Talk About Draft Stoppers
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Speaking of finishing long overdue Christmas presents, I finally bought more fabric so I could finish Sailor’s present. Basically anything that involves me getting in a car and driving to a fabric store with four kids could take months or years to accomplish. I know a lot of people buy fabric online but I just can’t seem to make myself do that. I have to bond with fabric before I can buy it. I have to SEE it and TOUCH it. It’s a personal thing. I know if I would just give in and try online fabric shopping one time I would be hooked because of the four kid thing but how do I take that first step?
We have two places where we get drafts under the doors. The door to the basement and the French doors leading out to the sun room. We can open the doors to the sunroom and it heats right up from the rest of the house but it doesn’t have any heating vents so when it isn’t in use (which is always until it’s finished) we want to keep the cold out of the rest of the house. For three years we have had old blankets in front if the doors. This is much cuter I think.
Sailor found the idea for these draft stoppers online and I finally got around to making him some for Christmas. They are fabulous because you can open and shut the door and they slide right along with it. They are very simple to make. You just sew a fabric sleeve and slip a pipe insulator inside. I put 1″ wooden dowels inside the insulators because it seemed like a good idea and because I already had some. The dowels make them very sturdy. I also used home decorator fabrics instead of quilting fabric to make them last longer which I’m kind of sorry about now because then I won’t have an excuse to make new ones every year. As if I was organized enough to do that.
I got the stoppers for the French doors done for Christmas but I needed fabric for the basement door. I finally found some but because of my cheapness and not wanting to waste a single inch of fabric I was a little short. Not only did I have to piece it but the print was crooked and I didn’t have enough fabric to straighten it out. That’s what I get for trying to save the environment with my fabric frugality.
So Sailor gets his draft stoppers and I don’t have to trip over blankets anymore. I think I’ll make some for the rest of the doors. Not because they need them but because they’re cute. I’ll get to that as soon as I figure out how to buy fabric online.
I hope you have something fun to share with us today. Happy Tuesday!
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May 4th, 2009 at
We love our draft stopper for the kitchen/porch door, but I’m ultra jealous of how CUTE yours is! Mine? Boring brown…
May 4th, 2009 at
I love those draft stoppers. Now I’m kinda wishing we lived in a colder climate so I could justify making some. Also, it seems like a craft even I could handle! I blogged about the discount bin at the craft store — totally worth checking out the awesome deals on discontinued fabric!
May 4th, 2009 at
Thank you so much for that link! I have been thinking about doing this for the longest time. We also have two doors that have a serious draft problem. All winter long we used big blankets that we rolled up and tied with string. So we had these big, bulky blanket “logs” in front of our doors all the time. Definitely not very pleasing to the eye. I am going to make these soon!!
May 4th, 2009 at
LOL! I was just working on a post about some draft stoppers I made this past Winter! I love them and they are so easy to make!
May 4th, 2009 at
looks great!
May 4th, 2009 at
These are extremely cute! I may just have to make us some. However, it seems to be our windows that are the worst….its a good thing we’re renting right now. This house needs some work.
May 5th, 2009 at
That is a cute idea. And I’m so glad I’m not the only one who is trying to catch up for Christmas. I still have cards to send!
I just found your site. The next time I post something suitable for your carnival, I’ll be mentioning it in my blog.
May 5th, 2009 at
Those are cute. I am definitely making some for next winter. I agree with you, I cannot buy fabric online. I need to “see” it!
Toni
May 5th, 2009 at
Very cute. Thanks for posting the link to the directions. I’ve seen those on television and at Bed, Bath & Beyond and knew they could be easily handmade. Yours are so much prettier than the manufactured ones.
And I totally relate about online fabric purchases. Being addicted to fabric as I am, there’s no way I’m going to purchase without touching, feeling AND smelling. As you stated, bonding is so important.
Sometimes when I’m feeling low I’ll go look at and touch my fabric. It makes me feel better. I know I’m sick.
Keep up the craftiness!
May 5th, 2009 at
were these hard to make? I would love to make some for my house and daughters house. Any tips or hints?
May 5th, 2009 at
That is so smart! I might do something similar, we have horrible draft here in the winter. I’m feeling that now, the cold has moved over to Brazil
Wish I had a nice tip to share today, but that will have to be another day. 
May 5th, 2009 at
Are you willing to share where you found the pattern or instructions? Those look great, but I should probably use a pattern. (Though I’m happy to horrify my mother by making pillowcases without patterns. Or measuring.)
May 5th, 2009 at
Clever! What a great idea.
May 5th, 2009 at
These draft stoppers look good! Not cheap or cheesy. They are very nice. I think I may need to break out and wipe off the dust from my sewing machine. I’m inspired.