Popping in on Sunday to share another project from Essential Glow. Wool dryer balls are a great way to save money and help the environment; they shorten drying time and soften fabrics and reduce wrinkles without relying on fabric softener or dryer sheets. (And even if you’re not worried about the cost, there are a lot of other reasons to ditch dryer sheets.)
Quick note: there are literally hundreds of projects in Essential Glow if you want more DIY in your life. And it makes a great gift for the holidays too! Okay, back to the tutorial.
You can buy ready-made wool dryer balls, but they are quick and easy to make if you have spare yarn on hand. You can even use a wool sweater that is past its prime or worn out in places! To make these, I used some yarn from the wool soakers I knitted for my children when they were babies.
In addition to the yarn, you will need a pair of old tights or pantyhose and a pair of scissors. The amount of yarn you need will vary depending upon how thick the yarn is.
Start by wrapping the yarn around a few fingers. Then remove the yarn from your fingers and start wrapping the yarn in the opposite direction.
Continue wrapping the yarn and the ball shape will start to form. Keep wrapping until the ball is about the size of a tennis ball.
Place the yarn balls in the pantyhose or tights and knot. Wash and dry the yarn balls with several loads of laundry until they are felted nicely.
To use your new wool dryer balls, remove them from the pantyhose and pop several of them in the dryer with your wet clothes before turning it on–the more, the better. If you’d like your laundry to be scented, you can even apply a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the balls before you use them.
DIY Wool Dryer Balls
Equipment
- Washer and dryer
Materials
- Wool Yarn
- Tights or pantyhose
- Scissors
Instructions
- Start by wrapping the yarn around a few fingers.
- Remove the yarn from your fingers and start wrapping the yarn in the opposite direction.
- Continue wrapping the yarn and the ball shape will start to form.
- Keep wrapping until the ball is about the size of a tennis ball.
- Place the yarn balls in the pantyhose or tights and knot.
- Wash and dry the yarn balls with several loads of laundry until they are felted nicely.
Notes
Essential Glow is available for order now. Photos by Ana Stanciu
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I’d love to try these. I have a lovely cashmere sweater that is well past its prime. How would you do this using an old sweater?
These are so cute! About how long do they last?
I just bought some dryer balls at my grocery store. I have seen them on line but never ordered them. I was so happy to see them and I love them. No more dryer sheets for me! Thank you for sharing! I will be making some now!
Does itmatter what type of yarn I use?
Must use roving wool
We recently bought some made of yarn from llamas. They left a ton of lint in our dryer lint catcher, so we’re not going to continue using them. Just curious if you’ve noticed the same, or if there’s something that can be done about this.
Claudia,
Try putting them inside pantyhose and tying off the panty hose to see if that helps.
These are genius! I will definitely add this to my list of to dos. Could I make these with any type of yarn? Or does it have to be wool yarn?
It has to be wool. Acrylics, cottons, etc do not felt.