Monday, November 18, 2013

What To Do With Yoga Mats


Tuesday Morning had these yoga mats on clearance. I already have a yoga mat that I barely use. However, since the price was so good, 40% off $9.99, I was sure I could do something dolly wise with them and grabbed three.


My clearance luck was with me once again because one of them rang up as $0.00 so the lady gave it to me for a dollar and I got all three for $13.91. Score!


The most obvious thing to use them for is as a photo or wall backdrop. They are 24" x 68" so it gives you plenty to work with even though the color choice is rather garish and/or blah.

The most ambitious thing I wanted to use one for though was as a piece of asphalt. Yoga mats have that nice bumpy texture that I figured would look like asphalt or concrete if painted. This was also the perfect thing to try spray painting on. If the paint smell was too much for me I'd rather it be done on something like this that I can trash rather than furniture or something I want to keep.


Walmart only had one of these cans and it was barely enough to cover the mat. I got the "for plastic" version because I have no idea what a yoga mat is made of but I knew I was going to be rolling it up and I figured the plastic paint version would have more flex to it and be less likely to crack.


I sprayed this outside on concrete instead of grass because I didn't want bugs to get on it. However, I didn't realize that my cardboard underneath wasn't wide enough. When I lifted it up, there was a faint, but clearly visible, paint square on the concrete. Luckily, the concrete was dirty and dusty so I was able to sweep the paint residue up. Whew, I would have been in trouble!

I painted this six days ago and the first couple of days I thought I was going to barf the smell was so bad. I left it outside for eight hours when I initially painted it but then the weather got cold so I had to bring it inside. Ugh. There is only a faint lingering odor now that isn't so bad.

I actually need to spray a layer of polyurethane on the mat because EVERYTHING sticks to it. Even little spiders got stuck in it. I don't know if the poly will eat the mat, so I wanted to take some photos before hand, in case it does.

Here are some of the ways I want to use the "asphalt."

As a walkway, but I don't think it works so well.

 
As parking spaces. I like this a lot!


 
As a street - I like this too!


 

You could also use it as a basketball court but I didn't have time to make that. If I can control the stickiness factor, this might be one of my better ideas.

11/19/13 Edited to Add:


Success! I purchased this sealer from Walmart and it worked great. After applying one coat it was nice and dry to the touch within 10 minutes, as advertised. I still waited about 30 minutes to apply another coat. I just wanted to be on the safe side in case I missed any spots. It comes in flat and gloss. It also doesn't smell as bad as the paint, nor does its smell linger as long. It's good stuff!

12/5/14 Edited to Add:

Over a year later and I now know that neither the paint nor the sealer will retain its hold on a yoga mat. See video below.


51 comments:

  1. These re great repurposing suggestions. I love the backdrop idea and may just open up the yoga mat I pick up over a year ago for $5 with intentions to actually use it for yoga.

    The asphalt idea is wonderful, too. What did you use to create lanes?

    dbg

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    1. I guess I shouldn't comment so early in the morning: This should have read:

      These [are] great repurposing suggestions..
      ...the yoga mat I [picked] up...
      ...lanes [and lines in the road].

      dbg

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    2. LOL, Debbie! I thought that maybe you were typing on your tablet and it was making you butter fingered. The lanes are plain copy paper. I cut it into strips, 1/2 inch x 11 inches. 11 inches actually wasn't long enough for the parking lanes so I used two on top of each other and spaced them out. For the lines in the road I took those same strips and folded them in half. The reflectors between the lines are aluminum foil. I actually meant to roll those up and make them smaller but forgot. Given the opposite direction I have the cars going, there should have been two yellow lines instead of single whites, but I didn't have any goldenrod paper.

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    3. Oh, so it is more than just me who is having a hard time typing on the tablet!

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  2. OMG Muff...you are bloody amazing! Am I overly excited? Yes...but only because I've been trying to figure out a cheap way to create a little neighborhood with street for my daughter as a Christmas present. This looks awesome and came just in time. Thanks! Oh and...looking forward to seeing wassup with Tasha and Kevin, hint, hint. ;)

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    1. Thanks, Tracy! You know I like to figure out how to do things cheaply.

      I have not forgotten about Tasha and Kevin, just per usual, I'm slow as molasses.

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  3. Hi Muff :) Great idea !!! I would have gladly bought mats. Pity it's so far away ...
    Greetings from Poland :-)

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    1. Hello from Florida, Marille! *waves* For the price, the mats were very well worth getting.

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  4. Fantastic usage!! I always have this problem with spray paint, it being too sticky... let me know if the polyurethane works!!!

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    1. See, Heather, I had no idea that spray paint was sticky. The last time I used some was about 14 years ago to paint some wood. I just remember it stinking to high heaven, but not being sticky. Maybe it absorbs better into wood, I dunno.

      I bought some spray sealer from the same paint brand, but it's raining so I'll have to test it on a dry day. I asked my mom about using polyurethane on it and she said it would make it shiny and not necessarily take away any stickiness. She also said that using "for plastic" paint on the mat was maybe why it was sticky and it's not adhering due to the mat being porous rubber. But when I asked her if I should have used regular spray paint, not the for plastic kind, she said she didn't know what she was talking about either, so ... yeah.

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  5. Hello from Spain: I like your idea. I like the ground to park cars. You are very creative. Great purchase .... Keep in touch

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    1. Hi, Marta and thanks so much. I like using it as a parking lot most of all.

