Sewing Instructions for a Twin Door Stopper
A twin door stopper is a highly effective tool for keeping cold air outside and warm air inside a room. This not only makes your home more comfortable, it reduces your heating costs and energy consumption. A twin door stopper is easy to sew from fabric and a few other materials, even if you only have basic sewing skills.
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Materials
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To sew a twin door stopper you need a rectangle of fabric, approximately the width of the door by 1 ft. Choose heavy, hard-wearing, non-stretch fabric like a thick flannel or corduroy. You also need some kind of material for stuffing the two tubular sections that lie on each side of the door, blocking drafts and holding the door in place. Natural kitty litter, rice, lentils and small dried beans all make good fillers. It is possible to hand sew the door stopper, but a sewing machine makes the job much quicker and easier.
Filling
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A twin door stopper basically consists of two long, narrow stuffed pockets that lie along the bottom of each side of a door, and a flat central section of fabric that lies underneath the door. Measure the width of the door and make two tubular pockets from muslin to contain the filling. This makes construction easier than filling the fabric stopper directly. Cut two strips of muslin the width of the door by 5 to 7 inches. Fold each strip in half lengthwise and sew the long seam and one short seam. Turn the tube so that the right sides are out and fill it with the kitty litter or whatever material you are using, then stitch the open end closed. A funnel will help you fill it without spilling. You will insert these in the pocket sections of the door stopper.
Sewing
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Take your rectangle of fabric and fold it in half lengthwise with the right sides together. Stitch along this seam, then press it so that the seam is in the center. Stitch along one of the short sides. Turn the piece so that the right sides are out---and you should have one long narrow pocket. Now take the two stuffed muslin tubes that you made. On a flat surface, position these inside your fabric pocket and push them up against the sides. Pin along the inside edge of each stuffed section to hold the tubes in place. Fold the remaining open seam in and stitch it closed. Make sure that the central flat section of the door stopper slides under the door and that the stuffed sections are close enough to the door to block drafts. Remove the pins and sew a straight line of stitches along each side to hold the stuffed sections in place, and leave a flat strip along the center.
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