Make a Draft Stopper

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★★☆☆
A lot of heat (or cool) can escape a house by drafts under or around doors, through open chimneys, etc. If you can see daylight if you get down to the floor and try to look under your door, then this homemade gadget can help conserving energy.

Money Saved: ★★★☆☆
Once again, conserving energy means saving money. It only costs a couple dollars in rice, and some recycled fabric from old clothes to make this thing.

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
A little bit of a nuisance to have to push up against your door after opening it, but helps keep your house more comfortable and prevent cold drafts from seeping into your living room . . .

What We’re Doing
Our house has had some foundation settling, and as a result we've had to make several adjustments to our front door over the years. One result is that there is a bit of a gap at the bottom now that lets cold air in during winter months. Shannon made this simple fabric tube and filled it with rice (uncooked!) which makes it sort of like a bean bag. Pressed up against the bottom of the door, it seals it quite well!

A Little Humor
It was autumn, and the Indians on the remote reservation asked their new Chief if the winter was going to be cold or mild. Since he was a new Indian Chief in a modern society, he had never been taught the old secrets, and when he looked at the sky, he couldn't tell what the weather was going to be. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he replied to his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect wood to be prepared. But also being a practical leader, after several days he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, "Is the coming winter going to be cold?"
"It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold indeed," the meteorologist at the weather service responded. So the Chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more wood in order to be prepared. A week later he called the National Weather Service again. "Is it going to be a very cold winter?"
"Yes," the man at National Weather Service again replied, "it's going to be a very cold winter." The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of wood they could find. Two weeks later he called the National Weather Service again. "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?"
"Absolutely," the man replied. "It's going to be one of the coldest winters ever."
"How can you be so sure?" the Chief asked.
The weatherman replied, "The Indians are collecting wood like crazy!"