Easy DIY Draft Stoppers

We live in a very old house with doors that have gaps underneath. While this is not a problem for the bedrooms, it is an issue for the basement door, under which the cold tends to creep in the winter-time. We have a cold spot at the front door as well. While we have been keeping out drafts with rolled up towels, no matter how you fold or roll them, they do not fit well. There is always a spot where there is either too much or not enough towel. Invariably, the towel gets kicked, it unravels, and then it is in the way. Since these older towels are also used for setting our canned good on when we take them out of the canner, we decided it was time to make something that fits better under the doors.

Style 1 - Single "Baffle"

I first experimented with a single draft stopper for the front door. It only required measuring the door and sewing a rectangle in the right length. I used the leg of a pair of pants that was stained and worn through near the seat. I made the rectangle five inches by thirty-three inches (our door is 32 inches wide and I wanted a 1/2 inch seam allowance on each end) but after sewing it together, I realized I wanted it to be taller when filled. 


The pant leg cut to size

I then cut out a second rectangle from the other leg about seven inches wide. That looked much better, so I stuffed it with scrap fabric and old t-shirt pieces that I have had sitting around for a while and tucked it in front of the door. It fit nicely.

The finished draft stopper for the front door

Style 2 - Double "Baffle"

For the basement door, I wanted to try a double-sided draft stopper that I saw on YouTube. I thought it would be nice to have an option that would slide as you open and close the door rather than one you have to move in order to open the door (like the one for the front door). Since there is an actual gap underneath the basement door, this style seemed to fit the bill. I started with another pair of worn-out pants for this version and followed the directions on the video. In spite of adding extra inches like the video said, the door easily slid over the stopper rather than the stopper sliding with the door. It worked okay, but I wanted one with bigger "baffles" that would give more complete coverage and be large enough for the door to move without it sliding over the top. I decided to make a second one, adding three and a half more inches to the width. Because pants legs were not wide enough for this version, I used a coarse fabric I picked up at the thrift store. It felt heavy-duty enough to last a long time. I stuffed this with the unused pieces from the first attempt and several other small scrap pieces.

A double-sided draft stopper

The finished product

The results were much improved. Unfortunately, in spite of the larger size, the door still opens over the top of the draft stopper on occasion. It works well enough, though, and the length is so much better that I am pleased. It is certainly an improvement over the towel!

What we love about this project

  • We love that this project is simple and fast. I made two prototypes and two finished products in one afternoon. The family was happy that the draft stoppers fit the door so well without any overflow to step on. 
  • I also love that this provides a good use for fabric scraps. No need to throw away smaller scrap pieces, just use them to stuff your draft stoppers!

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