Toss those dryer sheets and make your own DIY Wool Dryer Balls! They’re easier to make than you think… and they’re a great way to save money on laundry!
DIY Wool Dryer Balls
Looking for another easy laundry money saving tip?
I absolute LOVE my DIY Wool Dryer Balls! They’re so simple to make, cut down drying time, and save the cost of dryer sheets in your laundry loads!
They do such a great job of softening your clothes, reducing wrinkles, and fluffing up your laundry. Plus… I love that they’re all natural, too!
They can also help save money on laundry with shorter drying times! Woohoo!
Make some for your Laundry room, or you could even give some as a fun Homemade Gift! Then, make up some homemade laundry powder while you’re at it so you can watch your laundry savings skyrocket!
Now when it comes to static, I live in Phoenix where it’s very dry and we can get a lot of static. I find that I mostly get static when things are dried too long at too high of a heat. Now that I use dryer balls in every load, I dry on Low or Medium heat and for a shorter time.
After making those changes, I haven’t really had to deal with static at all anymore.
Plus, I was so happy to ditch my dryer sheets completely for a simple natural alternative!
Have you ever seen what types of bizarre things go into dryer sheets? Yikes!
Did you know you can even make your dryer balls scented, too? I add drops of Orange Essential Oil to the dryer balls, and they smell A-MAZING!
Are you ready to get started? Here’s what you’ll need for this Wool Dryer Balls DIY project…
Related: 50 DIY Homemade Cleaners Recipes That Work! (Surprisingly Easy)
Benefits of Wool Dryer Balls
- Saves Money by Cutting Down Drying Time
- Reusable (save the cost of dryer sheets)
- Soften Clothes
- Reduce Wrinkles
- Fluff up Laundry
- All Natural
- Easy to Make
Supplies Needed to Make Wool Dryer Balls
- 1 large Skein 100% Natural Fisherman’s Wool Yarn (465 yards)
- 1 pair Panty Hose
- Optional: Crochet Hook
- Optional: Essential Oils for Scent
DIY Wool Dryer Ball Instructions
Begin by wrapping yarn around 2 fingers approx. 15 times.
Then slip yarn off fingers, and wrap around the middle 15 times.
Now it’s time to make a ball! Simply just wrap yarn around and around, gradually turning, until you form a baseball sized ball.
When you’ve finished your ball, snugly tuck in the end of the yarn under several other pieces, so it’s no longer visible. (you can use your fingers or a crochet hook.)
Repeat process until you have 4 balls. (now is a good time to turn on a Fun Movie so you have something fun to do while rolling, or work on these during a Road Trip… if you’re in the passenger seat. 😉 )
Once you have wrapped 4 balls, cut off one leg of panty hose, and slip balls into the panty hose, knotting between each ball.
Wash in your laundry machine on the hottest setting, then dry in your dryer on the hottest setting, then repeat this process 3 more times. This will ‘felt’ the wool balls. You can toss them in with your loads of towels as you’re completing this step. (They’ll shrink down and become solid during this process.)
Remove balls from panty hose, and they’re ready to use!
Optional: After your Wool Dryer Balls have been felted, add 4 drops of your favorite Essential Oil scent to each ball, and they’re ready to use! I like to use Orange Essential Oil. Then, every 5 loads or so, I reapply 4 drops to each dryer ball to keep the scent fresh.
How to Use Your Dryer Balls
Simply toss all 4 balls into each dryer load with wet clothing.
They’ll help fluff up your clothes AND cut down on drying time!
Note: If using Essential Oil, as the scent gradually wears off, simply add more drops as necessary.
Wool Dryer Ball Reviews
What Your Frugal Friends Are Saying About Wool Dryer Balls…
Penny writes: “I’ve used these for years in my dryer instead of dryer sheets and love them.”
Diana writes: “They work! I put a few drops of essential oils on them and my laundry smells so fresh!”
Becca writes: “I love using laundry balls. They’re so eco-friendly and save money! I like to put essential oils on mine. They really reduce drying time, and are a fantastic, eco-friendly solution to save electricity.”
Debbie writes: “I had issues with static in my clothes and read putting safety pins in them takes it away so I gave it a try! Happy to say, it worked!”
Dianna writes: “I have used them for a few years now, they really do work better and no nasty chemicals.”
