DIY Draft Stopper
May 6, 2012 at 2:36 pm 7 comments
Our bedroom is a converted attic space, with two small doors that lead to raw attic. It can get quite hot up there, and even though we have central air, there is also a window unit in this bedroom.
I don’t want to pay to air condition the whole attic, and at night I’d like to be able to just use the window unit instead of cooling the whole house. So I got to work this weekend making draft stoppers, those long stuffed cloth bags that push up against the bottom of a door to prevent air from escaping. This was so easy and so quick, I made three in the time it took Evan to mow the lawn.
What I used:
- Material (Measure your door for this one)
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- 20lb bag of rice (I used about 2/3 of the bag to make three stoppers)
Steps:
- Cut the fabric. I decided on a circumference and added an inch for the seam. I also measured the door and added an inch there as well. For the twin blocker, I doubled the width and added an extra couple inches to that.
2. Fold the fabric lengthwise so that the fabric is “inside out” and sew along the long, open side, creating a tube.
3. Press the seam and sew one end shut.
4. Turn your draft stopper right side out.
5. If you’re making a single draft blocker, fill it with rice and sew the remaining end shut.
5. If you’re making a twin draft blocker, measure the width of your door. Mine was 1.5″, so I sewed two lines lengthwise to form a 1.5″ strip down the middle. Be careful not to sew right up to the open end, you want to be able to flip the fabric in when you sew the seam shut. This center section will remain rice-free, but fill the other long tubes with rice. Sew the seam shut.
The finished product!
Twin draft blocker for the bedroom door
Twin draft blocker. It opens and closes with the door, so you don’t have to fuss with it at all!
Draft blocker inside the attic door, we have two doors to the attic, so I made two of these.
You’ll notice that I started with a solid green fabric. If you’re as careless and clumsy as I am, you’ll accidentally cut a hole in it. That’s OK though, I had plenty of scrap fabric and like I said earlier, this project is really quick. The only little snag is that once it’s filled with rice, it’s too heavy for the feed dog to pull the fabric through, so you have to guide it through yourself, which was a little cumbersome.
For me, I already had everything at home except for the rice, so this project was a huge win. It only cost $10 in rice, and hopefully it will save us more than that!
Successful weekend project! Yay!
Entry filed under: Crafts, DIY, Home Improvement. Tags: craft, DIY, draft blocker, draft stopper, energy, sewing.
1.
Dad | May 6, 2012 at 7:14 pm
Looks good q-t-pie
2.
Cathy | December 22, 2012 at 9:54 pm
For the twin draft blocker, do you sew the middle strip before or after flipping inside out?
3.
Christine | December 25, 2012 at 8:33 pm
You have to flip the draft blocker right side out, and then sew the middle. Then you fill with rice/beans/whatever you prefer. Then you close up the end and sew shut.
4. A Long Overdue Update « Cortlandt Place | December 27, 2012 at 9:27 pm
[...] written some time ago. I got over 80 hits today on a post that I’d written about making a draft blocker. Apparently it’s been doing OK on pinterest. It was a craft I did without the help of any [...]
5.
Stephanie | January 25, 2013 at 11:15 am
I need one of these, but I have a dog that sheds. Is it machine washable? Do you have any suggestions of a filler that is machine washable?
Thanks.
6.
Christine | January 26, 2013 at 10:24 am
I wouldn’t machine wash if you’re filling it up with rice, as I would imagine that the rice would absorb the water and expand. I might try using popcorn kernels instead, washing with cold water, and laying out to dry.
7.
Diane | March 22, 2013 at 1:19 pm
I made one and used the water pipe insulation you can buy at hardware stores. Left the end folded over so these could come out to wash. This sealed the door well and is light weight.