Monday, July 27, 2015

Yoga Gift Idea: 10 Hand Made Yoga Mat Bags on Etsy

Handmade Yoga Bags
Are you looking for the perfect yoga gift for the yoga lovers in your life? Then these hand made yoga mat bags can be an excellent gift idea for any occasion. Your partner, a friend, your yoga teacher or even yourself; every yogi deserves a unique bag to carry their yoga mats to their next class.

With so many different designs, colors, concepts and patterns I'm sure you'll find one that suits your style. And if you can't find the right size or color for you then you can contact the shop owner to request a custom bag. Please be aware that prices may vary and shipping costs may apply.

I went through all the 2,000+ hand made yoga mat bags on Etsy and picked a few bags that looked original and of good quality, not necessarily the top sellers. Then I got in touch with the shop owners to know more about them and their products. There is a story behind each of these bags.

I received a sample bag from each store but no form of compensation. I do use however Etsy affiliate links. If you buy a product through these links you'll be supporting me to continue sharing free information like this, via a small commission, at no extra cost to you or to the seller.

10 Unique Hand Made Yoga Mat Bags on Etsy


Shivam Creations
Owned by Shivangi Parikh.
Ships worldwide from Tennessee, United States
Starting at $39.99 USD

Shivangi, originally from India, is a full time yoga teacher based in Nashville, U.S. Inspired by her passion for yoga and her stock of old Indian saris she started Shivam Creations to create a collection of eco friendly yoga mat bags made off upcycled Indian fabrics, old saris, bio-degradable fabrics and Khadi.

Khadi is a hand woven fabric made in India using a spinning wheel, (like the one you must have seen Ghandi using in old pictures). Shivangi cares about fare trade, sustainability and about supporting the local communities that she works with.

Shivangi's yoga bags are no doubt really beautiful. She offers a great variety of color combinations and two main designs. One with zipper and another one with drawstring for toploading. The color combinations are very attractive and the fabrics are of top quality.

Yoga Bags by ShivamCreations Etsy Store

I really like the sample that I received.  It's one of the zippered models and it has one pocket inside big enough to fit your wallet, keys and a smartphone.

Yoga Bags by ShivamCreations Etsy Store

To learn more about Shivangi and about her beautiful yoga bags you can visit Shivam Creations Etsy Store here. You can contact her directly via Etsy for any queries.


CelestialSews
Owned by Celeste DeMarsico.
Ships worldwide from Vermont, United States
Starting at $38.00 USD

Celeste has found through sewing and yoga the peace of mind and calmness that she needed to be able to cope with the challenges of raising her two autistic sons by herself. This calmness helped her get in touch with her creative self which she gratefully expresses in CelsetialSews.

Celeste is now living an inspired life and she hopes to grow her Etsy business to be able to help other mothers of autistic kids in the future.

Celeste's hand made yoga mat bags have one pocket in front where you can easily fit your keys, smartphone and a small wallet. Although the bag that I received is for a standard size yoga mat it is still quite spacious to easily fit a yoga mat and a yoga towel.

Yoga Bags by CelestialSews Etsy Store

The most popular feature of her yoga bags is the carry strap which converts into a yoga strap. I was so curious about it, it was the first thing I checked when I received her bag. So ingenious she should own a patent for it! And the fabric of her yoga mat bag feels really strong. I wouldn't hesitate to attach it to the outside of my backpack and drop it in my next flight, train or bus.

Yoga Bags by CelestialSews Etsy Store

You can visit CelestialSews Etsy Store to know more about Celeste and about her hand made yoga mat bags. She makes bags in all sizes, snug fit, standard fit, large and extra large, and she can also do custom orders and prints.


ColorAndCloth
Owned by Lauren
Ships worldwide from Pennsylvania, United States
Starting at $55 USD

Lauren had her first introduction to yoga while on graduate school at The Ohio State University. A teacher, and doctoral student in dance, taught a yoga class which included philosophy and spiritual readings. "It was the most rewarding and energizing way to start the day," says Lauren. Later on she continued her yoga practice with her good friend and yoga teacher Alison Mungan who inspires her in and out of the classroom.

Lauren needed a practical bag to carry her yoga mat, phone, wallet and keys while riding her bike but the yoga mat bags available in the market didn't suit her needs. So, taking advantage of the sewing skills that she learned after graduate school, she started designing and making her own hand made yoga mat bags which use 100% cotton duck canvas, a natural renewable material.

I'm not a big fan of the fabric of this bag, it's the only one that I had to iron before making the pictures, but I love the wide carrying strap. It's so comfortable that it didn't bother me at all to walk with my 6 mm yoga mat for about an hour. The bag has only one hidden pocket on top which can fit easily keys, a wallet and a smartphone, and is large enough to fit a yoga mat rolled with a yoga towel.

