Brrr, it’s cold outside. Do you have a small gap under your door to the outside? Or to your basement or attic? Making a door draft stopper (and then using it) will help keep the cold out and your home warmer.

I’ll show you how to make a quick and easy door draft stopper in this article. What makes this tutorial different is I put two handles on the blocker, making it easy to hang on your door handle when the door is in use. it’s a simple project – just straight-line sewing!

Door draft stoppers are sometimes called door snakes since they look like a snake sliding by the bottom of your door. And, sometimes referred to as a draft dodger, draft snake, door draft blocker, or draft guard.

It is a long fabric tube a bit longer than the width of the bottom of your door that you place to block the crack between the door and the door jam ( or window and sill) to help keep the cold air out.

Use them on drafty doors, window frames or anywhere you want to stop a draft of cold air. Lower your heating bill and energy costs, while increasing efficiency in cold weather. These aren’t just for an old farmhouse, even newer homes have drafty doors and windows!

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Make diy door draft stoppers for your entry doors and any older windows. Keep the warm air in, with this diy project.

This is an easy sewing project, perfect for beginners. And, they are effective in keeping the cold out of your home.

With our directions, the fabric is quilted first before making the tube which makes it harder for the cold air to enter your home. Also, we have two handles. When you pick up the stopper to open the door, simply slip the handles over the door knob for storage!

One (1) Door Draft Stopper

How to make a Door Draft Stopper

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Active Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner

Learn how to make a door draft stopper to keep the cool air out of your home and the hot air in.

The snake-like tube snugs up against the bottom of your door.

This is an easy sewing project, perfect for beginners.

Here are our step-by-step instructions:

Materials

One (1) piece of fabric 40-inches long by 10-inches wide for the outside
One (1) piece of fabric 42-inches long by 12-inches for the lining
Piece of batting 42-inches long by 12-inches wide
2 pieces of webbing or ribbon for the handles cut at 9-inches each
2 cups poly pellets
Small bag of polyfill
Thread for sewing
Thread for machine quilting

Tools

Sewing machine
Rotary cutter
Cutting mat
Quilter's ruler
Yard stick
Container to hold tube while filling with poly pellets
Optional: Funnel if your poly pellet bag doesn't have a spout
Optional: Walking foot for quilting

Instructions

Start by preparing your fabric to make the door draft stopper. I made this piece from scraps left over from a project. The fabric needs to be 4-inches wider than your door. Most doors are 36-inches wide, so my piece is 40-inches x 10-inches wide.

This is a perfect use for orphan quilt blocks left over from a project, or just use a solid piece of fabric!
I like to quilt this piece. It gives the door stopper more stability and the quilting is like a coat, helping keep the drafts and cold away.

Layer the top for the door snake with batting and the backing.
Now quilt the layers together. You don't need dense quilting, it is just to hold the layers together while you fill the tube. I like to use my walking foot to make it easy (don't make this hard, unless you want to!). I followed the diagonal lines formed by the checkerboard.
Here is the piece all quilted and ready to make into a door draft stopper.
I had cut the batting and backing a little larger than the top fabric. Now is the time to trim the edges and gather the other supplies you'll need. Here I've got the poly pellets, poly fill, two strips of webbing for the handles and my quilted piece of fabric.
Take your quilted piece of fabric and one of the handles. Place one of the handles along one of the short edges on the right side fabric.

Fold your quilted fabric piece in half lengthwise. Hold with Wonder Clips.
Sew along the short end with a 1/2-inch seam allowance with the right sides together and the handle tucked in, catching the ends of the handle in your stitching.
Turn and sew along the long side with a 1/2-inch seam allowance with the right sides together.
Next, turn the tube right side out through the open end.
Here is the door draft stopper tube turned right side out and ready to be filled. Place the tube in a container before filling. Ask me how I know - the pellets can go everywhere!
Start by putting a handful of polyfill into the tube. Use a yardstick to help nudge the polyfill to the sewn end of the tube. Some people use a chop stick but I found it is too small for such a long tube.
Then, carefully (in a container) pour about 3/4 cup of poly pellets into the tube. You don't need to be exact. With use, the pellets will distribute throughout the inside of the door draft stopper. If you don't have a bag of pellets with a pouring spout, use a funnel.
Alternate between adding a handfull of polyfill and the pellets until the tube is filled to about 2-inches from the end. This does not need to be tight.
Now you are ready to close the end of the tube. Fold the end fabric in about 1-inch and secure with Wonder Clips.
Tuck the second handle inside, making sure that the ends will be caught when sewing this end closed.
This will be thick. Topstitch about 1/2-inch from the folded edge securing the ends of the second handle in the seam.
Here is the second end of the door stopper all sewn and ready to catch a draft!
Here is the door stopper at work.
And, when you want to open the door, simply hang the stopper from your door handle for easy storage.

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What else can I use to fill the door draft stopper?

I prefer the mix of polyfill and poly pellets to fill the door draft stopper. This is a perfect mix for weight to keep it in place and making your home more energy efficient.

As you plan your own draft stopper, remember, this is intended to be on the floor.

Some people use beans, kitty litter, walnut husks, popcorn kernels, plastic bags. and more.

I don’t know about you, but my floors get wet, especially when it is cold outside. I didn’t want to use things to fill my door snake that could absorb the dampness, and mold or attract bugs or rodents.

Some people use pool noodles, but they don’t have the little bit of weight you need to keep the DIY draft stopper in place.

The best filling is one that will hold up with everyday use. The mixture of polyfill and poly pellets makes the door draft stopper weighted so that it stays in place. And, if it gets wet there are no worries.

Do I need to quilt the fabric for the door stopper?

No. I find using the extra layers gives extra security that the poly pellets won’t slip through a seam. Also, the quilting does provide an extra layer to help block the drafts.

What other options are there to make a homemade draft stopper?

Fill long socks with the poly pellet / polyfill blend. You may need more than one sock for the width of the door.
Take old pillows and line them up along the bottom of the door.
Cut the legs off of old jeans. Sew a long tube about 10-inches in diameter from the leg. Fill and place in your door frame.
This is a perfect project for your scrap fabrics. Dig into your fabric stash and find fabrics you like. Piece them together to match your home decor!
Add decorative elements to accentuate your decor! Use fabrics that match your furniture.
Make one for each of your exterior doors.
Is your door wider or narrower than the standard 36-inch width? Measure your door first with a tape measure. Take the width of your door and add 4-inches to the length of your fabrics and batting.

Browse through more home dec projects on Create Whimsy.