Door Snake Tutorial

Draft-Blocking Door Snake Tutorial

Now that it's winter, my husband asked for some draft-blockers to put in front of our doors. Particularly the (very drafty) sliding glass door that is in our bedroom, as it is very hard to use weather-stripping for this kind of door. We do put the plastic wind blocking material on it, but there is always that part at the bottom that the cat loves to play with, thereby reducing the effeciveness of the plastic. So, here is a tutorial to make cute draft blockers that can double as toys for the little ones!

Step 1: Gather your supplies.

If you are an avid sewer, and a few steps shy of being a hoarder, you probably already have all these materials on hand:
- Basic sewing materials (sewing machine, thread, etc.)

- Piece of sturdy fabric 6"H x 33"L (you may need to adjust the length for your particular door size)

- 2 buttons (for eyes)

- Scraps (for spikes/horns and tongue)

- Filler (rice, gravel, cat litter)

Step 2: Cut out the fabric.

If you haven't already, cut out a rectangle of fabric 6"H x 33"L. Used jeans or khakis work great for this, as they are durable and not prone to stretching.

Step 3: Add the spikes/horns and tongue.

This is a great way to use those small bits of fabric that you have lying around. I used fleece, so that I would not have to worry about finishing the edges.

Be creative! Use different shapes, different fabrics, different sizes!

Arrange your pieces along one edge of the right side of the fabric, and stitch them all on. Be sure that the horns and tongue are facing inside the seam (they will pop back out on the final project).

Step 4: Add the eyes.

I have a large jar of random buttons that I bring out for occasions like this.

Find 2 buttons that you like, and place them at 1.5" away from each edge along one side of the right side of the fabric.

Stitch the buttons in place.

Step 5: Sew the right sides together.

Fold the snake in half length-wise, with the right sides together.

Sew along the long edge. You can do a second stitching to add strength.

Step 6: Sew the short edge.

Take what you have just sewn, and open it a little bit, so that you can flatten the seamline along the middle.

Once you have done that, sew the short edge that has the eyes on it. You can double-stitch for added strength.

Step 7: Turn the snake right-side out and fill.

Turn your snake right-side out.

Using a funnel (you can make an easy one by cutting off the end of a soda bottle and using that), fill your snake to desired fullness. Leave some room for sewing the snake together.

Step 8: Sew the remaining edge.

Fold the open edge of the door snake in about 1/2" all the way around.

Stitch closed.

Enjoy!