Yoga Bags by ColorAndCloth Etsy Store

Lauren can make bags in whatever color combination and in any size that you might like. If your choice is not in her listings you can contact her directly. She can send you then images of color swatches in different combinations to start from there.

Yoga Bags by ColorAndCloth Etsy Store

You can visit ColorAndCloth Etsy Store here to learn more about Lauren and about her hand made yoga mat bags. You can contact her directly via Etsy for any queries.


JoannaStanek1
Owned by Joanna Stanek
Ships worldwide from Pennsylvania, United States
Starting at $43 USD

At a time when she didn't know anything about yoga Joanna started designing hand made yoga mat bags when a colleague of her sister requested one. She became aware of the huge market and started contacting different yoga studios to promote her bags. Soon she had to partner with a local sewing factory to keep up with the demand.

Joanna, a devoted Christian, finally turned to yoga while she had to face some life challenges in 2012. She needed to find a way to stop thinking and to stay out of her head. She found her answer in Power Yoga which suited her athletic lifestyle because of the emphasis on strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility.

"In yoga I learned to relax my mind and body, to intentionally relocate my focus to my breath, or to forcing my muscles to relax. I learned that focusing on the negative only makes it feel worse, and I learned how to force my mind to focus on good things. I run my own business, and without patience, self-containment, self-discipline, self control, I would never be able to get anything done." Says Joanna.

If you like big pockets then this bag is perfect for you. It has two pockets. A small one where you can easily fit a smartphone and a big pocket which is about 12" (30.5 cm) tall and 7" (17.75 cm) wide.

Yoga Bags by JoannaStanek1 Etsy Store

The design is great and unique and she seems to have an infinite variety of colors which are not only great for women but also for men. Her new bags include a longer zipper to make it easier for those who use larger or stickier mats.

She is also able to do custom orders for yogis who use extra large yoga mats such as Manduka. The purple yoga mat in the photos is about 1/4" (6 mm) thick and I had no problem at all to fit it in.


Don't forget to visit JoannaStanek1 Etsy Store to learn more about Joanna's hand made yoga mat bags and to check the amazing variety of colors that she offers. You can contact her directly via Etsy for any queries.


BiscayBay
Owned by Sarah Whalen
Ships worldwide from St. John's, Canada
Starting at $53.44

Sarah is a 24 years old registered nurse who learned sewing from her mom. "I am often referred to as an 80 year old lady, due to my love of sewing, knitting, crocheting and a good ol' cup of tea," reads her Etsy bio. She is an avid gym goer and she uses her yoga mat while she works out at home.

Sarah is quite new to the Etsy market place. She opened her BiscayBay Etsy store in November 2014 after finding inspiration at a Christmas craft show; she knew she could also make beautiful handmade products. Since her shop is quite new it doesn't show many sales yet but I think her yoga bags are great, she has paid close attention to even the smallest details.

Sarah's has been very conservative with her Etsy business but I've been giving her positive feedback about her products to encourage her to continue investing more time on her shop. I'm sure all that she needs is a bit more exposure for her Etsy Business to skyrocket.

I like how the opening is placed on top of the bag, which closes like a cap using a circular zipper. I didn't find any other yoga mat bags with this kind of opening. It might not be the easiest way to fit your yoga mat but for me is perfect. I've actually been using a bag with a similar opening (no zipper) for the past three years and I love it.

Yoga Bags by BiscayBay Etsy Store

The texture, quality, pattern and color combination are great. This one uses brown and blue striped canvas. It has two pockets. One big zippered pocket in the front and a hidden pocket at the bottom of the bag. I also like how the carrying strap is stitched inside, it looks and it feels very strong and durable.

Her bag fits a standard size yoga mat which are usually about 72" (182 cm) long, 24" (60 cm) wide and 1/8" (4 mm) thick. The purple mat in these photos is about 1/4" (6.5 mm) thick so it fit just right but then there is not much space left for the main pocket. With a standard size yoga mat it works perfectly.

Yoga Bags by BiscayBay Etsy Store

Don't forget to visit BiscayBay Etsy Store to learn more about Sarah and about her hand made yoga mat bags. You can contact her directly via Etsy for any queries.


WhatsOliviaWearing
Owned by Olivia Royal.
Ships worldwide from United States
Starting at $32 USD

Olivia Royale is the designer and owner of The Art and Found, an independent clothing brand made in Ithaca, NY. What's Olivia Wearing Etsy Shop is an extension of The Art and Found. Her mission is to feature designs made in more sustainable ways using locally sourced fibers, recycled materials, and USA based cotton flannel.

