9 DIY Yoga Props I Use In My Classes: That Cost Almost Nothing!

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9 Affordable DIY Yoga Props To Use In Your Yoga Classes

In this post, you’ll discover 9 affordable DIY yoga props to use in your yoga classes.

My name is George Watts.

I’m a BWY yoga teacher and have taught 800+ classes in the last 15 years.

I hope you’ve been enjoying the hundreds of free yoga class planning tips, ready-to-use yoga class plans, and yoga class handouts on my site. They are resources that I’ve personally used for my own yoga classes.

So, why bother using yoga props?

Let’s find out some of the benefits…

Top 6 Benefits Of Using Yoga Props

Benefits Of Using Yoga Props

Creative DIY yoga props are super helpful tools that make yoga easier and more fun for everyone.

They help you stay in the right position so you don’t hurt yourself. If a pose feels wobbly, props give you extra balance so you don’t fall over. They also help your muscles stretch gently, so you don’t feel stiff or sore. If you’re tired, props let you relax in a pose without working too hard.

If you’re recovering from an injury, they help you do yoga safely. Props also help you focus on your yogic breathing and stay calm. They make yoga possible for people of all ages, no matter how strong or flexible they are.

Most of all, they give you confidence to try new poses without worrying about getting them wrong.

Okay. Let’s get creative.

Here is the first DIY yoga prop, a yoga block made from books…

DIY Yoga Prop 1: Yoga Block Made From Books

How to Make A DIY Yoga Block Infographic

DIY Yoga Block From Books And A Tie

Ask your students to make their own yoga blocks by finding books they no longer need.

Approximately five books can become a yoga block. They can be tied together with ties (the kind of tie business people wear around their necks). The added bonus is that those ties can also be used as DIY yoga straps. I get these ties from charity shops for next to nothing because hardly anyone wears ties these days.

DIY Yoga Prop 2: Bolster From A Blanket

How To Build A Home Yoga Practice Tip 5 Infographic

DIY Bolster From A Blanket

Ask your students to roll up their blanket into a bolster (their blanket is normally for the end-of-class relaxation to keep warm). Click on this blog post (then go to “tip 5”) for the exact steps on how to create a yoga bolster: 10 Tips for How to Build a Consistent Yoga Home Yoga Practice.

They could also use a large beach towel, instead of a blanket.

DIY Yoga Prop 3: Chair Yoga Cards

Chakra Chair Yoga Card Deck

Use the chairs at your venue to teach chair yoga.

Most yoga class venues (e.g. village halls), have lots of chairs stacked up somewhere. Even though my main teaching isn’t chair yoga, I like mixing things up a bit by using the Chakra Chair Yoga Card Deck. I ask students to pick on of the 52 chair yoga cards, and we’ll do 15 minutes of chair yoga. Students absolutely love choosing cards!

DIY Yoga Prop 4: Large Bible As A Yoga Block

Large Bible As A Yoga Block

Ask your students to bring a large bible to class, to be used as a yoga block (wrapped in a towel or blanket). Most people aren’t religious (never am I), so they’ll be easy to find in charity shops. Alternatively, use a large dictionary, or just do a quick search for the biggest book in your house.

DIY Yoga Prop 5: Judo Belt As Yoga Straps

DIY Yoga Block From Judo Belts Infographic

Judo Belt As Yoga Straps

Ask your students to find a Judo belt at their local charity shop (or on eBay).

Or buy a bunch of them and give each new student one for free. Judo belts are really long. They are great for wrapping around yourself when doing seated forward bends. If the student wants to go deeper in the forward bend, they can adjust the strap.

DIY Yoga Prop 6: Half A Tennis Ball As Wrist Support

Half A Tennis Ball As Wrist Support

If you have a student that has a weak wrist, ask them to cut a tennis ball in half (without chopping their hand off) and bring it to class. They can use them as wrist support (e.g. in Downward Facing Dog pose).

