Grandma’s Winter Tricks: 13 Old-Fashioned DIY Ways to Stay Warm Without Cranking the Heat

Grandma’s Winter Tricks kept whole families warm long before anyone had a smart thermostat, and they still work beautifully today. My grandmother never cranked the heat. Instead she had a quilt for every chair, a rice bag warming in the kitchen and wool socks waiting by the bed. She sewed, knitted and patched her way through every cold snap, and her little house always felt like a hug. These old-fashioned ideas are cheap, simple and mostly made from things you already own, like old sweaters, socks and blankets. They save money on heating bills, and they make a home feel cozy in a way no gadget can. Pour a cup of tea, grab your sewing basket and let us bring back the warm, clever habits of the women who raised us..

Grandma’s Winter Tricks Start With a Cozy Corner

Every warm house has one chair where you can disappear on a cold afternoon. Grandma’s version had a patchwork quilt over the arm, a knitted hot water bottle on the seat, wool slippers on the rug and a rice bag on the side table. Put your favorite chair near a sunny window, add layers you can pull around you and keep a basket of knitting close by. You will reach for the thermostat a lot less. What would you keep in your warm corner..

You will need: A comfortable chair, a quilt or throw, a small side table, a basket for knitting or books, a rug for cold floors.

How to make it: 1. Move your chair into the sunniest spot away from drafty doors. 2. Drape a quilt over the back and arm. 3. Add a rug under your feet. 4. Keep a rice pack, slippers and a blanket within reach.

Microwave Rice Heat Packs From Flannel

Grandma’s rice bag was the original hand warmer. Sew a simple rectangle from soft flannel, fill it about two thirds with plain uncooked rice and stitch it closed. Warm it in the microwave in short bursts of 30 seconds, shaking it between each one, and always test the warmth on your wrist before use. Tuck it into the foot of the bed or hold it in your lap while you read. Make a few as gifts, because everyone asks for one. Plaid or solid flannel?

You will need: Flannel fabric, uncooked white rice, thread, a sewing machine or needle, a funnel.

How to make it: 1. Cut two rectangles about 8 by 12 inches. 2. Sew around three sides, right sides together, and turn out. 3. Fill two thirds with rice using a funnel. 4. Fold the opening in and stitch closed tightly.

Knitted Hot Water Bottle Cover

A hot water bottle in a knitted jacket feels like pure comfort, and the cover keeps the warmth in longer. Knit a simple tube with a ribbed top, or cut one from the sleeve of an old wool sweater and stitch the bottom closed. Tie a ribbon around the neck to finish it. Fill the bottle with warm water from the kettle, not boiling, and slip it between the sheets ten minutes before bed. Do you have an old sweater you could turn into one?

You will need: A rubber hot water bottle, yarn and needles or an old wool sweater, a tapestry needle, ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Knit a tube a little wider than the bottle, or cut a sweater sleeve to size. 2. Close the bottom with a seam. 3. Slip the bottle inside. 4. Tie a ribbon around the neck.

Grandma’s Winter Tricks for Drafty Windows

Old windows leak heat, and Grandma knew a heavy curtain was the cheapest fix. Sew an old quilt or a thrifted comforter to the back of your curtains, or hang a quilt as a curtain panel on its own. Close them at sunset and open them on sunny mornings so the light warms the room. We have more help in our guide to drafty windows. It is surprising how much warmer a room feels. Which window in your house feels coldest?

You will need: Curtains, an old quilt or thin comforter, safety pins or thread, curtain clip rings.

How to make it: 1. Lay the quilt behind the curtain panel. 2. Pin or stitch along the top and sides. 3. Hang with clip rings so it falls to the floor. 4. Close the curtains every evening.

Grandma’s Winter Tricks for Cold Feet: Sock Slippers

Cold feet make the whole body feel cold, so Grandma made slippers from thick wool socks. Cut a sole shape from heavy felt or an old wool coat, then stitch it to the bottom of the sock with a chunky blanket stitch. The felt gives grip and an extra layer between your toes and a cold floor. They take one evening and cost almost nothing. Make a pair for everyone in the house. Would you use bright red thread or match the sock?

You will need: Thick wool socks, heavy felt or wool coat fabric, embroidery floss, a large needle, chalk.

How to make it: 1. Trace your foot on the felt with chalk and cut two soles. 2. Pin a sole to the bottom of each sock. 3. Sew around the edge with blanket stitch. 4. Knot well inside the sock.

Sweater Sleeve Leg Warmers

When a favorite sweater gets a hole in the body, the sleeves can live on as leg warmers or arm warmers. Just cut them off, fold over the raw edge and stitch it so it will not unravel. Pull them over leggings or jeans and your legs stay toasty around the house. Fair Isle and cable knits look especially sweet. It is one of the easiest Grandma’s Winter Tricks, with no pattern needed at all. Which sweater would you sacrifice?

You will need: An old sweater, sharp fabric scissors, a needle and thread or a sewing machine, pins.

How to make it: 1. Cut each sleeve off at the shoulder seam. 2. Fold the cut edge inside about an inch. 3. Stitch around the fold. 4. Try them on and trim the length if needed.

