Binkies and Briefcases

SUBSCRIBE

  • About
    • Meet Steph
    • Work With Me!
    • Blog & Small Business Consulting
    • Disclosures
  • Popular Posts
  • Our Home
  • Recipes
    • Breads
    • Breakfasts
    • Sides
    • Soups
    • EntrĂ©es
    • Desserts
  • DIY
    • For the Home
    • Beauty
    • Crafts
      • For Kids
  • My Books
  • Parenting
  • Take My Blogging Class

How to Make Your Own Reusable Dryer Balls

November 2, 2018 By: Stephanie1 Comment

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my Email Newsletter. Thanks for visiting!

This year I’d like to do a few posts on the blog about how to make some affordable handmade holiday gifts. So, if we exchange gifts with you, please stay off the blog for a while so your gifts can be a surprise. đŸ™‚ Today we’re talking about how to make felted wool dryer balls. 

How to make your own wool dryer balls

We have been using store-bought dryer balls for a few months, but I recently learned how to make my own. I really like using them because they work just as well as dryer sheets, but are made entirely out of wool, which is a renewable resource, with no harmful chemicals. Because they are reusable they are better for the environment than the sheets you use once and throw away.  They also make drying time shorter, which saves money on utility bills. And they save you additional money because you can use them for a year or longer, making them more cost effective than disposable dryer sheets. 

To make a set you need: 

  • 100% wool yarn 
  • an old pair of nylon stockings
  • dental floss
  • a washer and dryer 
  • optional: essential oil of choice like lavender 

I used about 100 yards of yarn to make each dryer ball. I used 3 skeins (purchased at Michael’s for $5 each) to make a set of 6. You can also purchase wool yarn through my Amazon affiliate link here. The dryer sheets I used to use cost about $10 per box, so if you use more than one box of dryer sheets in a year, these balls are a more economical option. 

To start forming the yarn into a ball, just fold it over itself a few times. Then start wrapping the yarn around the middle. Keep tucking and wrapping until you have a small ball. 

Making wool dryer balls

dryer balls with essential oil

Then just keep wrapping the yarn around the ball. Turn on your favorite show because this is going to take a while. It’s also an easy project for kids. When the ball is still fairly small, you can add a few drops of essential oil to scent it if you’d like. Then just keep wrapping. 

Eventually, you’ll have a ball of yarn about the size of a tennis ball. Cut the ends of the yarn and knot it to another string in the ball, then tuck the end inside the ball to hide it. 

how to make reusable dryer balls

Repeat until you have a set of six. 

wool dryer balls

When you have a full set, cut one leg off a pair of nylon stockings. Put each ball into the leg individually, and use dental floss to tie off the top of each section between the balls. Don’t use your extra yarn for this step because we are about to felt the balls and you don’t want your ties to be felted as well. 

felting wool yarn

felted wool dryer balls

Put your chain of dryer balls into the washing machine and wash it on the hottest setting. The balls should shrink to about half their previous size and the yarn should seem thicker and flatter and stick to itself. Confession: My high efficiency washing machine didn’t do the best job felting the wool, so I ended up soaking them in a bathtub of very hot water and wrung them out by hand a few times. Then I put them in the dryer for an hour, also on the hottest setting. 

Remove them from the nylon and ta-da. You have your own set of reusable dryer balls. 

Just throw them into the dryer with your laundry, the same way you would a dryer sheet. 

making felted wool dryer balls

If you liked this post, don’t forget to pin it on Pinterest. 

You might also like: 

how to install a do it yourself brick backsplash in your kitchen

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Trackbacks

  1. How to Crochet a Ponytail Hat • Binkies and Briefcases says:
    November 6, 2018 at 9:50 am

    […] sure to also check out how to make felted wool dryer balls. They are a great project to do with […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Welcome! I’m Steph.

This is a little corner of the internet we like to fill with honesty, heart, and humor. Read More…

View on Facebook

Reader’s Choice

Image HTML map generator

Follow Me on Pinterest

featured-on

What You’re Saying

  • Stephanie on The $30 Weekly Meal Plan: How to Get 7 Dinners for Under $30
  • Shelda M Price on The $30 Weekly Meal Plan: How to Get 7 Dinners for Under $30
  • Is Your Family Ready for a Puppy? • Binkies and Briefcases on Thinking About Becoming A Foster or Adoptive Parent?
  • Lemon Garlic Broccoli Pasta • Binkies and Briefcases on 5 Minute, 5 Ingredient Healthy Burrito Bowl
  • Where to eat in Magic Kingdom if you have food allergies or sensitivities • Binkies and Briefcases on How to Rent a House Near Disney Super Affordably

Latest Posts

Is Your Family Ready for a Puppy?

How do you know if your family is ready for a puppy? In 2017, our dog Lucy passed away from a painful degenerative bone disease. She was an amazing dog but, to be honest, we weren’t sure we would ever bring another dog home while the kids are still young.  We have five children in […]

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Lemon Garlic Broccoli Pasta

This recipe for my Lemon Garlic Broccoli Pasta is a quick and healthy dinner that you can get on the table in 20 minutes, using only five ingredients (plus salt and pepper). It can also be eaten cold, so it’s a great option for taking leftovers to work for lunch. Plus, it’s vegan and gluten […]

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

KonMari With Kids: Month 1

Like everyone else with a Netflix account, I was enthralled with the show Tidying Up when it was released in January. I have heard of the KonMari method of simplifying your life by only keeping items that “spark joy” but, truth be told, it seemed kind of silly to me until I watched the show. For […]

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

My Networks

#BlogHer15: Experts Among Us Voices of the Year Honoree

Copyright © 2019 · Modern Blogger Pro Theme By, Pretty Darn Cute Design

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.