Yes, it’s still cold outside!
In the absence of being able to magic up some sunshine, Pica Pica might be able to help you keep your home a little bit warmer though, with our really simple draught excluder snake make.
What you will need
35cm x 80cm piece of fabric
Scrap of red felt
Several items of old clothing or polyester filling
Sewing needle
Black sewing thread
Black fabric paint or marker
Sewing machine
Scissors
Step 1
Lay out your piece of fabric on a flat surface. Measure 35cm x 80 cm and cut to size using sharp fabric scissors.
Step 2
Fold fabric piece in half, length wise, right sides together. Draw two semi-circle shapes at both end for the head and tail of the body. Pin down the edges, leaving a 1.5 cm seam allowance.
Step 3
Use a running stitch on a sewing machine to sew around one end edge and the long side seam. Leave the other end open. Tie off any loose ends.
Step 4
Turn the piece inside out, so the right side of the fabric is showing.
Step 5
Roll up items of unwanted clothes (I used odd socks) and stuff them into the body of the snake. Alternatively you could use polyester filling, which would give a less bumpy finish, but this would be more expensive and would count against your recycling brownie points!
Step 6
When the snake is fully stuffed, turn the end edges in on themselves and face together. Use pins to secure into place. Use a needle and thread to slip stitch this edge, closing the opening.
Step 7
Cut out a small forked snake tongue shape from a scrap of red felt. Sew onto place where the tongue should be.
Step 8
Cut out two small oval shapes for eyes from the red felt. Use a tiny amount of black fabric pen to create the eye slits. Sew onto place where the eyes should be.
Step 9
Slither your snake into place near a drafty door and enjoy the extra warmth!
This Make has been modified from a DIY column Natalie originally wrote for Last Hours zine.
