easier to sew if the two sides are sliding around on each other. Go ahead and start sewing about 3/8″-1/2″ above the thickness of the strap.
This can be of creative. I made a box with an X through it. Just sewing a button on it will look cute as well. Go ahead and keep sewing in whatever pattern looks good until it is holding nice and firm. The longer strap edge should move freely through this smaller loop, but still have some resistance that it isn’t just falling out. Repeat for the other side making sure the strap is going to lay straight and how you want the finished edges to face (opposite directions, or the same direction).
Using the Yoga Mat Sling
And it’s done! From here the edges of the strap will loop around the two sides of the yoga mat. When you pick it up the weight of the mat will tighten the loops making it easier to sling it over your should and carry it. It can be also used as a yoga strap when required. However, I would avoid using the loops over limbs. When pulled the straps will become fairly tight and cutting off circulation. (Unless you’re into that sort of thing). It’s a quick, affordable solution to keeping your mat more available!
Learn from my Trial and Error with the Yoga Mat Sling
- It really doesn’t take long to melt the nylon too much making it warp and look silly. I cut off several inches just making sure it looked okay.
- Really do try to keep the sewing to under 1/2″ away from the thickness of the strap. I made mine a bit more and there isn’t enough friction to keep the strap from loosening when trying to fit it over my mat and just falling down to the ground. I figured it out with this mat so the distance in my photos are much wider than what you want them to be.
- After some time the strap will start to warp and crumple where the strain keeps pushing on it. It will still definitely work, but will start to show it’s age after a while.
Thank you for looking through my guide to how to make your own Yoga Mat Sling and Yoga Strap for under $5! Please email any questions or photos of you with your strap to saturatelife@gmail.com and come back soon!
