Draft Dodgers--Lighter Filling Ideas?

[Maryn]

The Kid with the New House has asked that her Christmas presents include several of those sand-filled fabric tubes that stop drafts and sound from creeping through the gap below the door. She wants them for both interior and exterior doors.

Okay, no problem. I probably don't even need to buy anything but the filling.

Sand, of course, is quite heavy and will cost a fortune to mail. It's also fine enough to leak out between stitches or even through the fabric's weave. So what else can I fill it with that won't weigh so much or cost a fortune?

My ideas so far:

• Rice, which gets fairly cheap if you buy a huge bag. Still kind of heavy, but lighter than sand. Won't leak through tight seams. Good luck storing what you don't use in a way mice can't get into.
• Dried beans, split peas, lentils, similar issues to rice, potential to be lumpy. Harder to find large bags.
• Styrofoam beads, difficult and messy to work with, very lightweight, good for mailing costs--but will the draft dodger stay in place?
• Polyfil stuffing like you'd put in a toy, somewhat messy, lightweight with same issue as beads above, potential to be lumpy.
• Pool noodles, hard to insert with the tight fit that would look good, no mess, lightweight, cannot be coiled for mailing, hard to find in December.
• Lightweight cat litter, potential to be messy but sweeps up easily, may have some dust, good weight.
• Bagged insulation intended to be blown into walls and attics/ceilings, readily available, pretty cheap, lightweight, potential to be lumpy (safe to handle, made of cellulose).

So, crafty folks, if you were making these (out of adorable goth-skeleton-music fabrics), what would you stuff them with and why?

Maryn, revisiting scraps and finding a treasure trove

 

[mrsmig]

Don't use rice, beans, etc. for outdoor draft dodgers, or for use anywhere that they might get wet.

Insofar as weight for shipping, could you avoid that by designing a draft dodger with a zipper, so that Kid could fill it on site with the product of her choice? You could even order the filling to be sent to her separately (buckwheat hulls from Amazon, frex). Sand might jam the zipper, but if she fills it and zips it up just the once, it mightn't be an issue.

 

[Brigid Barry]

I like MrsMig's suggestions.

Also wanted to say I thought something entirely different when you said "draft dodger".

 

[Unimportant]

I used kitty litter when I made mine. You could also use pea gravel.

 

[CMBright]

I like MrsMig's suggestions.

Also wanted to say I thought something entirely different when you said "draft dodger".

So I wasn't the only one thinking it was brainstorming for a historical novel? I'm happy I'm not alone.

Another don't get it wet warning, don't use clumping cat litter if you plan to use the draft blocker outside. Although it would make more sense to use them inside against the outside door, so I'm not sure if that is an issue in day to day usage.

 

[SWest]

Pool noodle is a fun idea, but they're not heavy...unless you make the double-sided type that slips semi-permanently under the bottom edge of the door itself:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ad/50/fb/ad50fbf5000d52d88943ba9889e622f0.jpg

Otherwise, another vote to ship aquarium gravel separately/directly to her address...you'd have to guestimate a bit, but pebbles would dry out well without festering too much if they got wet ('cause, you know, they're meant to get wet ), and they'd be washable in a colander in the sink.

 

[Maryn]

I didn't take pictures like I meant to, but I finished two exterior and four interior draft dodgers. Each was fabric-covered foam pipe insulation, so very light I knew it wouldn't stay in place. Inside each one was a piece of chain, tied at both ends. Enough weight, but not especially heavy. The interior ones also have loops so they can hang on the door knob when not in use.

 

[TellMeAStory]

Darn. I was going to suggest a chain.

 

[Maryn]

Let's tell everyone you did. See what a genius idea you had?