Draft Blocker

With the weather turned colder, we noticed a draft coming in though the front door, and another coming through the door to the garage.  I was able to quickly make a draft blocker for both doors with materials that I had on hand.  I copied a similar product that I saw in Walmart but didn't want to pay for.  Do you need one for your door?  Here's how I did it:

You will need:
1 piece of fabric 10 x 40 inches  (I used scraps of a sheet left over from another project)
4 pieces of fabric 5 x 10 inches
2-3 cups of dry rice
Stuffing or fabric scraps to use for fill  (I actually dug in my crafting garbage and pulled out all the scraps of fabric I had thrown away and used that because I didn't have enough stuffing - a very frugal option!)
Thread

Cut your fabric.  Fold the larger piece in half so the long sides are together, right sides together.  Sew one of the short sides and the long side.  Turn it right side out, it should be a long tube with one open short side. 

Now, we're basically going to make a bean bags to put inside to add weight so it will stay where you put it.  Fold one of the small fabric pieces in half to form a square.  Sew around two sides, leaving one open.  You can turn it right side out and make it look nice if you'd prefer, but since it's going to be inside our draft blocker, you don't need to, I didn't even trim my threads!

Fill with approximately 1/2 cup of dry rice.

To make sewing the bag closed with all the rice inside, it's best to put a couple pins in.  Then sew the bag closed.

Here's a finished bean bag (the first one I made I turned it right side out and made it look nice, then I realized no one would ever see it).  The white stuff you see on the bag is just rice dust from filling it.

Start stuffing your long tube.  Put one of the bean bags in first, then fill with stuffing or fabric scraps, about 8 inches worth.  Use a long knitting needle or pencil to help get the stuffing in.  Alternate bean bags and stuffing until you are at the top of the tube, end with a bean bag.  To finish, turn the ends under and pin closed.  Carefully sew the end closed with a top stitch, or you can hand sew it closed so you can't see the stitching.

That's it, now go put it in front of your door!