For her hand made yoga mat bags Olivia uses 100% recycled materials using recycled fabric scrap from other designs. That means that they are 100% unique. She even uses a "2nd time" cotton thread which is made from post-consumer cotton waste. Her aim is to encourage and inspire others to transform unwanted materials and to keep fibers and textiles out of landfills.

If you want something simple, attractive and environmentally friendly then this yoga bag might be for you. No pockets and no special features, it basically serves only one purpose: to carry a yoga mat.

I was surprised at how small this hand made yoga bag is, it can even fit in my pocket. The sample that I received is the smallest version to fit a standard yoga mat; no way I could fit in my 6mm yoga mat so I had to use a 4mm mat instead. And the strap on this yoga bag is small, only to carry your mat on one shoulder, but Olivia offers yoga bags in different sizes and with longer straps to fit larger yoga mats.

Yoga Bags by WhatsOliviaWearing Etsy Store

I wouldn't recommend this yoga bag for an extra large and heavy mat though as the seam doesn't feel strong enough to resist the weight. To be honest I was a bit disappointed with the quality control, the top part of the strap of the bag that I received was not stitched properly. Nevertheless her shop has more than 400 sales and five stars thanks to more than 100 positive reviews from satisfied customers.

Yoga Bags by WhatsOliviaWearing Etsy Store

Don't forget to visit WhatsOliviaWearing Etsy Store to learn more about Olivia and about her hand made yoga mat bags; and ladies, you should definitely spend some time in her shop as she has lots of clothing items for women. You can contact her directly via Etsy for any queries.


ReneeBou
Owned by Renee Perreault
Ships worldwide from North Bay, Canada
Starting at $41.71 USD

When I contacted Rene for this article she showed her enthusiasm right away. She said, "This is so great for many reasons but above all because I love yoga so much." She has been practicing yoga for more than ten years now. She loves vinyasa flow and vinyasa core strength style the most. She loves the focus while holding a pose, she loves to breath through the movement and she loves to feel her body getting stronger with each practice.

Rene's husband, knowing about her love for yoga and sewing, was always bugging her to make yoga bags, but it was only by the end of 2014 when she made her first yoga bag. It was a request by her sister-in-law for Christmas. Other people started noticing the bag and eventually she started to get more and more yoga bag requests.

All Renee's bags are custom-made one at a time. Before buying one of her yoga bags you'll need to give her the dimensions of your yoga mat. She uses materials such as twill, cotton, wool and polyester. She tries to use as much as possible recycled materials. She usually shop for fabrics at second hand stores.

Yoga Bags by ReneeBoo Etsy Store

I really like the fabric, pattern and the colors of this and all the other bags that I've seen in her Etsy store, and she offers colors that suit both, yogis and yoginis. The yoga bag that I tried is made of twill and cotton. It has only one pocket where you can easily fit your keys, wallet and a smartphone, and the bag is big enough to carry a yoga mat and a towel.


Don't forget to visit ReneeBou Etsy Store to learn more about Renee and about her hand made yoga mat bags. You can contact her for any queries.


Unfortunately I was not able to get my hands on the following hand made yoga mat bags but I would still like to mention them. They are probably the best quality yoga bags available on Etsy. Without them this list would be incomplete.


AsYouWereYoga

Owned by Marisa and Anissa Minicucci, a mother and daughter team.
Ships worldwide from Toronto, Canada.
Starting at $137.79 USD

These beautiful yoga mat bags are ideal for the corporate yogi or yogini. Imagine taking a business trip and carrying your yoga mat in a hippie color bag with the picture of Ganesha. Not the best choice perhaps. Instead you can use any of these beautiful hand made bags. And for those who are "ahimsa" conscious they also offer vegan leather yoga bags.


AsobiGokoro
Owned by Esther
Ships worldwide from Yamagata-shi, Japan


Each of Esther's hand made yoga mat bags are no doubt a piece of art. Beautiful stylish designed using upcycled kimono fabrics. Every piece is 100% unique so you probably won't see any or very few items in her listings. You can visit the "sales" section on her Etsy Store to get an idea of the quality products that Eshter creates.


GlobalGrooveLife
Owned by Gina and Greg Hope
Ships worldwide from California, United States
Starting at $34 USD

Gina and Greg are members of the Fair Trade Federation and they partner with artisans in rural communities in Thailand and Nepal to produce hand made yoga mat bags, among other items, ensuring a living wage and comfortable and safe working conditions. If you visit their website you'll get a brief introduction to the life of each of the artisans that make GlobalGrooveLife products.


There are many other beautiful hand made yoga mat bags of excellent quality on Etsy (you can visit my curated list here for more designs) but I'm sure you'll find in this small selection some of the most beautiful and unique yoga bags that you can get as a gift for yourself or for the yoga lovers in your life. So don't forget to Pin it now to make sure you can return to this list in the future. Thanks for sharing!

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