DIY Yoga Mat Strap

I have a confession.

I don't like to exercise. In fact, much to the dismay of my mother, it's probably one of my least favourite ways to spend time. I know I shoooooould take care of my body and get my heart rate up and keep my bones strong and have a stellar physique but Netflix. And bed. And not exercise.

That being said, I am tryyyying to do better. I walk to and from work every day (17.5 minutes each way thank you very much) and I take the stairs - for those of you who don't know, there IS an elevator in the building but I make the healthy choice and walk up the stairs. And, rather than shop when we get to spend time together, my mom and I have decided to start doing yoga together. It has yet to happen so far, but I'm kind of excited about it!

In preparation for the big event, I decided I needed to get prepared. While to some people that might mean working on their flexibility or core strength or something, to me it meant making something so I can fake the part! Enter the DIY yoga mat strap carrier thing!

I thought I was being pretty original with this idea but, as it turns out, it has in fact been done before... But did I let that stop me?! NO SIR! I poked around the web, got some inspiration, and got to work! (my final product ended up being very, very similar to the one made on the Merrythought)

To make this bad boy you'll need:

two leather straps (I got mine at Michael's in the leather section)
heavy duty thread
needle
scissors
something to poke holes in the leather (there are such things as leather punches but they cost money and a drill does the same thing with just a bit more work and a lot more excitement)

Instructions:

I'm not even going to try to explain verbally how to twist the leather so it all works out but there are photos below and a tutorial here to show you how it's done.
Once you've made the loops, cut the strap so you have two separate loops. Set aside.
Cut 11 inches off of the second piece of leather.
Attach each loop to the either ends of it making sure it's secure.
Pop a yoga mat in there and you're ready for class!

I'm super happy with how it turned out! I think I'd like to add some personalized touches to it, like maybe stamp the leather with a word, or add some fabric just to spice it up a little, but for right now, it's perfect!