It’s time for lettering tutorial #2! You can find last week’s post on watercolour lettering cards here, but this week, we’re going to be working yoga mat lettering.

Yes, today’s gift tutorial is on lettering on your/ a yoga mat!

Pretty exercise gear can be motivating. But it can also be pricey, especially for someone just starting out — see also: me. So instead of paying through the nose for an pretty, expensive mat, I did myself one better and made my drugstore-bought mat pretty.

(Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click through and purchase something, I make a small commission — but you still pay the same amount! I only put affiliate links on items I use and love.)

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Yoga mat (similar here)
• Chalk (similar here) + damp cloth
• Acrylic paint
• Brushes
• Acrylic sealant

Full disclaimer: I just did this to my mat, so I’m not sure how well it’ll hold up over time. I’ll update as I go along. If you or your intended giftee has sensitive skin and/or allergies, PLEASE read the ingredients of the paint and sealant that you choose to use.

Now that it’s out of the way… Let’s play!

1. Sketch out your design on the mat in chalk

No prep work here, just roll out your yoga mat, give it a wipe down — especially if you’ve been using it for a while. Once it is dry, you can start designing.

(Tip: Find a spot that you can work in for a long period. If you’re working on the floor, make sure it’s somewhere out of the way. Yoga mats — or exercise mats — are big and you’ll probably want to take breaks to rest your neck and back at some point!)

Knowing faux calligraphy (where you write first, then thicken the downstrokes on your work) is super helpful in outlining your work.

Do not fill in the outline! You’ll only be making more work for yourself!

2. Start filling in the outline with acrylic paint

With a design this big, it’s hard to letter properly like you would on paper. It is closer to colouring and faux calligraphy to me!

You already have the outline on your exercise mat, so take a damp cloth and start erasing parts of it as you fill in the design with your acrylic paint. I start by filling in the thicker parts with a large brush, then as I get closer to the outline, I switch to a small round brush to get the edges.

My exercise mat has tiny squares for grip, I’ve to make sure the paint gets into the grooves somewhat as well!

This step is the one that takes the longest time. I did it in a day, with many breaks for snacks and to stretch my legs, but if you’ve the space, you can do it over multiple days too.

3. Spray with sealant

Once the paint is all dry, it’s time to seal it in place. Get your mat somewhere airy and spray evenly.

When everything’s dry, you’ll have a prettily lettered yoga mat ready to gift to your exercise maniac of a friend — or you know, yourself.

Even if your intended giftee doesn’t intend to use it for exercise, they can still use it as a wall hanging or something!

What do you think of yoga mat lettering? Is it something you’ll do?

Let me know in the comments and as always, I’d love to see photos of what you come up with!