Patti writes: “They truly do work. I am doing my best to keep chemicals out of my laundry, especially eliminating dryer sheets. The yarn and some essential oils do the same work that the dryer sheets do, but without the harmful chemicals.”
Stephanie writes: “I’ve been using wool dryer balls for years, I’ll never go back to traditional dryer sheets!”
Now… don’t worry ~ if you don’t want to make your own Wool Dryer Balls, you can buy Wool Dryer Balls, too!
For some strange reason I just kind of find it therapeutic to roll yarn… but the pre-made Wool Dryer Balls work great, too!
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So have you tried making these DIY Wool Dryer Balls?
Or do you have another fun Laundry Tip?
Leave a comment & share!
Hello! I’m excited about making these for Christmas gifts! Will they felt ok in a front load washer?
Hi Vanette ~ how fun… these would make great Christmas gifts! Yes… they’ll felt just fine when washing in a front loader. 🙂
Does it need to be a full-on wash cycle? Can I put it in the shortest cycle (20 minutes in my Bosch front load washer)? Or, can I soak them in hot water in the sink and then use the spin cycle in my washer?
One other question. I presume that because they are felted, there is no pilling or lint on my other clothes, is that right?
Thanks for the post!
Julie
Hi Julie,
Correct… once it is felted there should be no lint on your other clothes. I’ve never had any problems with that. For the washing process, I just washed on the full hot cycle. Have fun making your dryer balls!
One more question. Do you wash four times, then dry four times, or do you wash/dry then wash/dry three more times?
Hi Carmen ~ you’ll wash in your laundry machine on the hottest setting, then dry in your dryer on the hottest setting, then repeat this process 3 more times. Hope that helps!
2 questions – You use these instead of fabric softener? How long does 1 ball last? Thank you.
Hi Amy ~ yes… you can skip the fabric softener when using dryer balls. The balls can last for several years, too. 🙂
Do you take the panty hose off after you wash them the four times? Or does it stay on? Thanks for the clarification! And hi from Flagstaff!
Hi there Momof2 from Flagstaff!
I apologize for not making that more clear… yes ~ after washing, you’ll remove the dryer balls from the panty hose, discard the panty hose, and the dryer balls will be ready to use!
PS ~ Flagstaff is one of my absolute favorite areas to go hiking around in the woods! I think we went up there at least 5 times this summer. SO beautiful! 🙂
I love mine!
I LOVE them, too… I’m totally hooked!
How much did it cost you to make these?
Hi Teresa ~ they can be made for as low as the price of one skein of yarn. So it cost me about $8.00 to make four. Or you can also buy pre-made ones here: http://amzn.to/2c5jYEw Hope that helps!
How do the felted wool dryer balls affect static for the dryer loads? Will that still be a problem?
Hi KellyRae ~ I live in Phoenix where it’s very dry and we can get a lot of static. I find that I mostly get static when things are dried too long at too high of a heat. Now that I use the dryer balls in every load, I dry on medium heat and for a shorter time. After making those changes, I haven’t really had to deal with static anymore. It’s also saving money with shorter drying times. Hope that helps! 🙂
Howdy neighbor! I live about 60 miles south of Phoenix 🙂 Static has been such a problem that I already dry on medium and pull the clothing out while still slightly damp so I was hoping the DIY felted wool balls would eliminate. Sounds like I’ll just have to try it.
Yay for neighbors! 🙂 Yes… just give it a try. You could always add 1/2 of a dryer sheet in as well if you still need to. You can check out my tip for cutting back on dryer sheets here:
https://thefrugalgirls.com/2010/01/save-money-on-laundry-cut-dryer-sheets-in-half.html
Great tip, thanks Heidi! I’ve been using 1/2 sheets so I’ll try the DIY wool ball first without any dryer sheet and then maybe a 1/4 sheet.
I recently switched to dryer balls and I love them. I have always had a problem with static but since using these ball I haven’t had any. Can’t wait to make my own.
I’ve used dryer balls for years & love them. No gunky fabric softeners in my washer. They work great. Thanks for the tips.
Aren’t they the best, Donna? I’m completely hooked on mine now, and can’t believe I didn’t try them sooner! 😉
What’s the optional crochet hook for?
Hi Carmen,
Oops… thanks for catching that! When you’ve finished your ball, you can either use your fingers or a crochet hook to snugly tuck in the end of the yarn under several other pieces, so it’s no longer visible. Hope that helps! 😉