Hey everyone. Today you'll learn to sew a weighted door draft stopper snake that actually stays put.
Here we go. You know that cold line under the door. It sneaks in all winter long. A plain fabric tube just slides away. This version fixes that problem.
We roll low-loft polyester batting strips around a rice core. The batting gives it body and insulation. The rice gives it honest weight. Together they hug the floor and block the draft.
Low-loft polyester is perfect here, folks. It is thin, so strips roll tight. It does not bunch like fluffy batting. It also resists moisture near the floor better than cotton.
I keep a bin of Thermore scraps for this. It is really thin polyester batting, and one package goes a long way. If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Materials You Will Need
- Outer fabric: 1 piece cut to your door width plus 4 inches, by 9 inches wide. Cotton, canvas, or denim all work.
- Low-loft polyester batting strips: long strips 2 to 3 inches wide. Use scraps or cut them from a fresh piece.
- Muslin for the inner tube: same length as your outer fabric, by 6 inches wide
- Dry, uncooked rice: about 3 to 4 cups for a 36-inch door
- 6 inches of twill tape for a hanging loop, 50-weight thread, and a size 80/12 or 90/14 needle
- Funnel, measuring tape, pins, scissors, and a chopstick
Completely up to you on fabric. Seasonal print or leftover denim both work. We're not reinventing the wheel here.
How to Make It, Step by Step
- Measure your door. Measure right across the bottom. Add 2 inches on each end. That overlap is what seals the corners. My front door needed 38 inches finished.
- Cut everything. Cut your outer fabric 9 inches wide by your length plus 1 inch. Cut the muslin 6 inches wide by the same length. Cut batting into long strips. Ragged edges are just fine here.
- Sew the rice tube first. Fold the muslin in half lengthwise, right sides together. Stitch a 1/4-inch seam at 2.5 mm stitch length, about 10 stitches per inch. Leave one short end open. Turn it right side out.
- Fill the tube. Use the funnel and add the rice a little at a time. Do not pack it tight. You want it to flex and settle. Leave 2 inches empty at the top. Stitch that end closed twice. Slow down here or rice will spill everywhere. Ask me how I know.
- Wrap the tube in batting. Lay your batting strips in a row, overlapping a bit. Place the rice tube in the center. Roll the batting around it, nice and snug. Add a second layer if your strips are very thin. Pin or hand-tack the edge so it does not unroll.
- Sew the outer cover. Fold your loop in half and pin it inside one short end, loop facing in. Fold the outer fabric lengthwise, right sides together. Stitch the long edge and that short end with a 1/2-inch seam. Leave the other short end open.
- Turn and stuff. Turn the cover right side out. Use a chopstick to push the corners out gently. Slide your batting-wrapped tube inside. It should feel firm but bendable. Just like that, it is taking shape.
- Close it up. Tuck the raw edges in 1/2 inch. Pin well. Topstitch close to the edge, or slip-stitch by hand. Give it a good shake to settle the rice evenly.
- Test the fit. Lay it tight against the door. No light should peek underneath. If it rolls, flatten one side with your hand and add a short line of quilting stitches to hold that flat spot.
Tips and Variations
It does not have to be perfect. You are your own worst critic here. If a seam wiggles a little, the snake still works. Take your time. It is not a race.
Want one for a pet door panel gap? Make a shorter, fatter version. Measure that gap and add extra batting. Same idea, smaller snake.
For a drafty old house, use two rows of batting. For a light interior door, one row is plenty.
Hang it up in summer by that loop. A hook inside the closet door works great. That keeps it clean and ready for fall.
One warning. Keep this dry. Wet rice can swell and smell. Polyester dries fast, but rice does not. Spot clean the cover, or make it removable with Velcro by a rainy door.
This is a super duper easy scrap buster. Long trimmings that would get tossed become the whole project. Really really satisfying, y'all.
Thanks for sewing along today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop Hobbs Thermore Polyester Batting Package — 54" × 45" at Linda's Electric Quilters.