A Blanket Curtain for a Drafty Hallway

One of the smartest Grandma’s Winter Tricks was a heavy curtain across an open doorway or the bottom of the stairs. It keeps warm air in the rooms you use and stops cold air rolling down the hall. Hang a thick wool blanket from a tension rod or a simple wooden pole, and tie it back during the day. It looks charming, and it can make a living room feel several degrees warmer in the evening. Which doorway lets in the most cold air in your home?

You will need: A thick wool blanket, a tension rod or wooden pole with brackets, clip rings, a fabric tie.

How to make it: 1. Measure the doorway width. 2. Fit the rod just above the frame. 3. Hang the blanket with clip rings. 4. Tie it back by day and close it at night.

Grandma’s Winter Tricks Draft Snake

A draft snake is the simplest way to block the cold that sneaks under a door. Grandma sewed hers from leftover fabric and filled it with rice, dried beans or old stockings. Make it a few inches longer than the door is wide and lay it right along the gap. You will feel the difference straight away. A felt one works for a mail slot too. Do you have a door that whistles on windy nights?

You will need: A long strip of sturdy fabric, rice, dried beans or fabric scraps for filling, thread, a funnel.

How to make it: 1. Cut fabric 8 inches wide and a little longer than the door. 2. Sew it into a long tube, leaving one end open. 3. Fill firmly with rice or scraps. 4. Stitch the end closed and lay it along the door.

Braided Rag Rug for Cold Floors

Bare floors steal warmth from your feet all winter, and rag rugs were Grandma’s answer. Cut old sheets, shirts and dresses into long strips, braid them and coil the braid into a circle, stitching as you go. Every rug tells a family story in fabric. Put one by the bed or the kitchen sink where you stand the most. It is slow, relaxing work for a winter evening, and it uses up worn out clothes. Whose old shirts would end up in yours?

You will need: Old sheets or cotton clothes, sharp scissors, a large needle and strong thread, safety pins.

How to make it: 1. Cut fabric into strips about 2 inches wide. 2. Braid three strips together, adding new strips as you go. 3. Coil the braid tightly into a circle. 4. Stitch each coil to the one before it.

Grandma’s Winter Tricks for a Cozy Lap Blanket

Grandma always had a blanket on every sofa and a lap quilt by every chair. Layering throws is still one of the best Grandma’s Winter Tricks, because you can stay warm in a cooler room without heating the whole house. Sew a large pocket onto the corner of a fleece blanket for your book, glasses or a rice bag. You can find even more warm ideas in this winter tricks video. Where is your coziest spot?

You will need: A fleece or knit blanket, a fabric scrap for a pocket, pins, needle and thread.

How to make it: 1. Cut a pocket about 10 by 12 inches. 2. Fold the edges under and press. 3. Pin it to one corner of the blanket. 4. Stitch around three sides.

Fingerless Gloves From Old Socks

Odd socks never went to waste in Grandma’s house. Cut off the toe and heel of a long striped sock, snip a small slit for your thumb and stitch the edges so they do not run. Now you have fingerless gloves that keep your hands warm while you type, knit or sip tea. Kids love making these with their brightest socks. They also make sweet stocking stuffers. Which socks in your drawer have lost their partner?

You will need: Long socks, sharp scissors, a needle and thread, pins.

How to make it: 1. Cut off the sock toe and the foot section just below the heel. 2. Cut a small slit for the thumb. 3. Fold and stitch the raw edges. 4. Try on and adjust the thumb hole.

Bubble Wrap Window Insulation

This is one of the quirkiest Grandma’s Winter Tricks, and it sounds silly until you try it. Spray a light mist of water on a window pane and press a sheet of bubble wrap onto it, bubble side to the glass. It sticks on its own, lets light through and adds an insulating layer of air. It is perfect for basement, garage or bathroom windows where you do not need a clear view. Peel it off in spring and save it for next year. Would you try it on your coldest window?

You will need: Clear bubble wrap with large bubbles, a spray bottle of water, scissors, a measuring tape.

How to make it: 1. Cut bubble wrap to the size of each pane. 2. Mist the glass lightly with water. 3. Press the bubble side to the glass and smooth it out. 4. Peel off and store when the weather warms.

Wool Dryer Balls for Warm, Fluffy Bedding

Fluffy bedding traps more warm air, and wool dryer balls keep quilts and duvets light and puffy. Wind leftover wool yarn into tight balls, tuck them into an old stocking with knots between each one and wash them hot so they felt. Toss three or four in the dryer with your blankets. They are a lovely little project for leftover yarn, and they make winter beds feel warmer. It is the perfect way to finish this list of Grandma’s Winter Tricks. Do you have a bag of yarn scraps waiting for a job?

You will need: 100 percent wool yarn (not superwash), an old pair of tights, string, a washing machine and dryer.

How to make it: 1. Wind yarn into balls the size of a fist and tuck in the end. 2. Put them in tights and knot between each ball. 3. Wash on hot and dry on high to felt. 4. Cut them out and use them with your bedding.