With the winter winds blowing, heating your home can get expensive. One of the simplest ways to help ease the burden is to block drafts, keeping cold air out and warm air in. Many people will simply place a rolled up towel in front of doors, which works, but there are some other options. You can find some nice draft blockers that coordinate with your décor or you can make your own draft stoppers.
Doors aren’t the only issue, however. What about windowsills? You don’t want to stuff towels up by the window, so choose from an assortment of attractive options or create custom draft blockers in just the right size and fabric.
Still, there are other areas where drafts sneak in. The attic fan, exhaust fans, and unused fireplaces are often such culprits. Check out Battic Door for some great solutions for these drafty areas.
How can you make your own draft blockers? Simple!
Choose sturdy fabric that coordinates with the space. Measure the area you need to block and cut a piece of fabric a few inches longer than the measurement. The width of the fabric should be about 9” wide for doors and about 7” wide for windowsills.
Fold the fabric in half inside out and sew the long side and one end closed or seal with fusible seam tape or washable fabric glue.
Turn right side out and stuff the tube you made. Be sure to stuff it very well. It should be fairly stiff, although somewhat flexible, when you’re finished stuffing. Seal the open end, embellish if desired, and put your draft blocker in place.
Make one that looks like a snake for kid’s areas by simply adding googly eyes and a small piece of red ribbon for a tongue and cut a fork at the end of the tongue (if you have fun with this and want some other crafty ideas to work on with your kids, check out Family Fun).
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