How to Make Your Own Wool Dryer Balls

Making your very own wool dryer balls is an easy way to cut down on waste and naturally dry and freshen your laundry.

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I love products that I only have to purchase once. If I have to constantly replace something because of how often we are using it, it’s time to search for a better alternative.

One of the biggest waste products that I see (besides paper towel) are conventional dryer sheets.

If you have children, you are probably doing a lot of laundry. Add up how many dryer sheets that you use and you can guess that you are spending a lot of money on dryer sheets each year.

This is where dryer balls come in.

Why you should switch to wool dryer balls

You should switch to wool dryer balls because not only are they better for the environment but they are better for you!

Unlike dryer sheets, wool dryer balls are made from all natural and biodegradable materials. They are not chemically scented and can last for years when they are taken care of.

Wool dryer balls also cut down on the amount of time that your clothing needs to sit in the dryer. They will naturally soften your clothes and reduce static, which is a huge problem in the winter months.

Should you make or buy wool dryer balls

Seeing as this article is titled “How to Make Your Own Wool Dryer Balls” I am a huge supporter of making your own. This is because unless you are buying your dryer balls from a reliable source, you can’t be sure if they are actually using 100% Real Wool.

Most commercial wool dryer balls have synthetic fillers which will not work the same way as a real wool dryer ball. Synthetic wool dryer balls have a shorter life span and don’t biodegrade.

Making your own wool dryer balls is an easy task and is something you should be doing.

What you need to make wool dryer balls

100% Real Wool

Nylon Stockings

Knitting Needle

How to make your own dryer balls

Start by wrapping the yarn around your fingers and tie a small knot in the middle.

Wrap the yarn around the knot, alternating sides as you go. This is what will give the ball it’s spherical shape.

Each skein of wool will make make one dryer ball.

You will end up with a ball of yarn that is roughly the size of a tennis ball.

Use a crochet hook to tuck the loose end of yarn inside the ball. A bobby pin or something think and blunt will work too.

Snip the leg off of the stocking and then pack the dryer balls inside the leg. Separate each ball with a small piece of yarn.

To finish the dryer balls, we will need to felt them.

How to felt your dryer balls

Felting is what bonds the fibers of the dyer balls together and makes them stick together during the washing and drying process.

Place the stocking full of dryer balls into your washing machine and run them on a hot wash cycle. You can do this with a load of laundry in the washing machine or by themselves.

Remove them from the washing machine and then dry them in the dryer.

Your dryer balls will need to go through this cycle of washing and drying 2-3 times before they are ready to be removed from the stocking and used.

When the balls are removed from the stocking, you will see that the strands of yarn are more fused together and harder to tell apart from each other.

How to use dryer balls

Place a couple of the dryer balls into the dryer while your clothes are drying.

Add a few drops of your favourite essential oils to the dryer balls to give your clothing a fresh out of the dryer scent. You can also spray laundry spray onto the dryer balls or clothing before starting the drying cycle.

Recharging and Caring For The Dryer Balls

To refresh the dryer balls run them through a hot water cycle in the washing machine every 100 uses or so.

This will keep them fresh and reduce fraying in the future.

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