Old yoga mat gathering dust?

Ok, I am in the kitchen constantly.

Not just because I have to, between dishes, and two year old snack times (aka every 15 minutes), but because I love to.

I love to bake bread, knead it by hand, spend time slowly whisking a homemade pudding, delicately chopping vegetables for stew, all of it is delightfully satisfying to me.

So naturally I've been lusting over those kitchen gel mats that I see everywhere, in Better Homes and Gardens, running rampant on Food Network, they just look so delicious for my feet and back.

But reality check, they are $60 for a teeny one and that's just not a realistic purchase for my household right now.

Therefore I bring you the equally fantastic and squishy option: Using an old yoga mat.

Whether you're a faithful yogini who has an old mat lying around with a few tears that you can't seem to part with, or someone who thought they were going to do yoga and never got in to it I know MANY people with yoga mats that are collecting dust in the living room right now.

You know who you are.

I had this wonderful pilates mat that had a tear in it but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to throw away, now I know why.

Step 1: Take your kitchen mat

Step 2: Lay your kitchen mat over your unused yoga mat and trace it

Step 3: Cut out the shape, minus about 1/4" so the yoga mat is slightly smaller than your kitchen mat

Step 4: Lay your kitchen mat over a neutral fabric, trace and cut it out to the same size

Step 5: Sew the kitchen mat and your extra fabric together, right sides facing each other (you're basically making a pillow case for your yoga mat)

Step 6: Turn right-sides out and insert yoga mat

There it is, a super cheap alternative that is equally squishy and delightful for your feet and back!

A few tips:

1.This is a pilates mat so it's about 3/4" thick, if you're using a standard yoga mat I would just cut two pieces out and stack them inside the pillow case.

2. I used a stretchy material on the back so that the mat would easily slide in, if you don't have a stretchy fabric just cut it about 1/4" larger than your kitchen mat so you're not fighting to shove the yoga mat inside.

3. I sewed a piece of rubber kitchen shelf liner to the back of the mat cover so it wouldn't slip when I stood on it, if your fabric is slippery I recommend the same.

Enjoy!