• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
The Artisan Life
  • Dot Marker Pages
  • Valentine’s Printables
  • Journals & Planners
  • Preschool + K Printables
    • Alphabet Tracing Worksheets
    • Fine Motor Practice Pages
    • Spanish Preschool Pages
    • CVC & Sight Words
    • Dot Marker Pages
    • Preschool Math
    • Kindergarten Math Worksheets
    • Cut & Paste Puzzles
  • Coloring
  • Gardening + DIY
    • Gardening
    • DIY Cleaning Products
    • DIY Skincare Products
    • Craft Tutorials
  • Shop

Adjustable/Universal Fit Yoga Mat Carrier Sling Strap Tutorial

178 shares
  • Share

Learn how to make your own yoga mat sling/carrier strap with this simple tutorial!

Today’s tutorial is how to make an adjustable yoga mat carrier sling strap. That’s a lot of words, but I think it’s the most accurate description! Unlike a fitted carrier strap that I also make, this strap is totally adjustable, giving it a more universal fit.

Adjustable Yoga Mat Sling Tutorial

You can use a wide variety of fabrics, but very lightweight quilting cottons won’t work unless your yoga mat is very light.

I use medium/heavy cotton prints because they’re fun, but if you use canvas or duck, your mat sling can double as a yoga strap to help you with those poses that make your legs seem too long. ๐Ÿ˜‰

This post may include affiliate links, which means I may make a commission on purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. 

What fabric to use

If your chosen fabric is less than 36″ wide, you’ll need to get a full yard, but if it’s wider than that, you can just get half a yard.

I prefer finished straps that are about 6′ long, so I like to use 45″ fabrics, cut two 45″ long pieces, and then trim them down a little.

When I’ve tried to make straps with two yard-long pieces, they’ve ended up a little short for my taste. It’s up to you, though – if you want a shorter strap that’s easier to use across your back, go for it!

Medium-weight cottons work best for heavier mats. You can get away with lightweight cottons if you have a lighter mat!

My absolute favorite place to get high-quality, cute fabrics is Fabric.com. They sell designer fabrics at a discount and have much nicer things than most chain fabric stores!

Materials for making your own yoga mat carrier sling

  • Fabric – see above! =)
  • Sharp scissors. I love the Gingher shears so much I own two pairs.
  • Iron/ironing board (this is the brand I use and love!)
  • A fabric cutting board
  • Straight pins
  • Matching or contrasting thread – whatever you like with your fabric!
  • Sewing machine – you could sew this by hand, but it would take you a little while and be a sort of boring project

You could do this project without a fabric cutting board (one of those large, folding cardboard ones, not a little self-healing mat), but it is more time consuming. They’re available at most craft stores, but I got this one on Amazon because everything costs a lot in Hawaii! That isn’t really true, but it feels like it sometimes.

supplies for making your own yoga mat strap

How to make an adjustable yoga mat strap

1. Wash and dry your fabric after purchasing it. Then, right before you’re ready to make your sling, iron the entire piece.

2. Lay your fabric out on your cutting mat, lining it up along the side and top or bottom.

cutting mat and fabric3. While being careful not to let the fabric slip, use the marked grid to cut a 6″>

cut a 6 inch strip4. Realign the fabric, if needed, and cut a second 6″>

two strips of fabric

5. Lay the two strips on top of one another, right sides together. If you have a directional pattern, make sure it’s oriented so that both sides will match after they’re stitched together! Pin the two strips together along one short edge.

short edge pinned6. Stitch the pinned short edge. Use whatever seam allowance you’re comfortable with, but I personally only use 1/4″>

short edge stitched

7. Press the stitched seam open.

seam pressed open8. This is the time to trim your strap to make it shorter, if desired. Throw it over your shoulder and see what you like, but keep in mind that the finished length will be at least 8″>

9. Once your strap is trimmed down, press 1/4″ – 1/2″ up on each end. I stitch close to the edge, so I turn up a smaller amount. If you feel more comfortable stitching further away from the edge, turn up more. Make sure the edge is turned “in” on the wrong side, as shown!

press ends under

10. Now it’s time for a lot of ironing! Working in sections (unless you haven’t the world’s longest ironing board), fold the fabric in half hotdog style (length-ways), wrong sides together, and iron to make a nice crease right down the middle of the entire length of fabric.

fold and iron the entire strap

11. Unfold the strip and place it wrong side up on the ironing board. Time for more ironing! Fold each side to the center line and press. Do this the entire length for both sides.

