Make it Better: Old Pants to Draft Stopper DIY

This week New York City is going through what the weather people promise will be the worst heat wave of the season so far, and I doubt anyone is looking forward to it. Throughout the summer, keeping the cool air from the air conditioner inside is very important for the energy bill, so this weekend I double checked on drafts to make sure our air conditioner is not cooling the hallway outside our apartment.

Door draft stoppers are often used in the winter to keep heat in, but since warm air rises, cracks under doors are one of the spots to be concerned about in the summer to keep the cool air inside. These are easy to make, and there are a million versions. Here's one I made from a pair of old pants -- I used a pair of old corduroys because the weight of the fabric is heavy, so that will help insulate and keep drafts at bay.

Keep reading for the way to recycle a pair of old pants into a door breeze stopper, no fabric stuffing required.

I'm not using exact measurements because this is a very easy project that will allow for many variations in size.

1) Cut off one leg and make sure it's long enough for the door with a little extra for seam allowance. Snip off another small rectangle for a small hook, or make this rectangle longer for a hook that will go over a doorknob. (Okay, just one measurement: for a doorknob hook, the rectangle should be about 13 inches long.)

 2) I chose to weight my draft stopper with pebbles, so I folded over a small section and made seams from the fold towards the center. This will create pockets so that the pebbles will not roll around inside the finished stopper.

 3) If weighting it, sew up the pockets by placing a pebble or two inside each pocket and sewing the pockets closed. Then fold the weighted long end to the opposite side, with the right side of the fabric facing in, and sew along the long side.

4) For the hook, sew a seam along the long edge with right sides of the fabric facing one another, leaving both ends open. Turn right side out. I find that using a safety pin is helpful for turning skinny fabric tubes right side out.

5) Fold the hook in half so that the open ends match up, and place between the layers with the open ends lining up to the edge. Sew closed, leaving the other end open.

6) Turn the tube right side out through the opening.

7) Cut up the rest of the pants and stuff sections in at a time. I used a ruler to push sections down to the end until my breeze stopper was full.

The weight of the fabric inside the draft stopper will keep the cool air inside, and the weights will keep it from rolling away from the door. I like that the hook allows me to hang it when it's not in use.

Stay cool this week!