DIY Wool Dryer Balls

Far From Normal
by Far From Normal
Why should you make your own dryer balls?
They replace your dryer sheets- You know those chemical laden waxy things?? Throw them out. You don’t need them any more! These help with static cling with out the yuckiness. You can use them with towels too, and they don’t get that waterproof thing going on.

You can make them smell however you want!- Even if you don’t use essential oils for anything else you can get a scent you love to use on your dryer balls. I have some I use in our clothes that I fragrance with peppermint. I have another set that goes in with sheets, blankets and towels that I use a lovely lavender blend on.

They cut drying time!- Who doesn’t want to save a little energy. These little balls can help cut drying time about 25%! Yep saving you time and electricity… pretty great right?
2- Skeins of 100% wool yarn. It has to be wool- not a blend, all wool. (You can find the brand I used on Amazon)


Scissors


A pair of nylon pantyhose- you can use old ones, or if you’re like me and haven’t worn them since your homecoming in 1997 run to the dollar store and pick up a pair.
This process is pretty simple. It’s easy to do while you’re watching tv or a movie… just make sure your cats aren’t around… they like to “help.”


Start by wrapping yarn around three of your fingers about 25 times. Not too tight!
Slide your fingers out and switch directions and wrap the yarn around the center of what was around your fingers. You should end up with something that looks kind of like a bow.
Now kind of tuck the fold in the loop parts to start forming a ball and wrap the yarn around the whole thing.


It might get a little wacky at first but it’s ok stick with it.
Once you have a ball shape established just keep wrapping tightly changing directions every several wraps
Now I made mine about the size of a tennis ball. Some people prefer them a little smaller. When you are happy with their size go ahead and snip off your yarn. Now tuck the end of the yarn into the ball using the tip of your scissors.
Repeat until you have all your balls made. Then put them into your pantyhoes tying knots in between until they're all in.


Now you’re going to throw the pantyhose into your washer with a load of laundry using hot water. I did mine with towels. Run them through the washer and the dryer. You’ll need to repeat this process 4-5 times so wash all your towels and sheets transferring the balls from washer to dryer with them.


After their trips through the washer and dryer untie the end and check one out. You should be able to run your finger across them without being able to catch the yarn. On a side note I used grey and green yarn, the grey felted faster than the green, so different colors may vary
You can toss as many as you want (I use 2) into the dryer with your clothes and let them do their thing.


If you want to add scent wait until the clothes are dry, then drip a few drops of your favorite essential oil directly on the balls. Set your dryer on low or no heat and let them tumble for about 10 minutes. Adding the oils earlier or on a higher heat will evaporate them and you’ll lose most of the scent.


For more details and other notes on using these head over to my full post - http://werefarfromnormal.com/2016/01/diy-wool-dryer-balls.html
Far From Normal
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 6 questions
  • Dwo16181654 Dwo16181654 on Feb 19, 2017
    Does the wool yarn fade in hot water?
  • Alison Reed Alison Reed on Feb 19, 2017
    I love these wool dryer balls but they left too much lint on my dish towels. Any suggestions?
  • Beth Beth on Mar 26, 2017
    Love this post especially the pics of steps. I do want to point out that throwing out the dryer sheets is wasteful. Surely they can be donated to some organization that still uses them. Maybe you should include info on why they are so bad for the environment and give them some wool dryer balls. Maybe they will switch over.
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  • Lynne Lowden Lynne Lowden on Mar 05, 2017
    I see the pics but no instructions about how to keep them from coming apart when you use them. Won't the oil catch fire in the dryer?
    • See 2 previous
    • Catherine Catherine on Dec 02, 2021

      When you initially wash them in the hosen, it keeps it all together and the initial washes do the felting work.


      The essential oils won't catch fire in the dryer - they will evaporate before they do that. You're only using drops of oils that add the aroma, which is really less than what's on a commercial dryer sheet.

  • Gina Valdez Gina Valdez on Mar 22, 2017

    Don't use them with towels. Towels need to be dried without any softener so they will stay absorbent. Fluffy towels don't dry you as well - nor the dishes.

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