Are your New Year’s resolutions going to include…

1. More gym time.

2. A closet cleanse.

If yes to both, then this is the perfect DIY for you to complete just in time for the New Year!

 

Denim Yoga Bag DIY

Materials

Pair of old jeans (preferably straight leg)

Yoga mat measurements

Scissors

Paper plate

Decorative Ribbon (~1.25 yards)

Sewing machine

Thread

Ruler

Fabric Pant

Stamps

Pins

Safety Pin

MEASUREMENTS

 Measure the length of your rolled up yoga mat & add 6” for seam allowances. Cut off the pant leg at this mark. This pant leg will serve as the main body of the bag.

CUTTING

Cut off the other pant leg at the top of the thigh. You will use this pant leg for the strap and the circular base of the bag. Cut up the pant leg along the inseam or out-seam, (whichever one does not have top stitching.) Eyeball your paper plate and make sure that the circumference is wider than that of the pant leg. Lay the pant leg flat and trace around the paper plate, placing it near the edges of the fabric so that you have enough to also cut strips for your braided strap. Cut along your circle tracing. Braided strips should be 1.5” wide and as long as the pant leg. For an extra decorative touch, cut one of the strips so that the top-stitched seam is centered down the length of the strip (see photos).

ATTACH THE BASE OF THE BAG

Turn the other pant leg inside out. Fold the base of the bag (the circle) piece in half, marking halfway points with pins. Fold in half again to get the quarter points, and mark with pins. Working with the cut end of the pant leg (the original jean hem will become the top of the bag), bring the inseam and out-seam together so that the seams are on top of one another, and mark the folded edges with pins. Start to pin the circle to the pant leg, matching up the pins. Pleat the excess in the circle where necessary, to fit to the pant leg. You can use your pins as guides to evenly space the pleats. We folded four pleats, one in each quadrant. Sew the base to the bag with a ½” seam allowance, and sew again on top of previous stitching to reinforce the seam. When finished, turn the bag right side out.

SEW THE DRAWCORD BAG OPENING

To create a draw-cord tunnel for the bag opening, first measure the width of your decorative ribbon. Add 3/8” to this measurement to make sure the tunnel is wider than the ribbon, (for example, a 1” ribbon would need a 1-3/8” wide tunnel.) Fold this amount down towards the inside of the bag and pin in place. Sew with an edge stitch, (along the edge of what was once the original jean hem).

INSERT RIBBON

Cut two vertical “button holes” on either side of the seam that you want facing the “front” of the bag. Hem the ribbon if it is fraying. Attach a large safety pin to one end of the ribbon and pull it through the tunnel.

STRAP

Using the strips that you cut from the second pant leg, start to braid them together. Back-tack either end of the braided strap so that it is secure. Lay the bag flat and center the strap over the “back” seam, opposite to where the draw-cord exits. Pin the strap in place, making sure that it is flat against the bag. You do not need to add any slack to the strap because it is braided and will slightly stretch when you use it.  Stitch the strap to the bag, using multiple back-tacks to really secure it.

DECORATION

Use fabric paint with wooden block stamps to personalize your creation!

Now you can hit the gym in style!