~Cosy & Thrifty Door Curtain~

Yesterday I managed to get my door curtain up with the intention of saving energy through the colder months. Apparently draught-proofing your home is a very efficient way of saving appoximately £55 per year, as well as then being able (hopefully)to turn your central heating thermostat down, which could save an additional £60 per year.  See the Energy Saving Trust website for tips here. 
We live at the top of the street, in a slightly elevated position and get the cold air whistling through the keyhole and letterbox, despite having a modern solid front door. Our thermostat is in the hallway too, so hopefully it won't kick in as often as it usually does in winter.
So here is my thrifty version of a door curtain...
Rather than spend on a posh 'portiere' curtain pole that lifts the curtain out of the way, we used a wooden batten (local woodyard £1) fixed to the wall above the door, painted to match the wall...

...and fixed the curtail rail (simple rail approx £5 from Wilkinson) to the wooden batten - a good idea as door curtains are so heavy.
 I'd kept a look-out in charity shops for a suitable sized curtain (approx twice the width of your door) and found this one a couple of months ago for £4. The curtain is a heavy brocade, yellow/gold striped, fully-lined, and already had suitable header-tape.  As the drop was only 170cm, I added a border and additional lining at the bottom.  I already had the Laura Ashley striped linen fabric and lining. Make sure the curtain 'puddles' on the floor a bit so it acts as a draught-excluder.
Here's the snug hallway now; I promise you it's instantly warmer and looks cosy too...

 During the day it can be kept out of the way and it's easy to pull to the side if you need to open the door.

Altering an existing curtain is a good way to learn how curtains are made too, for future reference.
Keep warm and have a lovely weekend x