pressed in half

press the sides to meet the middle

12. Once again, fold the strap along the center line, encasing the raw edges. Iron again, if needed. I usually have to fiddle wit the turned under needs a little bit to make sure everything lines up, but rarely have to re-iron the center crease.

fold in half to form a narrow strip

13. Stitch all the way around the entire strap. All four sides. Keep your seam allowance narrow and even – I usually just line the fabric up with the outside of the presser foot.

stitch the whole thing

14. Now it’s time to make the loops! You can just sew the loops and then wrangle the strap through them to form the sling, but I find it’s easiest to just fold the fabric over itself and have at it. Lay the fabric strip out and then loop it around so that a short end sticks out from under the main portion of the strap. Just look below. =)

cross the strip over itself

14. Fold the tab up over the strap. You’ll need the tab to come up past the strap by at least an inch. Once you’re satisfied, pin, as needed.

fold up

15. Stitch the tab in place. Make sure you don’t accidentally sew through the other portion of the strap, though! It needs to move freely. I don’t have an exact order I make the stitches in each time, but I always sew all four edges and a reinforcing X. What you do is up to you and how heavy your yoga mat is, but I do recommend making it look like this:

stitch

16. Repeat steps 14-16 with the other side. You may want to lay the strap out and make sure sew the second loop so that it faces the same was as the first loop. Not that it really matters, I guess, but I think it’s nicer.

make the second loop

17. Use and enjoy!

DIY Adjustable Yoga Mat Strap

Even if you’re not into yoga, this would be a thoughtful homemade gift idea for someone who is. Plus, don’t forget that lot’s of people who don’t do yoga do take a “yoga mat” to other fitness classes! We always use one at my favorite ab class, and my husband uses ours with the TRX. 

It seems like there are a lot of steps, but it’s actually a very easy project. For me, the trickiest part is not burning myself while ironing! 

Do you use a yoga mat for yoga? Or for something else?

More yoga resources

How to make a custom yoga strap

DIY yoga strap tutorial

The best eco-friendly yoga mats

The Best Eco-Friendly Yoga Mats

The best yoga towels for hot yoga & yin yoga

The best yoga towels - non-slip towels to keep you safe and protect your mat!

Your Home Yoga Studio

[pt_view id=โ€œfd3e6ee3uo”]

[catlist search=”yoga” numberposts=4 orderby=rand excludeposts=this]

178 shares
  • Share

Buy me a coffee

Filed Under: Yoga Sequences

Previous Post: « Getting Started with the AeroGarden – Apartment Gardening
Next Post: Costal Christmas Seashell Christmas Tree Topiary Tutorial »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anne

    December 31, 2018 at 13:16

    Thanks for this tutorial! I got a new cork yoga mat for Christmas and wanted a new strap. A fun print remnant for less than $5 and a few minutes and I have a wonderful new strap.

    Reply
    • Natasha

      December 31, 2018 at 15:51

      I’m planning to get a cork mat when my current mat wears out! I hope you enjoy your new mat and strap!

      Reply
  2. MG

    October 23, 2017 at 07:09

    About what length is your strap before you fold and sew the loops on the end? I am making a simplar strap but with nylon webbing so that it will be sturdy for using to carry roller skates. (i haven’t decided yet if i will cover the webbing with fabric or just sew ribbon to it.) Thanks. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Natasha

      October 23, 2017 at 10:25

      It’s about 6′ long before I fold things over and make the loops. If your skates will take less space than a rolled yoga mat, I’d shorten the strap accordingly. Hope that’s helpful!

      Reply
« Older Comments
Newer Comments »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

natashalh - the artisan life

Hi, Iโ€™m Natasha! I’m so glad you’re here.

I’m a former classroom teacher with a Masters of the Arts in Teaching turned homeschooler & gardener. I share educational & planner printables and tips for making gardening with kids successful and affordable.

I also publish printed coloring & activity books. You can also find me on YouTube.

Let's be friends!

Search The Artisan Life

The Artisan Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

The Artisan Life also uses affiliate links for other sites. For a full look at my policy, please visit its page here.

Buy me a coffee

Footer

Privacy Policy | Disclosure & Disclaimer | Terms and Conditions | Contact
COPYRIGHT ยฉ 2012 โ€“ 2023 The Artisan Life ยท ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly here: natashalh(at)stalkingthewildsnark(dot)com. I do not accept guest posts and will not respond to unsolicited requests for guest posts or links. Stock images by Depositphotos

Copyright © 2023 The Artisan Life on the Foodie Pro Theme