When the wind blows in the winter and whistles under the door, it’s easy for the house to cool off fast. Make this energy-saving Caterpillar Draft Stopper to help ward off those icy blasts and keep your home warm and comfortable.

Materials Needed (For a 36-inch Door)

   one 9- by 38-inch piece of green felt
   1 yard giant yellow rickrack
   21/2 yards of yellow ribbon
   one 2-inch diameter green pompom
   one half-inch diameter pink pompom
   one yellow pipe cleaner
   one pair of plastic eyes
   one pair long curly plastic eyelashes
   craft glue or hot glue gun
   pea gravel or coarse sand (for filling)

Hint: Do NOT use beans of any kind, as they will sprout if they get wet. If you cannot obtain the gravel or sand, you could use aquarium gravel or even kitty litter. 

Directions: Fold the felt in half lengthwise, cutting the corners in a rounded shape as in the drawing. Narrowly stitch the rounded end, leaving the long side open.

Insert the rickrack along the long edge and stitch the side closed, leaving a 2-inch opening at one end. Solidly fill the caterpillar’s body with the gravel, then hand stitch it closed. Starting about 6 inches from the long end, tightly tie the yellow ribbon around the body, ending in a bow on top. Space the ribbon every 6 inches.

Glue the pink pompom onto the green one for the nose. Glue on the eyes and lashes. To make the antennae, fold the pipe cleaner in half. Twist each end of the pipe cleaner into a flat, curly shape. Insert the center of the pipe cleaner into the top of the pompom and glue into place. Glue the head to one end of the caterpillar’s body. Now lay it on the floor along the edge of your door to prevent drafts from entering your home. Use your imagination to create other draft stoppers or look in the craft section of pattern books for dolls and other types of draft stoppers.