41 New Uses for Old Yoga Mats

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

My Working Vintage Real Host Gas Stove

Buying your first house is exciting. And when it has everything on your wish list, it’s like striking gold. That’s exactly how I felt when I purchased my home a few months ago. It is a 1945 craftsman, complete with high ceilings and hardwood floors. It also came with kitchen appliances. Old appliances. And it wasn’t long until I realized that the days of calling a landlord for repairs are over.

A few days after moving in, we noticed that the refrigerator only got cold in the freezer. At first, I panicked and thought I'd start my new home adventure needing to purchase a new fridge. After a bit of research, we learned it only needed a $40 part. With a simple click on Amazon and a quick 15 minutes to replace the part, the fridge works beautifully.

The stove, however, is another story. It’s a Real Host antique gas stove, and when I first saw it, I was nearly giddy with excitement. But would it work? More importantly, was it safe? We figured the gas man would have knowledge about the stove, but he was young and needed to call in his supervisor to help. They mentioned that there were only two other people in town that had antique stoves, but they were able to get it working.

The kitchen is small. Really small. It’s just a simple walk through galley kitchen and the stove takes up most of it. There are few cupboards and not much space for storage. My boyfriend wants to do a full remodel but I want to stay true to the house’s originality. This kitchen has character. At first, we had trouble understanding why there was so little storage space. There was virtually no place for storing pots and pans without sacrificing space for food storage. I didn’t want to have to store them inside the oven and then remove them every time I used the oven. Also, because of the size of the kitchen, I really did not want to install a hanging pot rack. After a call to an antique stove restoration guy in California, he told me that the compartments to the left of the oven and broiler are for storing pots and pans. Well, that explained the storage issue. Storage problem solved!

The burners are also quirky. Even though the pilot lights work perfectly, the burners need to be manually lit. We keep a long barbecue lighter handy and simply light each burner as needed. I did that as a kid on the O’Keefe and Merrit so it really wasn't an issue. The oven, on the other hand, is a bit of a ritual. This model of stove completely shuts off the gas to the oven so there isn’t a pilot light. I suppose it is a safety feature and I'm really thankful for it. There is a small hole near the front of the inside of the oven. When the oven knob is turned to the “gas on” position, a match is supposed to be dropped or held close to that hole (we haven’t figured that part out yet) and that is what turns on the oven. But after numerous attempts at doing that, we’ve come to the realization that the oven also must be lit manually. This is done by removing the racks followed by the bottom panel that reveals the burner. The long lighter must be swept completely around each hole. Altogether, this entire process takes less than a minute and the oven works just fine. However, tonight something new happened. As I went to light the burner for the oven, the lighter was barely in front of the first flame hole and the entire burner lit beautifully! Maybe because the stove had been unused for about a year, gunk or other debris had accumulated. It was a pleasant surprise and who knows? Maybe tomorrow I’ll try to light it through the hole.

This wonderfully quirky stove also has a loose oven door. The spring on the hinge is loose. It isn't really surprising considering the age of the stove. Because of this, it’s using more gas to maintain the temperature, but so far, everything heats just fine.

Another quirk this stove has is that it emits heat. A lot of it. And we’ve had to move the refrigerator away from it, leaving a five-inch clearance to allow plenty of ventilation. The front also gets very hot as do the handles. So once the oven is on, pot holders must be used to retrieve pots and pans and also when opening the oven or compartment doors. All it takes in forgetting once and there will be no more forgetting.

Yet with all the quirks this Real Host stove has, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Just knowing it’s original to the house makes me feel nostalgic and I wonder how many thousands of meals have been made over the last 71 years. How many memories have been made with the food that was prepared in the stove that now prepares our food? For someone else, it may be just an old and quirky stove but for me, it’s a huge part of what makes my house a home. - Angelica Mordant

Interior Design Trends 2016

The New Year brings the perfect opportunity to start out with a fresh interior update. With the right accessories, nearly any currently owned furnishing can be reworked, giving it a new look. This of course can save a lot of money. After the festivities of the Holidays, who would not want that? Below are the hot, up and coming looks.

When I first learned of this year's interior design trends, all I could think of was “yes!” The coming year’s interior design trends focus on creating a soothing and ultra relaxing home. Less is definitely more in 2016. The implementation of natural elements with clean lines create balance. Muted colors and a touch of ethnicity prevent a sterile environment and add a welcoming atmosphere. What is great about these trends is that there is still room to change the look of a room without spending a lot of money. All it takes is a little creativity.

Natural elements are big this year and there is something for every budget. Showy floral arrangements give way to simple statements. Think of a handful of sticks in a simple glass vase. Rock gardens, wood bowls and sand all play key parts in bringing nature inside. A twig lampshade or oversize rattan basket to hold items are also ways to bring the beauty of nature inside. If a remodel is on the schedule, satin or matte finishes on counter tops are replacing high gloss granite. Counter edges are rough to expose the natural beauty but with just enough sanding to prevent clothing from snagging. Flooring is more durable and easier to maintain in satin finishes instead of high gloss.

Another way to bring nature inside is through the use of indoor gardens. Live plants not only clean the air inside the home by making oxygen, but the appearance of live plants adds a touch of serenity to the environment. If an entire garden is not possible, try grouping several pots together to create the illusion of a garden. The key to doing this is to make a statement with the use of live plants but still have an element of space. There are a lot of low maintenance plants to choose from to keep from becoming overburdened.

Combining function with beauty is another trend this coming year. This not only saves space by lessening the amount of clutter, but offers more bang for the buck. Leather ottomans that double as storage bins are one example. Sofabed hybrids are another. In the kitchen, maximizing cupboard space by adding organizers, spice racks or a lazy Susan help to get the counter cleared off while still keeping them within reach.

Touches of ethnicity are yet another popular trend in 2016. Adding splashes of color that accompany many ethnic furnishings can bring a welcoming warmth to any room. Don’t overdo it. The key is to bring balance into the decor, not for the room to look like an open market. An ornate armoire can double as a bar. A table runner or sofa throw can add just enough color to add an inviting mood. If using decorative pillows, mix solid with ethnic prints in complimentary colors to keep the theme cohesive.

The coming year brings a calming change to the home and with it comes a change in the color palate. Colors are muted and soothing. The vibrant tones of last year give way to colors that are serene and relaxing. Any preferred color is acceptable as long as it is muted. Slate blue, plums, sage, softer teals, warm honey and earthy rusts are all part of creating a relaxing home. If only one interior update is possible, toning down the color would be it.

In keeping with the Zen like mood of interiors, less is definitely more. Clear out clutter. Free up a bit of wall space. Keep furniture lines clean and window coverings simple. The less that the eyes need to focus on, the easier it becomes to relax after a chaotic day. There is less to clean, less to break and generally less to worry about. This alone can be all that’s needed to create a comforting and less stressful home.

Which style do you prefer? I can't make up my mind. I think the beauty of this year's interior design trends is the simplicity. It really does help in creating an almost spa-like feel to a home. But I also love the idea of bringing nature inside. Regardless of your favorite look, your house is yours and making it unique to you is what makes it home. - Angelica Mordant