Simply put, a door stop or a door holder stops the door from moving. We take this literally and use heavy objects to hold a door back, to stop it from banging. When our door is so beautiful, why keep objects in front of it and spoil its beauty? Instead, use some decorative door stops to make your doors much attractive. Apart from performing the function of stopping a door from banging, door stops also create a style statement with their beautiful craftsmanship. They also add class and elegance to your interior decorating.
Door stops and door holders, both mean the same. They are useful as they not only prevent our walls from getting ruined due to the banging of the door, but also prevent our fingers from getting caught in between doors and the door hinges. Traditional door stops were made of wood and rock, but now we have contemporary door stops and door holders, made from wood, marble, glass and cast iron, and are either embossed or hand painted. These are available in various shapes and designs.
Decorative door stops are available in animal designs like cat, dog, rabbit, chicken and bear. You can also have your door stops in other designs like whale, duck and farm animals. The Jack Russell door stop is one of the most popular and favorite door stoppers. Decorative door stops also work as bookends which keep your books in an upright position in the shelves. You can buy these animal door stops to use against the door of your kid's room. Kids may also love door stops with the designs of their favorite superhero or cartoon character. Animal door stops can also be made from glossy and soft cloth giving it the look of a soft toy. You can make these door stops at home too. Different door stops are made from waxed cotton, leather and multi-colored cloth in various shapes like fruits, toys, books, fairy tale characters, soldiers and trees.
Be it a simple home in the country side or a classy home in the urban area, cast iron door stops complement both. They are heavy but have exquisite craftsmanship. As they are decorative and come in various designs, these door stops can also be used as garden ornaments. These are available in a variety of animal designs like cat, dog, rooster, sea-horse and a number of other common and uncommon animals. A specialty of cast iron is that it does not fade. Cast iron has become very popular with people as it is sturdy, durable and never goes out of fashion.
You can also opt for brass door wedges. These wedges are slipped between the door and the floor and stop the door from moving. Brass door wedges also come in various designs like animals, characters from movies, flowers, globe, etc.
Whimsical decorative door stops give a very classy look to your bedroom decorating. These door stops have a variety of designs like the sphinx, troll monkey fist, bar of gold and the like. You can also choose door stops with designs of various symbols or motifs that match with your home decorating. Antique door stops look very elegant if you have decorated your living room with antique furniture. These door stops have a class of their own.
There are a number of unused objects at home, which you sometimes purchase out of impulse, and later don't know what to do with them. You cannot throw them because you have paid good money to buy them. Make use of such objects to make your own door stops at almost no extra cost. Following are some ideas for making door stops at home.
- Paint an old metal ornament in acrylic colors that match with your furniture.
- With left over cloth and sand or pebbles, you can make a stylish cloth door stop. Cut out the cloth and stitch it in any design like cat, dog, pillow, bag, etc. Remember to add a handle for picking it up and also a zip on the underside of the design. Backstitch your doorstep firmly. Fill up a bag with sand or gravel and put this bag inside the door stop and zip it up. The quantity of sand required will depend on how heavy your door is.
- Fill up a discarded medium-sized box with sand, and color it with attractive colors that match with your wall paint.
- Take a leather pouch and fill it up with marbles or sand. Sew a handle to it for easy handling. Wrap this pouch with colorful paper or some colorful cloth.
So, select any one of the above decorative door stops or make one for your room to complement your unique home decor. Apart from performing the task of not allowing the door to shut or spoil your walls and furniture behind it, these door stops are good ornate ornamental pieces.
