DIY draft stopper

In the back of one of our closets, there is a small door that leads to our “attic.” On the other side of that little door you’ll find Christmas decorations, bins full of clothes the kids have outgrown, and a million or so cardboard boxes that I’m hoarding saving. There’s a small gap at the bottom of the door, and during the winter, there’s usually a quilt or blanket shoved up against the door to keep the cold air out.

This winter I’ve been using a mattress cover that was sitting nearby that I’ve been meaning to fold and put away. Classy.

So after four years of blocking the cold air with whatever was handy, I finally dug into my fabric stash and made a proper draft stopper.

The black and white striped fabric is from IKEA. I made the fabric tube 6″ in diameter, and cut it several inches longer than the width of the door. At each end of the tube, I folded the edges of the fabric to the inside of the tube, then folded and pinched it together a lot like a milk carton. After I sewed the first end shut, I used a funnel to fill the tube, and then stitched up the other end.

If you search for “draft stopper” or “draft dodger” to get ideas for making your own, you’ll find that a lot of people fill them with rice, or maybe kitty litter. I didn’t feel good about using anything that might possibly attract rodents, so I filled the draft stopper with poly pellets. Poly pellets are tiny plastic beads that can be used to fill bean bags, make weighted stuffed animals, or… fill draft stoppers.

I bought a 32-oz. bag of poly pellets (I purchased mine at Joann) and still have a quarter to a third of the bag left. But the door to our attic is narrower than a standard door, so if you’re making a full-size draft stopper, a 32-oz. bag would probably be enough. (But no promises! I didn’t actually try it.)

I’m so glad to finally have a proper draft stopper to block the cold air. And it’s so much better than stuffing a blanket into place with my toes…