SUPER SAVER - draft guard for door

Okay, so I started thinking about lots of creative ways to save money lately. With the economy in a state of crisis and just about everyone I know cutting back on this or that, I thought that it couldn't hurt to post my latest find once in a while. Who knows? It could save you a little money, too!

You'll need:
two strips of styrofoam insulation or thick foam (cut to the width of the door)
quilter's batting (the width of the door x about 18")
old pantyhose (just one leg per door)


This was inspired from a commercial for a draft guard that fits under doors. If you have a drafty door, it's very much like having a leaky faucet. You don't really see the money dripping away, but if you added up the gallons you're wasting over the course of a year, you would definitely do something about it! We have a doggy door from the mud room to the garage and then another from the garage to the back yard. So, there's a bit of a draft coming in : ) (see the titanic opening under the door?)


I started with two pieces of scrap insulation styrofoam (from Lowe's or if you know someone who is building or a site where you could find enough discarded). We have an awful lot of construction in our area, so this type of thing is plentiful here, but you could buy a 1/8 of a yard of foam from JoAnn's or local fabric store. Measure your styrofoam to your door and trim excess.

Cover each piece with batting by rolling it over the styrofoam like this:


Then roll up your old pantyhose as if you were going to put your toes in and start at one end, working your way up. Cut excess and knot shut.


Carefully ease the guard under the door through the "trough" between the pieces of styrofoam with the batting that goes between the pieces next to the floor.


It's not the most beautiful thing I've ever created, but the kitchen is soooo much warmer now. I'm shocked how much air we didn't realize was coming in!