Do you use wool dryer balls when you dry your clothes in your drying machine?
If you don’t, you should give them a try… they are FABULOUS!!
– They speed your drying time which can relate to a big saving on your monthly gas or electricity bill.
– They are reusable and last for many years.
– They are totally natural and don’t add toxic chemicals to your clothes… (do you know how many harmful toxins are in dryer sheets?)
– They decrease static in your clothes.
– They can make your clothes smell heavenly with all-natural essential oils.
– They are biodegradable and won’t clog landfills for generations to come.
Long story short… you’ll feel GOOD about using them!
And, they are fun, cheap and easy to make at home.
Here is what you’ll need :
– 100% wool yarn
– a recycled pair of nylon or lycra tights
– scissors
– essential oil of your choice (optional)
It’s important to use 100% wool yarn when you make your dryer balls as we need the wool to felt slightly into a firm ball. Synthetic wool blends do not felt and will not work for this purpose.
Begin by wrapping the yarn into a tight ball.
When your ball is about 3 inches in diameter, cut the yarn and tuck the end neatly under the rolled strands.
Put the balls into lycra or nylon tights. Tie a knot between them and a knot in the end.
Pop them in the washing machine on the HOT cycle with a little detergent. It helps to have other items in the wash to help agitate the balls and felt them. I add my bathmats to the cycle as they do well in the hot water and are heavy enough to agitate the wool dryer balls perfectly.
When the cycle is complete put them into the dryer for a cycle.
Now that they are dry, they are ready to add to your dryer with your clothes.
You can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the dryer balls before setting them in with your clothes – your laundry will smell so wonderful.
Easy, reusable and good for your family… wool dryer balls are the best.
I bet you’ll never go back to those toxic dryer sheets ever again!
If you’ve enjoyed this tutorial, please have a look at my other felting tutorials.
Blessings and magic,
Donni
21 Responses
Thanks so much, I’ll try these!
I’d love to hear how yours turn out, Val.
And how you get on with them :)
xo Donni
I bought my dryer balls but I never thought of adding essential oil to them. Thanks for the tip :) Happy New Year’s Eve!!
Hi Janet… yes, they’ll make you clothes smell wonderful :)
Happy New Year.
xo Donni
Oooh, these are great, thank you so much for the tutorial! I will absolutely make these : )
I’d LOVE hear how you find them, Anya. I bet you LOVE them :)
xo Donni
I’m excited to try these out! would you say two dryer balls is sufficient for a typical load of laundry? I’ve seen these things selling on etsy in larger quantities so i was just wondering if more than two is actually necessary.
Hi Brittany,
Thanks for getting in touch.
Two is perfect for us. I like mine pretty large… if they were a little smaller then perhaps 3 would be ideal. But at 3 inches, two work perfectly.
Enjoy the fun of making them :)
xo Donni
Hey Donni!
Thanks for taking the time to reply c: I made two for my dryer and they have been working really well for a couple weeks now! I’m glad I stumbled across your tutorial :D
So glad your daughter loves the Brittany. You’ve given me a great idea for a handmade gift :)
xo Donni
I can’t seem to get the dryer balls to “felt” – I’ve washed multiple times and put in the dryer. Any ideas? Thanks!
Hi Lindsey, are you sure that you used 100% wool yarn to make them with. Wool blends don’t felt and it sounds like you might have used a synthetic blend.
xo Donni
It said 100% wool but I may try a different brand, it was rather difficult to find. Thanks!
Hi Lindsey, Michaels and Joanns both carry a few brands of 100% wool yarn… try there.
xo Donni
Hi, I’m curious if these leave any fibers on your laundry? I want to make sure that if I use them for a load of whites or blacks, but the balls are colored, they won’t leave any fuzzies. Excited to try them!
Hi Alex, mine leave no fibers on any laundry. I put them in with my blacks also and I never find fuzzy fibers on my clothes.
Let me know how you like them :)
xo Donni
I ended up using ‘pencil roving’ to make these and they turned out great! I’m using them with lemon eucalyptus oil :) Didn’t have a problem with fuzz. Thanks for the DIY!
I’m so glad you are loving them, Alex. Pencil roving sounds fabulous… even better than yarn. I’m going to try eucalyptus oil in our next wash :)
xo Donni
Je découvre et j’adore.
Thanks, Joelle :)
xo Donni
We just use tennis balls