# Homemade door draft blockers?



## JanaKaye (Oct 16, 2004)

Does anyone here make those door draft blockers ( or "snakes") that go at the bottom of a door or in a window to block the cold wind? I see several of these on Amazon in pretty fabric... just wondering first if there is someone here who does this sort of thing. If so, please PM me or send link to a website. Thanks!


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

From what I can gather, they are just long strips of heavy fabric made into a tube with one end sewed shut. The tube is filled with sand and the open end sewed shut.

Been meaning to make a couple.


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## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

Or you can fill them with rice, corn, oats, etc. I have oats in mine. (not oatmeal).


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## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

Amazon.com: Twin Draft Guard Brown: Home & Kitchen

http://www.ehow.com/how_5513398_make-draft-stopper.html?ref=Track2&utm_source=ask

http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/door-draft-stoppers-draft-snakes-460109

http://www.favecrafts.com/Home-Decor/How-to-Make-a-Door-Draft-Stopper-Draft-Dodger-Door-Snake


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## lovinthislife (Aug 28, 2009)

I used denim and made a long snake and filled it with old walmart bags. It was big and filled the cracks. I love mine


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

lovinthislife said:


> I used denim and made a long snake and filled it with old walmart bags. It was big and filled the cracks. I love mine


I thought about making those and read this post and your response...on my table are TWO DENIM SNAKE draft dodgers and they are filled with sand I baked in my oven to sanitize plus used a funnel to pour the sand in with ease. My boys are going to want to play with them..they feel so cool with the sand filling. I decided to make a mini sand snake and send it to my grandson with triple seams of course plus caution my daughter about his playing with it carefully and not to let her dogs get it...boy would my grandson get mad if the dogs got his snake...He loves anything I make him, he is 4 and your suggestion about denim draft dodgers is why I made mine tonight! I had yet another pair of jeans my 14 yr old trashed beyond repair to wear off the island..he has enough mended island pants...this pair went to the snakes...LOL

The measurement I used was 41 inches long by 8 inches wide on the fabric...worked great for our standard doors. They sure are round snakes!


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Ardie/WI said:


> From what I can gather, they are just long strips of heavy fabric made into a tube with one end sewed shut. The tube is filled with sand and the open end sewed shut.
> 
> Been meaning to make a couple.


Yep, I used your idea of the sand filling and the other post about denim. Made two of these tonight, so easy and you will love playing with them...hard to put them down with the feel of the sand and denim.... A very cost effective way to use ruined jeans and sand off our beach sanitized in my oven first of course and I also put it through a strainer.... It sure took a lot of sand to fill them up though....


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## lonelytree (Feb 28, 2008)

Why not just fix your door? Weather stripping is cheap and works. You could even add the brush style to the outside for additional draft protection. It works great even on garage doors.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

But the draft dodger snakes look so cool.


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## HorseMom (Jul 31, 2005)

lovinthislife said:


> I used denim and made a long snake and filled it with old walmart bags. It was big and filled the cracks. I love mine


Hmmm, I have a bag of bags I was going to recycle. Maybe not! All my windows and doors in my apartment are drafty. Landlord says they are all that way and it would cost too much to fix them all :-/ I put plastic on the inside of my sliding glass doors last year, but the kitten (declawed) pawed at it so much that it kept coming unstuck. She's older but not much more mature so I expect the same this year, lol!
Heidi


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## lonelytree (Feb 28, 2008)

HorseMom said:


> Hmmm, I have a bag of bags I was going to recycle. Maybe not! All my windows and doors in my apartment are drafty. Landlord says they are all that way and it would cost too much to fix them all :-/ I put plastic on the inside of my sliding glass doors last year, but the kitten (declawed) pawed at it so much that it kept coming unstuck. She's older but not much more mature so I expect the same this year, lol!
> Heidi


I hope they pay for heat. Weather striping for doors is cheap.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

lonelytree said:


> Why not just fix your door? Weather stripping is cheap and works. You could even add the brush style to the outside for additional draft protection. It works great even on garage doors.


I have weather stripping around the entire door but this is just a little more barrier which helps keep warmth in too. Plus they look cool .


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

I think they are a really fun project, and I'll be making some, too. BTW, we have well insulated doors, but those would be too cute!


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

lorichristie said:


> I think they are a really fun project, and I'll be making some, too. BTW, we have well insulated doors, but those would be too cute!


Just seeing them there makes you feel warmer somehow??? LOL My dogs even respect them which is really interesting..I thought they would draw unwanted attention...not at all.


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## Katskitten (Aug 5, 2010)

I have several made in the form of rabbits and cows that I was selling at craft fairs. Due to my job that I had held for the last 4 1/2 years I couldn't do the fairs. That changed this last year with the owners up and closing the place over night.. 
I'll send a link to pics later today.
Elaine


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

Can you use rice or cat litter in them ?!? I dont have sand ...


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Kitty litter works great, I think the trick is to have an air-tight fabric. If you like the snakey look, give the tube a little shaping, & paint it with acrylic. I'd avoid any fillers like rice - mold and vermin vectors. If you're buying sand, try aquarium gravel instead. Much more manageable, won't leak out the seams, and re-usable or "repurpose".


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