If you love hacks, here are some practical ways to reuse and upcycle your old yoga mat. Most of these simply require cutting so there's little need to be crafty. Not only will you save money, but you'll be saving our landfills too. I've seen various articles and have tried several ideas. These are the tips that I found most practical and easy. At the end of the article, I'll also give you the ideas that didn't make my list and explain why.
PETS:
1)My fur family consists of 5 dogs, two of whom are large. One of them is a St Bernard. The dog bowl mats found online are usually too small to properly surround large bowls and I'm too cheap and broke to buy one. So I cut my old yoga mat into the shape of a dog bone and placed it underneath the water bowl. Perfect!
2)Use at the bottom of dog crates. It keeps bowls from sliding when traveling and adds a little extra cushion as well as keeping the blanket from bunching up.
3)Cut and place at the bottom of the sink when giving small dogs baths. Keep larger and put in the tub for larger dogs. No more slipping and sliding!
4 )Use on the seat of a car to protect it from tears from dog nails. Just cut to size for the front seat if your fur baby is riding shotgun. This works great if you have leather seats.
KITCHEN:
5)I also made a jar gripper and use it nearly every day.
6)Coasters.
7)Cut to size and place under the dish strainer. This works great.
8)Or leave a little larger to have a glass drying mat. This is great in RVs too!
9)Sleeves for beverages.
10)Make a wine stopper. This works well if the cork is damaged.
OFFICE:
11)Keyboard wrist pad.
12)Mousepad.
13)If you're handy with a glue gun, you can make a tablet or e-reader envelope.
14)Make a lumbar support roll. This is excellent if you sit for long periods and have backaches like me. This also works well in the car.
IN THE CAR:
15)Cut a piece the size of your cellphone and place on the dashboard to prevent it from sliding.
16)Make a seat belt cushion to make it more comfortable.
17)Use on the top of a vehicle or in the truck bed to prevent items from scratching the paint and shifting.
18)Place in the trunk of your car or back of SUV to prevent items from sliding around when driving.
19)Use to sit on when tailgating. Tailgates can be uncomfortable to sit on for long periods. Great for stadium seating too!
20)Make floor mats for messy outings and you don't want your nice mats to get ruined. Simply cut to the same size as your regular floor mats. Great for muddy or sandy outings.
FOR THE KIDS:
21)Portable changing mat for baby.
22)Draw hopscotch squares and have a portable way to entertain kids when trying to get them away from electronic devices. This is great for camping or the beach.
23)Use under car seats to catch crumbs.
IN THE GARDEN:
24)Smother weeds in the garden. Lay down over weeds and leave there until the weeds die. No chemicals are used and this can be used over and over again.
25)Knee saver when gardening. Fold over a couple of times and voila!
26)Place under potted plants to catch excess water and dirt.
AROUND THE HOUSE:
27)A larger than average welcome mat wasn't on the list but it has been a life saver for sure. The amount of dirt tracked in from 5 dogs has been reduced dramatically and it cleans very easily!
28)Pads for wobbly tables that are missing those feet screws or so furniture doesn't slide.
29)Cut into strips and use like weather stripping insulation on windows and doors.
30)Shelf and/or drawer liner. Simply cut to size.
31)Rug gripper. Place under rugs to prevent slipping.
32)Use underneath chair cushions to prevent them from sliding around.
33)Wrap metal bed frame legs and edges to not want to die when you stub your toe or bang your ankle in the middle of the night. I actually did this when my Shih Tzu lost one of her eyes to an accident and she kept bumping into the corner of the bed frame.
34)Place on the inside of floor vents when not using to prevent drafts.
RV/TRAVEL
35)Cut into plate-sized circles to put in between dishes to prevent breaking. You can also cut strips and wrap glasses when packing.
36)Camping or RV welcome mat.
37)Use it at the beach or those annoying slatted lounge chairs at the pool to prevent a striped rear end.
38)Use two or more and place underneath an air mattress to help prevent it from being punctured.
39)Make portable placemats. Take to picnics, camping, the beach, etc.
FASHION/BEAUTY:
40)Make pads and place inside high heels to prevent feet from sliding forward and also on the inside back part of the shoe to prevent it from sliding. Secure with two sided tape if needed.
41)Make toe separators for pedicures.
These ideas didn't make it on the list and here's why:
1)The hair ribbon and hair tie with stick. Ehhh hey, I just couldn't see myself wearing these as fashion accessories. While functional, they just didn't appear fashionable enough for me. But hey, if you love it, go for it!
2)The flip flop thing. They just looked too much like the flip flops you get after a pedicure. Again, not fashionable for me.
3)The floating keychain. This might be good for someone who has a single key on their keychain and perhaps that's what this is for, but I rarely go anywhere with just one key and especially near water. This might be good for surfers or water skiers, but this wasn't something that I could use. I've only tested it with my keychain and it didn't float. But then again, I have a lot of keys on my keychain. I can only speak for myself. Please let me know if you've tried this and it works!
4)Wallet/cell phone case. This could be cute as a kid's craft project or for younger people, but it just isn't for me.
5)Baby bath/floor mat. I originally thought this was a good idea but my mind kept picturing a baby biting off a piece and choking on it so that got scratched asap. I cannot endorse this idea.
6)Litter box mat. Cats have claws.....and once they start clawing I imagined tiny pieces of yoga mat tracked all over the place. If it works for you, great! But when I used to have cats, they tracked stuff all over. It was a vacuuming nightmare. But if you try it, please let me know how it works for you!
All in all, these are some ideas that worked for me. Please try them and let me know how it goes for you!
I do not take credit for the pictures and credit goes to their respective artists.
Enjoy! - Angelica Mordant
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