DIY Yoga Prop 7: Business Tie As Yoga Straps

Business Tie As Yoga Straps

Ask your students to bring a tie to class to be used as a yoga strap.

The kind of tie I’m talking about is the one that most business people used to wear around their necks, until casual days, and working-from-home became the norm.

Instead of asking my students to bring a tie, I simply went to my local charity shop and bought dozens of ties (for next to nothing) and gave them to my students as a surprise gift. Ties aren’t as good as “judo belts” (see DIY Prop #5), but in case you don’t have judo in your country, ties are the next best thing.

DIY Yoga Prop 8: Bolster From A Beach Towel

Bolster From A Beach Towel

Instead of using their blanket (see DIY Yoga Prop 2), ask your students to bring a large beach towel to class.

They can roll it into a bolster.

DIY Yoga Prop 9: Beach Towel For Yoga Mat Lining

Beach Towel For Yoga Mat Lining

Ask your students to bring a large beach towel to class. They can use the towel under their yoga mat, which is great if your yoga classes are held in village halls with cold, hard floors.

It’s time for my conclusion, and why I love using yoga card decks as props in my classes.

George’s Conclusion: Using Yoga Card Decks As Fun, Easy-to-Use Teaching Props

I hope you and your students enjoyed creating these nine DIY yoga props, and that they make yoga easier and more fun.

If you’re a fellow yoga teacher, I’ve got a hunch you’re gonna love my Online Yoga Lesson Planner.

As a Yoga teacher, I’m always looking for fun, easy-to-use teaching aids to make your classes engaging, informative, and effective. That’s why I create yoga card decks. Each deck has been painstakingly crafted to serve as a quick-reference guide, teaching aid, or lesson-planning tool, designed with Yoga teachers, and serious students, in mind.

Chakra Chair Yoga Card Deck: 52 Cards For Mind-Body Unity

The Chakra Chair Yoga Card Deck is a transformative tool designed for yogis of all levels, especially those seeking a gentle, accessible practice. This beautifully illustrated 52-card deck combines the wisdom of the chakra system with the ease of chair yoga, offering a unique way to balance your energy centres while staying grounded and supported.

Chakra Chair Yoga Expansion Card Deck: 52 More Cards For Mind-Body Unity

The Chakra Chair Yoga Card Deck was so popular that I created the Chakra Chair Yoga Expansion Deck with another 52 chair yoga exercises.

Blissful Breathing Card Deck: Your Guide To Mastering Pranayama

The Blissful Breathing Card Deck is your go-to resource for mastering the art of pranayama (yogic breathing). With 41 beautifully designed cards, this Blissful Breathing Card Deck guides you through a wide variety of breathing techniques to enhance relaxation, focus, and vitality.

Face Yoga Card Deck: 50 Cards For Youthful Radiance

The Face Yoga Card Deck is a fun and effective way to tone, relax, and rejuvenate your facial muscles. This 50-card deck features simple, step-by-step exercises designed to improve circulation, boost skin elasticity, and promote a radiant, youthful glow.

101 Mini Yoga Cards: With 101 Asana Sanskrit Pronunciations

The 101 Mini Yoga Cards are a compact and versatile resource for yoga teachers and practitioners alike. Each card features an illustrated yoga pose, its English and Sanskrit names, and how to pronounce the Sanskrit name. This makes it easy to plan classes, create sequences, or inspire personal practice while deepening your connection to yoga’s roots.

Zen Of Blissful Boredom Card Deck: 52 Ways To Cultivate Calm

The Zen Of Blissful Boredom Card Deck offers a lighthearted yet profound approach to finding peace in the mundane. Featuring 52 cards filled with simple, humorous, and mindful activities, this deck encourages you to embrace boredom as a gateway to inner calm and creativity.

But don’t stop there. You’re on a roll. You’ll definitely want to look at my 10-step yoga sequencing formula. It’s got lots of infographics to make the learning visual and fun.

“Below are hundreds of yoga lesson planning tips on my blog…to help enlarge your yoga lesson planning brain.” – George Watts

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