DIY Boxy Door Draft (or Light) Blocker

Let me show you how a DIY boxy door blocker can block out light or even a draft.

A boxy door draft lying in front of a door.

I’m fanatical about sleep. Not only MY sleep but my kids’ sleep.

Although I will admit that since starting this blog, I’ve been going to sleep later and later as most of my work is done in the evening.

Anyhoo, I still love my sleep. I’m super crankypants if I don’t have enough sleep and so are my kids.

My son was a terrible napper as a baby and used to wake up at 5 am until I made blackout curtains. I’ve made them for every bedroom in the house.

My daughter’s room is off our bright foyer so light pours in under her door in the early morning.

I’ve found another solution for that too!

Check out how to make your own French inspired boxy door draft (or light) blocker.

You can see by this photo that the foyer has a lot of light and the bedrooms are right off of it.

Neutral foyer with stairs leading up and bench on the bottom of the stairs.

I found that by blocking the light coming from under the door helped a lot with sleep.

It even helps with sound.

For years I’ve been using this pink rolled up blanket (that I’ve had since I was a child).

It really isn’t the greatest looking. So I made my own.

 A pink rolled up towel in front of the door.

SUPPLIES:

  • sewing machine
  • fabric (the one I used is no longer sold but this script fabric is similar and this one)
  • cotton batting
  • dry beans or lentils
  • iron & ironing board
  • scissors
French fabric with words and saying written on it.

 TUTORIAL:

1.Cut four pieces of fabric into the length of your door (plus 1 inch) by 3 inches wide and two pieces cut 3 by 3 inches.

2. First sew the four pieces of fabric together along the long sides.

Sewing the French fabric together.

3. Press the seams down with a hot iron.

Pressing the seams of the French fabric.

4. Sew the two long sides together with the print facing in.

5. Sew one of the small square pieces to the end with the fabric facing in. Sew the opposite end just three sides.

Constructing the boxy look of the French fabric.

6. Turn right side out. Fill about 1/4 with dry beans. Lay the fabric on the floor and evenly spread out beans along bottom.

7. Stuff with cotton batting on top of beans using a long ruler to push the cotton to the end and shuffle the beans around the bottom so they try to stay evenly put.

8. Hand sew the last edge of end in place.

The completed door draft blocker in front of white door.

 I love that it’s boxy and fits in the door jam perfectly!

The boxy door blocker jammed right into the door frame perfectly.

Of course the boxy door draft is a little French 😉

The boxy door jam in the door with the top of the staircase pictured.

 No more light getting in now.

Draft/light blocker on the neutral carpet in front of door.

Don’t you love a DIY project that is pretty yet practical?

Make sure to pin it for later!

DIY boxy door draft on checkered floor.

Shop Fabric

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25 Comments

  1. That looks terrific! I need one! You lost me though at sewing machine 🙂 On another note, what color are your walls? Love it!

  2. It’s perfect, lady! I love it! (I need to take a cue from you and do some sewing) – Also, where do you get all of your crocks (like the ones under your bench in the foyer?). I’m on the hunt for one to hold my utensils in the kitchen.

  3. The end result is very nice looking. The only thing I might do different is to sew the long pieces together, leaving a gap unsewn in the center of one seam. Then sew the squares onto the ends before turning it right side out. I think it would be a little easier to stuff it that way.

  4. How about cutting 5 pieces and sandwiching the beans between the extra strip and the bottom strip. Would that be enough weight? Sew two strips on top of each other, stitching both sides and leaving one end open to slide beans into. After placing beans, stitch using original directions. Might be a little more difficult to stitch together with beans. Think I will give it a try.

  5. I put my draft blocker between my storm and inside doors. It stays in place better, but we tend to trip over it. I have been tossing around the idea of adding a strip of magnets to mine so it could work better inside the house on my steel door. I wouldn’t have to remind everyone to put it back then!

    1. Hi Melanie,
      I’ve added some new links to similar fabric in this post. You can see it towards the end of this post near my signature.
      Hope that helps!
      Hugs, Jamie

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