Draft Stopper
by Linda
Also known as a Draft Dodger or Door Snake, used to stop drafts from
creeping in under your door. It's placed on the floor and pushed
up against the bottom of your door, or placed in between your screen
door and inner door.
This item was discussed in the various crafts news groups during the
fall and winter of 1996 - 1997.
Materials and size are left up to you. Only you know the width of
the door in question, and the most appropriate filling for your
circumstances and budget.
NOTE: Instructions are given to fit a 36 inch wide door.
- tightly woven material, at least 40 inches by 8 inches, or 2 pieces
at least 40 by 4.5 inches or so
- tightly woven material, 2 pieces, about 8 by 8 inches square, for
end pieces if needed
- heavy filling material such as cat litter, rice, feed corn, sand,
etc. (this may take more filling than you anticipate)
- matching thread
- fabric scraps, ribbon, felt, embroidery floss, etc. for decoration
- Make a Tube: Sew the 40 by 8 inch piece of material into a tube
by sewing together along the 40 inch side, using a half inch seam
allowance. No need to finish the seams here unless you'd like to.
If using two pieces, sew them together along the 40 inch side using
half inch seam allowances to create a tube.
- Cut End Pieces (Optional):
Cut a large circular piece from each 8 by 8 inch
square. These will be used to close the ends of the tube. Be sure
to make them larger than the end of the tube to allow for seam
allowances. Trace a suitable size luncheon plate or ice cream tub
lid if you have trouble with freehand circles.
- Close One End: With tube inside out, attach one of the circular
pieces completely by sewing all around.
As an alterative, you could sew one end into a rounded or pointed shape,
or simply sew it flatly together, as if you'd pinched the end of a
drinking straw.
- Partially Close Other End: Attach the other end piece in the
same way, but sewing only halfway around the circle.
As above, you can partially sew it in a shape appropriate to the way
you did the first end, but leaving at least half of it open. You might
prefer to attach or close this end after you've filled the draft
stopper. It will be easier to fill.
- Turn right side out.
- Fill: Using your chosen filling material, carefully fill the
tube. Do not "shake down" the filling, leave it in there loosely.
Overfilling may cause the seams to burst in use. Fill to within an
inch or so from the top. Hold it up and give it a shake to check for
leaking filling. Strengthen or repair seams if needed.
- Close Other End: With strong thread and using small stitches,
firmly sew up the opening. You can "shake down" the filling before
sewing to make it easier to manipulate. Loosen it up again after
all sewing is complete and again check for leaks.
- Finish: Use ribbon, fabric scraps or whatever you have handy to
decorate the draft stopper.
- Be sure to use small stitches to keep your filling from leaking
out. You might also want to double stitch your seams for strength.
- Vary the filling to suit your needs and concerns. Cat litter is
inexpensive, but may react to moisture. Rice and feed corn may be
something you have plenty of, but might be cause for concern if you
have problems with insects. Sand can be messy and may also react to
moisture. And we never know how cats will react to cat litter and
sand. ;)
- You can add a "head", "tail" and "feet" to make it look like an
animal or leave it simple and utilitarian. If you're planning on
"feet", it may be better to start with two larger pieces of fabric
for the body and add the feet while the long seams are being sewn.
- If you'd like to make your draft stopper washable, simply make an
inner fabric container for the filling, and make a decorative removable
cover for it. Use snaps, hook and loop tape or an overlapping flap
to close the cover.
- You can adjust the sizes to fit your needs. A door that sits higher
off the floor will need a tube of a larger diameter to be useful.
- A door snake could also be used on a drafty windowsill, just make
sized to suit the width of the window sill.
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