DIY: How to Make a Cold Draft Door Stopper

If you are one of those people who are always trying to find ways to keep yourself warm in the winter time because you can't afford to spend thousands of dollars on your electric, oil or gas bill every month, you have more options than just wrapping yourself in 5 blankets and wearing many layers. What many people don't realize is that by blocking out the cold winds that creep in through the bottom part of your door, you can raise the temperature in your house significantly.

The best part about a cold draft door stopper is that it's simple to make one yourself. Buying pre-made cold draft door stoppers can be quite costly, especially if you have more than one outside door in your house. Getting just a yard of material, and a few bags of flax seed will cost you less than $10.00 and you can make your own in less than a half an hour.

Here's what you'll need (for 1 cold draft door stopper):

• 1 yard of material (suede works the best, but cotton will work fine as well)

• Matching thread

• Sewing needle

• 3 bags of flax seed

• Pins

• One knee high nylon pantyhose

You should start your project by measure the length of your door, and cut the material to that length. You'll want each side of the cold draft door stopper to be at least 6 inches tall. If you have you material cut in a way that you can fold your fabric in half (meaning you have 12 inches of fabric height wise), then this can cut out a chunk of sewing time. If you are sewing two pieces together, you'll want to pin the pieces together, but keep one end open for stuffing. The next step is to sew the pieces together, again except for one opening. Once the pins have been removed and your stitching is secured at the ends, turn the tube inside out. At this point, you'll want to get your flax seed and pour it into the knee high nylon pantyhose and fill it ¾ full to match the size of the draft stopper tube. Once you have poured in the flax seed, tie the end of the nylon and stuff it into the draft stopper tube. Sew up the end of the tube, and place it under the door to block the draft on both sides of the door.

Now you have a inexpensive heat saver! This cold draft door stopper will save you money on your heating bill, and can be used over and over again for winters to come.