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  6. Hi Muff. Impressed. Hallucinate with your idea. I love it, looks very real great job congratulations. A kiss from Spain

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    1. Hey there, Karmen and thanks for stopping by and commenting. Besos from Florida!

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  7. Muff you may have solved what I will use for the driveways in my neighborhood. Let me know how the stickiness problem goes. I can't stand sticky. LOL By the way all of your scenes are super cool!

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    1. Thanks, Grandmommy! The stickiness is a major detractor and I'll let you know how the sealer works out. I have been on the lookout for some neutral colored mats in case the sticky wont go away, but so far, nada.

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  8. Yay, Muff! Love seeing your folks out and about with the solid concrete beneath them ;-)

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    1. LOL, Dana, they have been languishing away, just sitting on shelves. I'm sure it was nice for them to "go outside" for a little while. I keep saying I'm actually going to do an outdoor shoot one day. However, it's so much easier and less irksome to make my own outdoors in the comfort of my living room.

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  9. Outstanding! Y'know, it could make some amazing cobblestone if you sponged thinned-down acrylic paint in various earthy colors on it, too.

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    1. Thanks, Presto! I'm going to use one of the other mats to make something more concrete/pathway-ish using bottled acrylics. I want to conquer this sticky mess first.

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  10. Love it Love it Love it 👏👏😻😻

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  11. Great idea! Muff, you totally rock!!

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    1. Hey, Georgia Girl! Thanks bunches! Sometimes my ideas work - this one isn't quite in the win column yet but we'll see.

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  12. The Dynamic crafting diva stikes again! I can see this being used on those foam shelf liners or those dollar place mats for smaller spaces. BTW I went back for those KO for their outfits the sewing on mines were ok im currently in the process of tweeking them to give them a upscale vibe!(Those dolls got some lil skinny chicken legs! LOL)

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    1. Jay, using dollar store place mats is a great idea. Walmart also had a bunch of textured paint that looks like concrete and whatnot, but it was $8, so no. The regular spray paint is $3.67 to $4.50.

      There you go again taking one for the team! I'll look forward to seeing your revamp of the fashions.

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  13. Heather and Grandmommy, I fixed the sticky problem. I bought Krylon Clear sealer and it worked great. I added a photo of the can to the post in case you need it.

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  14. It was a so peaceful and quiet neighborhood before...

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    1. Sergio, they'll just have to get used to modern times.

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  15. Great photos and great uses for the yoga mat. Love your parking lot and your streets. By the way, if you ever decide to spray paint again, I still recommend the new 2X paint that adheres to everything, plastics included. It's typically much cheaper than the Fusion paint.

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    1. Thanks, Vanessa! If they had 2X paint at my Walmart I sure didn't see it. I was looking at colors only really so if they did have it I didn't notice. I'm starting a cardboard project that I do want to spray paint but I'm using super cheap paint on it. When I get to prefab projects I'll try 2X.

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  16. Hola, tienes muy buenas ideas, me gusto como calle y de estacionamiento, vere si consigo unas, hasta pronto.

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    1. Hola, Lindaivette, cuando se le da una oportunidad espero que consigas buenos resultados!

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  17. It´s a great idea!!! You always think about everything. I love yours photos and yours diormans, they´re awesome!! ;)

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    1. Thanks so much, Ana! Some of my ideas work out sometimes, lol. ^_^

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  18. That is all really good to know, I'll have to keep that in mind for later projects. Also, I picked up some White's Rubber Cement to try out and it was AMAZING. I really owe you for that tip my friend!

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    1. Hiya, Tina! Glad that the Rubber Cement is working out for you. I can heartily attest to the Best Test brand and have used it for over 30 years.

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  19. I just love this! Do you have to store it flat or can you roll it? The street scenes are fab!

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    1. Thanks, Ms. Leo. Before I put the sealer on it I had to drape it across a chair 'cause it would stick to itself. Now I can roll it up just fine.

      I always have to wait until I'm on a pc before I can respond to comments. I can type just fine on my tablet and phone, but bloggers commenting option just doesn't work well on them and trying to put in that captcha or make a correction is a nightmare. I have given up on it entirely.

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  20. I love this idea. The mat looks great as a parking lot and as a street.

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    1. Thanks, Roxanne. It doesn't look right as a walking pathway, but turned out pretty good for parking and driving on.

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  21. What a clever idea! Love the street scene. It looks like your dolls live in a busy little world, complete with traffic jams.

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    1. Thanks, Tiffany! My dolls are moving on up in the world. Next thing you know, mo' money, mo' problems.

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  22. That is good suggestion! specially those are many plant inside their house. it's really helpful to avoid bugs and ants..

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  23. What is the durability of the Krylon on the yoga mat? Sort of unrelated to what you've done, but I'm trying to come up with a decent way to put my businesses logo onto the mats without breaking the bank or requiring that I order in massive bulk. Thanks!

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    1. Cory, the durability is zero, at least with Krylon spray. The adhesive already on the mat reacted to the Krylon and turned it into glue. I added a video to the post to show you what I mean.

      I'd say I played around with the mat for about 2 months before I eventually rolled it up for storage. I noticed it wasn't as dry as when I put the sealer on but I just thought I missed some spots when I painted. A year later and it's a sticky gooey mess.

      Plenty of mats come with designs so there's got to be a way to paint one. Maybe ink or dye based or perhaps as simple as a non aerosol acrylic stencil. If you find out, let us know.

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